A transient ischemic attack (mini-stroke) is a scary thing, and a doctor will use a special instrument to peer into the patient’s eyes.
This will help the physician, giving information or clues to see if there are any possible signs of a recent TIA.
How well can a physician spot evidence of a TIA by checking the eyes?
The doctor uses an instrument called an ophthalmoscope.
“So-called funduscopic exam of the deep structures of the eye, particularly the retina and its vessels, might pinpoint towards signs of a TIA, especially if retinal vasculature abnormalities are detected,” explains Ivan Mikolaenko, MD, a board certified neurologist of 20+ years based in New York with subspecialty certification in neurocritical care.
However, if this exam turns up nothing, this does not rule out a TIA!
It’s impossible for a doctor to know that you did NOT have a transient ischemic attack if the view of the deep structures of the eyes turned up normal.
In other words, this exam is very meaningful if something does indeed turn up, but it means nothing if the result is negative. Many transient ischemic attacks will not appear on the funduscopic exam.
What to Do if You suspect a TIA and the Eye Exam Is Normal
Ask your doctor what the next step should be, even if he says everything looks fine.
By definition, a TIA is temporary. So just because you feel normal sitting there in the doctor’s office, and whatever odd symptoms you had are long gone, doesn’t mean that you did not have a blood clot in your brain.
Your doctor should have your complete medical history and use that, along with other tests, to determine your risk factors for a miniature stroke.
Certainly, the index for suspicion of a transient ischemic attack will be a lot higher in a 50-year-old smoker who has borderline hypertension, than in a 25-year-old nonsmoker with low-range blood pressure.
Conditions treated by Dr. Mikolaenko in the intensive care setting include strokes, ruptured aneurysms, trauma-related brain and spinal cord injuries, seizures and brain swelling, infections and tumors.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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