Besides sudden symptoms, do strokes have other early warning signals?

An estimated 10 percent of all strokes are preceded by a transient ischemic attack (TIA), which is also called a mini-stroke.

In a mini-stroke, everything from the blocked blood flow to the bodily symptoms happens, but just for a very short time without lasting effects. Even though the symptoms go away, you should still go to a hospital to be evaluated. A major stroke could be headed your way, although it may not happen for days or years.

After an evaluation, doctors may decide that surgery can be performed to open slightly obstructed arteries, or they may prescribe an aspirin a day, which can help prevent clots by thinning the blood.