Feeling consistently tired could be connected to a mini-stroke that you didn’t even know you had, a recent study suggests.
These mini-strokes, or transient ischemic attacks, happen when there’s a short-term blockage of blood flow to the brain, lasting up to a day.
Every year, over 240,000 people in the U.S. and about 45,000 in the U.K. go through this, but surprisingly only one in 30 are aware they’ve experienced one.
This lack of awareness might be due to symptoms that are often brushed off: things like muscle weakness, headaches, and changes in vision.
A team of researchers from Denmark has discovered that the effects of these mini-strokes can linger much longer, leaving individuals feeling fatigued for as long as a year.
The fatigue is thought to arise from various factors, such as the brain struggling to adapt to the temporary disruption in blood flow.
After a TIA, the brain has to exert extra effort to perform everyday tasks, leading to greater energy use and, I guess, ongoing fatigue.
Dr. Boris Modrau, a neurology professor at Aalborg University Hospital and the study’s lead, noted that while some symptoms like facial drooping, arm weakness, or slurred speech may resolve quickly, many individuals report ongoing difficulties such as reduced quality of life, cognitive problems, anxiety, and fatigue.
The study tracked 354 participants with an average age of 70 who had experienced a mini-stroke over the course of a year.
Participants filled out surveys about their fatigue levels within the first two weeks post-stroke, and again at three, six, and twelve months later.
The researchers defined fatigue based on scores of 12 or higher and also performed brain scans to check for blood clots.
They found that 61% of participants reported increased fatigue two weeks after the mini-stroke, and about half continued to experience fatigue at the later checkpoints.
Interestingly, those who felt fatigue were also twice as likely to have a history of anxiety or depression.
However, the researchers mentioned that the study was observational, meaning they cannot definitively say that mini-strokes are the cause of prolonged fatigue.
Dr. Modrau emphasized that chronic fatigue was common among study participants, and if one experiences fatigue shortly after leaving the hospital, there’s a strong chance they might still be fatigued a year later.
He urged that medical professionals should pay attention to whether mini-stroke patients show signs of fatigue to ensure they receive proper care.
Future research should follow up with TIA patients in the weeks and months following their stroke for signs of ongoing fatigue, potentially helping to identify who might need more support.
This study has been published today in Neurology, the American Academy of Neurology’s medical journal.
Although not as severe as a full stroke, a mini-stroke can still cause some brain damage at the time it occurs.
This damage may result in muscle weakness, coordination problems, and an overall feeling of tiredness—all of which are indicators of fatigue.
Medical professionals describe fatigue as a persistent and overwhelming sense of tiredness that disrupts daily activities, even after getting enough rest.
Physical fatigue could manifest as muscle weakness, aches, or headaches, while mental fatigue involves issues like trouble focusing, learning new tasks slowly, and decision-making challenges.
Additionally, a mini-stroke can alter sleeping patterns, lead to emotional distress, and impair memory, all of which might contribute to an ongoing sense of exhaustion.
