Dear Savvy Senior: How can a person know if they’ve had a stroke? My 70-year-old husband had a spell a few weeks ago where he suddenly felt dizzy for no apparent reason and had trouble talking and walking because his left side went numb, but it went away after a few minutes and he feels fine now. — Seem Fine

Dear Seems: It’s very possible that your husband may have had a “mini-stroke” also known as a transient ischemic attack (TIA), and if he hasn’t already done so, he needs to see a doctor pronto.

Each year, more than a quarter-million Americans have a mini-stroke, but only about half of them realize what’s happening. That’s because the symptoms are usually fleeting (lasting only a few minutes, up to an hour or two), causing most people to ignore them or brush them off as no big deal. But anyone who has had a mini-stroke is 10 times more likely to have a full-blown stroke.