What is a Transient Ischemic Attack?

(CANVAS STAFF REPORTS) - Rocker Bret Michaels, 47, was again in the hospital after he suffered a "warning stroke" or "Transient Ischemic Attack."

The former frontman for Poison was hospitalized Thursday with a small stroke known as a Transient Ischemic Attack or TIA. MRI and CT scans also found he has a hole in his heart known as a Patent Forum Ovale.

Both are treatable and not considered to be connected to the brain hemorrhage that landed Michaels in the hospital in April.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke states that a TIA lasts only a few minutes. Part of the brain is briefly interrupted as symptoms occur suddenly and are similar to a stroke but do not last as long.

Symptoms can include: Numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body; confusion or difficulty in talking or understanding speech; trouble seeing in one or both eyes; and difficulty with walking, dizziness, or loss of balance and coordination.

The institute says they are often warning signs that a person could suffer a more serious stroke. About one-third who have a TA will have an acute stroke in the future, but many strokes can be prevented by paying attention to the warning signs and treat risk factors.

Entertainment Weekly reported that Michaels felt the numbness on the left side of his body, especially to his face and hands.

Risk factors may include high blood pressure, cigarette smoking, heart disease, carotid artery disease, diabetes and heavy alcohol use.

Lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, eating a balanced diet, exercising and maintaining a healthy weight can help reduce these factors, according to the institute.

Dr. Joseph Zabramski, Michaels' neurosurgeon, said in a statement on Michaels' website that the Patent Foramen Ovale is able to be fixed and that doctors believe they diagnosed the problem that caused the stroke. The hole was found by conducting an ultrasound bubble test of his heart.

Michaels had hoped to return to the May 23 finale of "Celebrity Apprentice," on which he was appearing at the time of the hemorrhage, but Zabramski said that's not likely.

"Bret's brain and body are not quite 100 percent yet, especially with the hole found in his heart," he said on Michaels' website.