Rhod Gilbert, 51, was sitting on the toilet in his London home when his left arm started shaking involuntarily. He described it as if he was “waving at someone”. He said the movement went on for 30 seconds, adding “I can vouch 100 percent for the fact there was absolutely no-one else there in the loo with me”.

He added: “So who my arm thought it was saying hello to I really don’t know. It was a really odd episode.”

Rhod, who was shaken by the incident, was then referred to a nearby stroke clinic.

In an interview with Wales Online at the time he said: “I’m still waiting for the result of heart tests they gave me though, but I’m pretty sure it’ll turn out to be nothing serious.”

Soon after his health scare, Rhod set up a fundraising page for Stroke Association.

He revealed as part of his fundraising page story: “I had my own stroke scare a little while ago. When my arm began to shake uncontrollably, it was scary.

“I hadn’t thought much about stroke before and it did give me a fright, even though the doctors say everything is fine now.

“It’s important that people get to hospital straight away if they’re at all worried.”

So what is a mini-stroke?

Transient ischaemic attack (TIA)

Mini-stroke is another name for a transient ischaemic attack (TIA). The condition is caused by a temporary disruption in the blood supply to part of the brain.

“The disruption in blood supply results in a lack of oxygen to the brain,” explains the NHS.

“This can cause sudden symptoms similar to a stroke, such as speech and visual disturbance, and numbness or weakness in the face, arms and legs.

“But a TIA does not last as long as a stroke. The effects last a few minutes to a few hours and fully resolve within 24 hours.”

Symptoms of a TIA

The main symptoms can be remembered with the word FAST:

Face – the face may have dropped on 1 side, the person may not be able to smile, or their mouth or eye may have dropped.

Arms – the person may not be able to lift both arms and keep them raised because of weakness or numbness in 1 arm.

Speech – their speech may be slurred or garbled, or the person may not be able to talk at all, despite appearing to be awake; they may also have problems understanding what you’re saying to them.

Time – it’s time to call 999 immediately if you see any of these signs or symptoms.

The health body goes on to advise: “In the early stages of a TIA, it’s not possible to tell whether you’re having a TIA or a full stroke.

“It’s important to call 999 immediately and ask for an ambulance if you or someone else has symptoms of a TIA or stroke.

“If a TIA is suspected, you should be offered aspirin to take straight away. This helps to prevent a stroke.”

Even if symptoms disappear while you’re waiting for an ambulance to arrive, you should still go to hospital to be assessed.

The health body continues: “You should be referred to see a specialist within 24 hours of the onset of your symptoms.

“A TIA is a warning sign that you may be at risk of having a full stroke in the near future, and an assessment can help doctors determine the best way to reduce the chances of that happening.

“If you think you may have had a TIA previously, but the symptoms have passed and you did not seek medical advice at the time, make an urgent appointment with a GP.”

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