Frankie Muniz happy to be alive

Los Angeles - Frankie Muniz says he is happy to be alive after he suffered a mini-stroke last week.

The actor - who turned 27 on Wednesday - was taken to hospital in Arizona on Friday after his fiance noticed he was having trouble speaking and the former Malcolm in the Middle star admits he is still in shock after doctors confirmed it was because he had a stroke.

He told Good Morning America: "I couldn't say words. I thought I was saying them! My fiance was looking at me like I was speaking a foreign language.

"I can't get a deep breath in. I'm still trying to make sense of it, but I'm happy I'm alive."

Lost vision in one eye

The actor said his friends brought him to the closest emergency room because he also had difficulty understanding them and revealed he knew there was something seriously wrong with him when he lost vision in one eye while riding his motorbike.

Frankie has been advised by doctors to rest, but he is due to embark on a tour with his band Kingsfoil, for which he is the drummer, later this week. It is unclear whether the shows will still go ahead.

It is not yet known what caused the mini-stroke, as medics are still awaiting the result of tests.

Mini-strokes usually affect those over the age of 55. They are temporary interruptions of blood flow to part of the brain but do not kill brain tissue.