Have your near or dear ones ever experienced a blood clot in the brain? Its name itself put everyone in a situation full of hassles.
Clotting is quite normal; however, blood clots could be dangerous if they don’t get diluted naturally. Its treatments could take longer than even imagined and ranges from medications to surgeries.
The brain is the most crucial and vulnerable organ of the body. A blood clot may lead to some serious issues such as brain attack or brain stroke.
Let us explore this topic in-depth so that you will have complete guidance on this disease:
WHAT IS A BLOOD CLOT IN BRAIN?
A blood clot in the brain is the result of the inability of the blood to flow towards the brain properly. The brain constitutes crucial elements such as nutrients, gases, cells, and protein that flow consistently through the blood-stream.
In case of any obstruction, the blood transforms to a clot and become a thrombus. The thrombus could break and enter the bloodstream. So, flowing embolus towards the brain may lead to distinct unpleasant symptoms in the body. A brain stroke takes place when the blood clot gets bigger to cut off the blood supply to the part of the brain. Due to brain clot, the brain tissues get damaged.
Symptoms of Blood Clots in the Brain
It is not difficult to mark a person who has encountered a blood clot in brain or a brain stroke. Some indications can easily rectify that the person is suffering from a blood clot in the brain and may require sudden medical attention.
Below are some symptoms of a blood clot in the brain that you must look for yourself or for someone you know:
HEADACHES
The headaches are linked with a blood clot, and can normally be found on one side of the head. These could get worsened by just sneezing or coughing, and may impair the movement of the head or physical activities over time.
SPEECH IMPAIRMENT
Your words could start slurring and you will have difficulty in speaking. If you have a clot in the left side of the brain then the speech impairment usually happens. If you still manage to talk, your words could come out making these unable to understand.
PARALYSIS
If you have a blood clot in brain, one side of your body might suddenly be paralysed. Especially arm, leg, and face get affected by this.
LACK OF COORDINATION
You could not be able to perform with the similar level of coordination that you used to. Especially your ability to transfer the objects from one hand to another could get affected when your brain stops its functioning at its natural level.
SUDDEN CHANGES IN PERSONALITY
A blood clot in the brain may hinder your personality, you might suddenly feel manic. Sometimes the most energetic people also feel depressed.
DIZZINESS AND DEPRESSION
From time to time, a few bouts of dizziness may occur accompanied by temporary blindness. People who develop symptoms of depression are checked frequently for blood clots in the brain to assure that all the parts of the brain get an efficient amount of oxygen.
Read Related Blog: “Ways Passivity Leads to Depression“
ISCHAEMIC ATTACK
Also called as a mini-stroke, it dysfunction one side of the body. It could even exacerbate the condition if it escalates and become a full stroke.
Diagnosing Blood clot in the brain
Using distinct medical procedures, the blood clot in brain can be rectified. It may be initiated with the overall physical examination if the patient by the doctor. It may include checking the blood pressure and heartbeat of the patient. To verify whether the brain is functioning at the normal level or not, the hand and eye coordination of the patient is also analyzed.
Moreover, the symptoms of a blood clot in the brain will be monitored thoroughly. The doctors may then proceed with the required blood and imaging tests of the patient to notice the type of stroke from which the patient is suffering.
The levels of platelets and electrolytes are examined in the blood tests. The imaging tests are conducted to detect the fatty plague using Carotid Ultrasound, and Angiograms to analyze if there is any blockage in the blood vessels, MRI, and CT Scans.
A Blood clot in brain treatment
The basic target of treating a blood clot is to prevent the blood clot from getting larger. The treatment could also decrease the probability of developing more blood clots in the future.
The treatment for a blood clot in brain relies upon the location of the blood clot and how much it may harm you. Your doctor could recommend you:
Medication
The blood thinners also known as Anticoagulants, prevents the blood clots from formation. For life-threatening blood clots known as thrombolytics, may dilute the clots which are already formed.
Compression Stockings
Compression stockings are the tight-fitting stockings that put the pressure to decrease the swelling or they prevent the blood clots from formation.
Surgery
During the process of surgery, the specialists direct a catheter to the blood clot. This catheter delivers medication directly to the clot assisting it to dissolve. The doctors make use of special instruments to remove the blood clot carefully, in thrombectomy surgery.
Stents
The doctors can even decide whether the stents are necessary to keep the blood vessel open.
Vena Cava Filters
In rare cases, the person is not able to take the blood thinners, and the filter is put into the inferior vena cava to catch the blood clots before they could travel towards the lungs.
WRAPPING UP
Blood clot formation in your brain is a severe health issue that must be addressed immediately. If you or anyone you know is facing any of the symptoms mentioned in this article, you must seek medical assistance.
Only an immediate medical response may save a blood clot patient from partial or complete paralysis or even death! So keep your loved ones safe and consult your doctor today, if you think that you or anyone you know could encounter a blood clot in the brain.
