The idea of a blood clot in brain can sound serious to say the least and even terrifying if truth be told. Yet blood clots that form in the brain can vary in seriousness and in their possible consequences, upon their size and location.
What causes a blood clot in brain to form?
A blood clot is often caused by trauma or an injury to the head or the neck. Such a head injury can cause internal bleeding that leads to the formation of a clot which is basically a lump of coagulated blood. If the blood clot is small it may have fewer symptoms and serious consequences, whereas if it is larger the consequences could be more serious. The location of the clot; whether lodged in an artery or a vein is also an important determinant.
What could be the symptoms of a blood clot in brain?
Headache is the most common symptom of brain blood clot. It could be a progressive kind of headache that gets worse over the days or a sudden headache. Certain activities could worsen the headache.
Some of the symptoms of stroke may also be noted, such as difficulty speaking, weakness of the limbs or the face and the inability to move the arms and/or legs properly on one or both sides of the body. The speech difficulty usually manifests in slurred or unclear speech. In serious cases, there could be paralysis of the one side of the body.
Seizures are another common symptom of a blood clot in brain.
In some cases there could be problems with vision or hearing as well. There could be visual obstructions because of the pressure within the skull putting pressure on the optic nerve.
Sometimes the symptoms may be mild and less noticeable and could take the form of mild confusion or minor lapses of memory whereas in some cases the memory lapse and feeling of mental fogginess could be quite noticeable. If there is severe intracranial pressure a person may experienced reduced levels of consciousness.
Other clinical signs such as elevated blood pressure and abnormal heart beat may also be noted and the person may show unusual postures.
What is the treatment for blood clot in brain?
While there are chances that a brain blood clot, could in very serious cases be fatal and also that is some cases there is the chance of a lasting disability, a majority of those who have such a blood clot go on to recover and revert to normalcy.
Anticoagulant drugs are the first line of treatment for this problem and could include blood thinners such as aspirin and drugs such as heparin, warfarin and so on. The drugs prescribed depend upon how much internal hemorrhage was noted.
Recently a new “clot busting therapy” has also been seen to be successful treatment for blood clot in brain. The underlying cause of the blood clot is also taken into consideration when formulating the treatment for the problem. Blood pressure is also strictly monitored and in some extreme cases, surgery could also be considered.
