Narayana Health Care

The brain is undoubtedly the most crucial organ in the human body and therefore, the most vulnerable as well! A blood clot in your brain can lead to serious health hazards like brain stroke or brain attack. So, let us explore the brain clot symptoms, its diagnosis, and treatment to help you to understand this complicated ailment. 

 

What is a Stroke/ Blood Clot in the Brain?

Well, a blood clot in your brain is a result of blood not flowing to your brain. Your blood contains essential elements like cells, nutrients, gases, and protein that consistently flow through your bloodstream like an elaborate and complex highway system. 

Now, if there is any obstruction, blood tends to clot and form a thrombus. Now, the thrombus may eventually break and then enter the bloodstream as a large stream of blood flow, forming an embolus, in the process. Now, the thrombus formation and the flowing of the embolus to your brain can cause various unpleasant symptoms in your body.

A brain stroke happens when the blood clot gets big enough to eventually cut off the blood supply to part of the brain, damaging or killing specific brain tissues. 

 

What are the common blood clot symptoms?

It is relatively easy to identify when a person is about to encounter or have encountered a brain stroke. Certain key indicators can be used to easily understand whether a person is suffering from a blood clot in the brain and can be brought to immediate medical attention. Here are some of the symptoms of a blood clot in the head that you should look out for yourself or someone you know and seek immediate medical help:

• Blurry and blackened vision is one of the early indicators of an impending brain stroke. You may experience sudden blurriness in your vision. You can also see double of everything with one or both of your eyes.
• Speech impairment is another red flag indicating an eventual brain stroke and formation of a blood clot in the brain. You will face difficulty in speaking, and if you do manage to talk, your words may come out as a slurry making it ineligible to understand.
• You may face difficulties in eating or drinking if a thrombus or embolus forms in your bloodstream. There will be trouble in swallowing foods and drinks. You may also choke on your food.
• Sudden headaches are a natural indication of an eventual brain hazard. You may also face other distinct symptoms along with headaches, like feeling giddy or wanting to vomit.
• You can face acute paralysis on one side of your body or one of your organs during a brain stroke. For example, one side of your mouth, or anyone of your limbs (legs and arms), etc. may get paralyzed,
• You may undergo partial paralysis, the ability to walk or move during a brain stroke. As your brain stops functioning at its natural level, you may lose your sense of body balance and body coordination.

 

How to diagnose brain stroke?

A brain stroke can be diagnosed with a variety of medical procedures, starting with a thorough physical examination of the patient by the doctor. It can be followed by checking the blood pressure and observing the heartbeat rate of the patient. The hand and eye coordination of the patient will be checked thoroughly to understand whether the brain is functioning at its normal level. Also, all the symptoms mentioned above of a blood clot in the brain will be monitored for. 

After completing these, the doctor may proceed to do blood tests and imaging tests of the patient to determine the type of stroke the patient is suffering from. In the blood test, the levels of electrolyte and platelets in the blood are checked. The imaging tests include Carotid Ultrasound to detect fatty plaque, Angiograms to check if there are any blockages in the blood vessels, CT Scan, and MRI.

 

How can you treat a brain stroke?

A brain stroke is severe and almost always leads to an emergency for the patient. Immediate medical help should be sought under such a scenario as chances of recovery and survival are much higher with quick medical treatment. Prompt medical attention can help you to have better chances of surviving this ordeal. 

 

Wrapping Up

Brain stroke and blood clot formation in your brain is a severe health issue that should be addressed immediately to avoid any acute health hazard. You should seek proper medical help if you are facing any of the symptoms mentioned in this article. Thus, only a fast medical response can save a brain stroke patient from partial or complete paralysis, or even death! Keep your loved ones safe and consult a doctor today if you think you or anyone you know may encounter a brain stroke.