With prompt diagnosis and treatment, doctors can limit how much damage a thrombotic stroke causes. They can restore circulation to the affected area by administering clot-busting drugs and reopening blocked arteries. They can also treat risk factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes to lower your chances of a future stroke.
A thrombotic stroke happens when blood vessels that supply oxygen-rich blood to the brain get blocked, cutting off the flow of blood. It’s the most common type of stroke and accounts for about 80% of all strokes. Blood clots are the most common cause of a thrombotic stroke. They can form in the brain or break off from another part of the body and travel through the blood vessels to the brain (embolism).
If you think someone is having a stroke, call your medical emergency hotline or 911. The symptoms of a thrombotic stroke are very similar to a heart attack: sudden trouble walking, a headache, dizziness or the feeling that you’re falling over, and problems with balance and speech. The most important thing is to get to the hospital as quickly as possible. Time is brain – the quicker blood flow is restored, the less damage to the brain.
Your doctor will examine you, check your pulse and blood pressure, and do a neurological exam, which will include checking for problems with movement, sensation, reflexes and understanding. Your doctor will also listen to the arteries in your neck with a stethoscope, looking for a sound that indicates abnormal blood flow. He or she will also test for a clot-busting drug, such as tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). This can be given only within the first three to four and a half hours after your symptoms start.
Clot-busting medications have been shown to significantly reduce the amount of damage caused by a clot-related ischemic stroke. These drugs can also be used to treat hemorrhagic strokes if they occur within the first few hours after symptoms start.
There are a number of things that can increase your risk of a thrombotic stroke, including a history of heart disease or blood-clotting disorders, smoking and tobacco use, high cholesterol, being overweight, diabetes and having a family history of stroke. Strokes are more common in black, Alaska Native, American Indian and Hispanic people at younger ages, and in women at older ages.
It’s important to follow your doctor’s advice about diet, exercise and taking medication to control these conditions. It’s also important to attend rehabilitation and therapy appointments, and not let mental health concerns like depression and anxiety stand in your way.
The blood vessels in hemorrhagic stroke rupture or break, spilling blood into the surrounding tissue. This type of stroke is less common than ischemic stroke, but it’s more serious and often results in long-term disability. Hemorrhagic strokes can be caused by a wide range of things, including high blood pressure, an aneurysm, some types of drugs and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), which occur when arteries and veins connect abnormally.
Symptoms of hemorrhagic stroke depend on which part of the brain is affected. The most common sign is weakness or numbness, usually on one side of the body. Other symptoms include headache, trouble walking and a loss of balance or coordination. You might also have trouble thinking clearly, slurred speech or difficulty swallowing.
Hemorrhagic strokes are often more serious than ischemic strokes, because they tend to be more difficult to treat. The first step is getting to the hospital right away, even if the symptoms are only temporary. It’s important to remember that every second counts — the earlier you get treatment, the more likely you are to survive and have a good outcome.
Both thrombotic and embolic strokes can be treated with clot-busting medication that dissolves clots and restores blood flow. But if you have a large clot, doctors may perform surgery to remove it from the artery. They can use a wire-cage device to grab a clot and pull it out or another technique called endovascular thrombectomy. They can also give you a drug to prevent the formation of new clots and manage any risk factors that contribute to stroke.
If you’re not sure whether your or someone else’s symptoms are due to a stroke, it’s important to call your local medical emergency number and get to the hospital right away. The earlier you receive treatment, the more likely it is that your symptoms will resolve and your recovery will be faster.
TIAs are warning signs of a stroke that can happen for a few minutes or hours before the actual event. If you or someone you know has a TIA, check the time to see how long it’s been since the start of symptoms. Keeping track of the time can help you identify a stroke when it happens, and tell doctors exactly when your or their symptoms started.
A thrombotic stroke happens when a blood clot (known as a thrombus) forms in a brain artery and deprives parts of the brain of oxygen. This type of ischemic stroke accounts for about 87% of all strokes.
The clot may form at the site of a buildup of fatty deposits and cholesterol called plaque, a condition known as atherosclerosis. The plaque narrows and hardens the arteries that supply blood to the brain, making it more likely for a clot to form. The clot can break off from the plaque and travel through the bloodstream to the brain, where it causes a stroke.
If the clot forms in a large artery that supplies blood to the brain, it is also known as a carotid artery thrombosis or a first-part middle cerebral artery thrombosis. These clots are a common cause of stroke in older people. They are often linked to high blood pressure, which can lead to a disease called atherosclerosis that narrows the arteries. High blood pressure also makes it more difficult for the body to control blood clots.
Thrombotic strokes can happen in any part of the brain. But the symptoms depend on which area of the brain is affected. They include weakness or numbness on one side of the body, trouble walking, and blurred or double vision. These symptoms can appear suddenly or get worse over hours or days.
In embolic stroke, a blood clot forms elsewhere in the body and travels to the brain and blocks an artery there. Embolic stroke is much less common than ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes, but it can be just as serious. It is often linked to a heart condition called atrial fibrillation, which can increase the risk of blood clots in the brain.
Doctors can identify a stroke quickly with a physical exam and advanced imaging tests. If the blood flow to the brain is restored promptly, the symptoms usually improve within minutes. But if the clot is left untreated, recovery can be long and difficult. Doctors can use medications to dissolve the clot or to physically break up and remove clots.
Treatment for a Thrombotic stroke depends on the type and location of the blood clot that caused it. If the clot is in a blood vessel that supplies oxygen to the brain, doctors can use clot-busting medicines to prevent further damage to brain cells. These medicines, called thrombolytics, need to be given within three hours of the first symptoms of a stroke to work.
If a person is diagnosed with a Thrombotic stroke, they should be taken to a hospital that has experience treating these types of patients. They will have a brain scan done to see which parts of the brain are affected by the clot. They may also be seen by a neurologist (who treats brain disorders), neurosurgeon (who performs surgery on the nervous system), or another specialist.
During the evaluation, doctors will ask about a patient’s past medical history and risk factors for thrombotic stroke. This includes things like age, previous blood clots, heart disease, high cholesterol and atherosclerosis (a buildup of fats and other substances in the blood vessels), smoking, diabetes, and certain blood clotting disorders.
In most cases, if a Thrombotic stroke is diagnosed within three hours of the start of symptoms, doctors can use a medicine called tissue plasminogen activator or tPA to dissolve the blood clot. This is a “clot busting” drug that is normally used to treat people with ischemic strokes. It is important for people to recognize the signs and symptoms of a Thrombotic stroke, because if they do not get immediate treatment, their life can be permanently changed or even lost.
If the clot is in a large blood vessel that supply oxygen to the brain, a procedure called mechanical thrombectomy might be needed. This involves inserting a tube-like device called a catheter into a major blood vessel and steering it up to the clot in the brain. The tip of the catheter has a tool that can break up or remove the clot.
Hemorrhagic strokes are usually treated with medication to lower blood pressure and control bleeding. In some cases, a doctor may give the patient fluids through a tube in their stomach to help restore proper fluid balance. A neurologist may also prescribe drugs to reduce headache and nausea.
Thrombotic stroke symptoms occur when a blood clot blocks the flow of blood to part of the brain. The symptoms vary from person to person.
Thrombotic strokes can affect large or small blood vessels that supply the brain. Some people have risk factors that may increase their chances of a thrombotic stroke, such as atherosclerosis or diabetes.
Suddenly feeling weak or numb on one side of your body is a classic sign of a stroke. If this happens, seek medical attention immediately. It’s a life-threatening medical emergency.
If you’re diagnosed with a clot-related thrombotic stroke, your treatment can vary depending on the cause. Your doctor may give you clot-busting medication to dissolve existing clots. This should be done within six hours of the start of symptoms if possible.
This kind of thrombotic stroke occurs when a blood clot blocks the blood flow to the brain. It can happen in the arteries that carry blood to your brain (carotid artery), in the veins in your neck, or in the large blood vessels in your belly (superior mesenteric artery and its branches).
Your doctor will check your health history and do a physical exam. They may also order imaging tests like an MRI or CT scan to look for the source of your symptoms. Your doctor may also test your blood to see if you have certain blood clotting disorders, such as a form of anticoagulation called deep venous thrombosis or a disorder that affects how your body uses cholesterol (clotting factor deficiencies).
Thrombotic stroke is more common in men than in women, and it’s most common in people over 50. It can be caused by many conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure, a buildup of fat and lipids in the walls of your blood vessels (atherosclerosis), and diabetes. Other risk factors include a family history of clotting disorders, smoking, pregnancy, and taking birth control pills or hormone therapy.
A thrombotic stroke occurs when a blood clot (also called a thrombus) forms inside one of the blood vessels that supply oxygen to your brain. The lack of oxygen deprives parts of the brain of vital nutrients, and if the problem goes on for too long, it can kill cells that control your body functions.
Hemorrhagic strokes, on the other hand, happen when a blood vessel bursts. They can also lead to bleeding in the brain, causing symptoms such as sudden weakness or numbness in your arms and legs, trouble walking, and severe headache.
Blood clots can form in either large or small blood vessels that carry oxygen to your brain. Thrombosis typically develops in your larger blood vessels, but it can also happen in your smaller ones. Embolic strokes result when a clot forms elsewhere in the body and travels to an artery that supplies the brain, usually because of conditions like atherosclerosis that cause narrowing of blood vessels.
Your risk of a thrombotic stroke increases with certain health problems, such as high blood pressure, which can damage your blood vessels and make them easier to clot in. Other risks include diabetes, high cholesterol levels, and some types of blood clotting disorders.
If your ischemic stroke was caused by a blood clot, doctors can treat it with medicine to break up the clot and restore blood flow to your brain. This is known as thrombolytic therapy. The treatment must be started within four and a half hours of when your symptoms first occur for it to be effective. In some cases, doctors may need to perform a procedure called mechanical thrombectomy. In this, a catheter is guided into a major blood vessel to the site of your clot. It has a tool at its end that can remove the clot.
Thrombotic strokes happen when blood clots block the flow of blood to a part of the brain. A stroke is a medical emergency and you need to get to the hospital right away.
A stroke can cause trouble talking or understanding speech (aphasia). It is caused by the disruption of nerve pathways in the brain that control speech and language skills. There are three types of aphasia: expressive (Broca’s aphasia), receptive (alexic aphasia) and anomic aphasia (numbness or weakness on one side of the mouth).
The symptoms of a thrombotic stroke depend on which area of the brain is affected by the lack of blood supply. It can affect all or only part of the face, arms and legs. It can also impact a person’s vision, balance and coordination, and how they move around their body. The recovery time varies from person to person depending on the severity and location of the stroke.
Ischemic strokes — including thrombotic strokes — occur when a blood clot in an artery blocks the flow of blood to the brain. Some people have only a temporary disruption in the flow of blood to the brain, called a transient ischemic attack or TIA. These episodes last just a few minutes to a couple of hours and are a warning sign that an ischemic stroke may soon happen.
A doctor can tell if someone is having an ischemic stroke by looking at their face, arms and speech. They will ask the person to smile and check if one side of the face droops or is numb. They will also ask the person to raise their arms and see if one arm drifts downward. This is called the FAST test and it can help identify a stroke. The doctor will also want to know when the person’s symptoms started so they can decide whether a clot-busting drug called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is appropriate.
A thrombotic stroke happens when a blood clot (thrombus) blocks oxygen-rich blood from getting to a part of the brain. It’s different from an embolic stroke, which happens when blood clots break free from the heart and travel to the brain. Thrombotic strokes are more common, but both types of stroke can cause similar symptoms such as sudden weakness or numbness in one side of the body.
A blood clot is more likely to develop in the veins near the skin’s surface or in small blood vessels. The area around and over the clot may feel sore, tender or even painful. The clot itself also may look redder or darker than the surrounding tissue, like a bruise. The clot and inflammation in the veins can lead to an infection called pylephlebitis or to a dangerous complication called septic embolism.
If someone has a thrombotic stroke, it’s important to seek emergency care right away. A clot-busting drug called tissue plasminogen activator can dissolve the clot and restore blood flow to the brain. The sooner a person gets this treatment, the less likely it is that they’ll have long-term disabilities from the stroke.
The best way to lower your risk for a thrombotic stroke is to reduce your overall risk for cardiovascular disease. This includes eating a healthy diet, getting enough exercise and controlling your weight. Avoiding smoking and other unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, such as excessive drinking and recreational or prescription drug use, can also help lower your risk for cardiovascular disease. You can also lower your risk for a thrombotic or embolic stroke by avoiding certain medications, such as blood thinners. If you’re taking these medicines, be sure to follow your doctor’s instructions carefully.
A thrombotic stroke happens when blood clots block the flow of oxygen-rich blood to part of your brain. This causes your brain cells to die, and the symptoms you see depend on which area of the brain is affected.
Different areas of the brain control various activities, including movement, sight, speech and balance. You may experience sudden weakness or loss of coordination (ataxia), slurred speech, difficulty walking and an inability to understand what others say. Depending on where the blood clot is located, these symptoms can vary and can get worse over hours or days.
Thrombotic stroke symptoms usually start suddenly, and they can quickly get more serious if you don’t get immediate medical attention. If you have these symptoms, or notice them in someone else, don’t wait — “Time lost is brain lost.”
You need to call 911 as soon as you can, and note the time when your or your loved one first started having problems. Getting to the hospital early is vital for treatment, because clot-busting drugs can help reduce long-term effects.
These medications, known as thrombolytics or clot-busters, need to be given within three to four and a half hours after your symptoms start. One of these is tissue plasminogen activator, or tPA, which is available by injection. It works by breaking up existing clots and restoring blood flow to the brain. Alternatively, doctors can perform a procedure called thrombectomy, which involves threading a catheter through the artery and up to the blockage to remove or break up the clot.
You’ll also need to take steps to prevent thrombotic strokes in the future, which can include taking meds to lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, managing other health conditions like diabetes, and exercising regularly. Your doctor can recommend a diet that’s high in fruits, vegetables and monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil.
If you have a thrombotic stroke, doctors can use treatments to restore blood flow and improve your recovery. These may include clot-busting medications or procedures to remove clots.
Your doctor can prescribe a drug called alteplase to dissolve the clot and get more blood flowing to your brain. It must be given within four-and-a-half hours of your symptoms starting.
Tissue Plasminogen Activator (TPA) was the first medication proven to be beneficial for stroke patients. It is a serine protease that converts inactive plasminogen to the active enzyme, plasmin, that breaks down blood clots. It is most effective in ischemic strokes, which occur when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel carrying oxygen-rich blood to the brain. The drug is usually administered intravenously through a vein in the arm, typically within three hours (4.5 hours in certain eligible patients) of symptom onset. The drug may also be delivered through a catheter that is guided to the blockage in the blood vessel by imaging.
Despite the significant benefits of TPA, it is underused in many hospitals. Several barriers to use of the drug include patient and physician lack of awareness, physicians’ fear of legal liability for administering it, and reimbursement mechanisms that are not conducive to tPA use in stroke cases.
Ischemic strokes result in a loss of blood flow to the brain, leading to a lack of energy for neurons and an increase in the production of noxious substances that promote neuronal damage and death. Thrombolysis is the only treatment that can reverse these effects by breaking up the blood clots that are responsible for ischemia. Initially, physicians used the clot-dissolving substance heparin to break down blood clots in the arteries. Then they switched to the more potent tPA, which can act more quickly and break up clots more effectively.
The tPA medication works by inhibiting the aggregation of platelets in a blood clot, which causes the clot to break up more rapidly. In addition, tPA can degrade fibrin complexes, which are the most common components of a blood clot in stroke patients.
However, it is important to note that the tPA medication can also cause some side effects, including bleeding and an allergic reaction. Patients should be evaluated regularly for major and minor bleeding, and monitored for signs of deterioration in neurological function. In addition, the patient must be carefully screened for a contraindication to tPA administration, such as active internal bleeding, recent surgery, or history of hemophilia.
Thrombectomy is a surgical procedure that removes a blood clot from an artery or vein. The medical procedure is used to treat ischemic stroke, and it may also help prevent complications from heart attacks and pulmonary embolism. A thrombectomy may be recommended if:
Blood flows freely through blood vessels in your body, carrying oxygen and nutrients to your cells and removing waste products. When large clots form in your arteries, they reduce blood flow and cut off oxygen to tissues around them, including the brain. A thrombectomy removes the clot and restores normal blood flow.
To minimize your risk of long-term complications, the surgical team will monitor you during your hospital stay. After the procedure, your doctor will prescribe blood thinning medications to prevent new clots.
Most patients who have a thrombotic stroke need treatment immediately. The medication injection called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) works to break down the clot and restore blood flow. It must be administered within 4.5 hours of the start of your symptoms to be effective.
If a tPA isn’t available, your medical team can use a technique called mechanical thrombectomy to remove the clot. The procedure involves threading a catheter into the blood vessel that has the clot. The catheter reaches the clot and extends a tiny tool that grabs and removes it. The blood vessel is then repaired and a stent is inserted to ensure normal blood flow.
This is a minimally invasive procedure that can help save lives and improve outcomes. However, it’s important to know that thrombectomy isn’t suitable for everyone. Your personal health, how the clot formed and where it’s located all factor into whether you’re a candidate. Also, elderly patients have a higher risk of complications and less chance of recovery. In fact, a German nationwide real-world study found that more than half of patients aged 80 years and older died or had functional decline after receiving mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke. You may need to discuss your options with a specialist in treating blood vessels, a vascular surgeon. This includes asking your healthcare provider about your risks, benefits and goals for treatment.
A thrombotic stroke occurs when a blood clot stops the flow of blood to the brain. This type of stroke is the most common and accounts for 87% of all strokes. The most common cause of a thrombotic stroke is a blood clot (thrombus) that develops in the blood vessel that supplies oxygen to the brain (anterior cerebral artery). This clot can rupture, leading to bleeding into the brain (hemorrhage). Hemorrhagic strokes occur when a blood vessel bursts, causing blood to leak out of the blood vessel and into the brain (intracranial hemorrhage).
Doctors treat a clot-related stroke with a combination of therapies. Thrombolytic drugs are used to dissolve existing clots. This treatment must be started within the first three to four hours after symptoms start. If doctors wait to begin this procedure, the risk of bleeding complications increases significantly.
During a mechanical thrombectomy, a healthcare provider inserts a small, tube-like device called a catheter into a major blood vessel near the groin and then threads it up to the blocked artery in the brain. The tip of the catheter then reaches the clot and either breaks up or sucks the clot out of the vessel. If the clot is accessible, a healthcare provider may also use a wire-cage device called a stent retriever to capture the clot and pull it out of the blood vessel.
Another method of removing an ischemic stroke clot is a procedure known as endovascular thrombectomy. This involves a medical team removing a clot with a catheter and a surgical tool called an angioplasty balloon. This is an invasive procedure, but it has been shown to improve outcomes for patients who have experienced an ischemic stroke and have a large arterial occlusion.
Hemorrhagic strokes are treated with the same methods as ischemic strokes, including anticoagulant medications and interventional procedures. In addition, doctors can use an angioplasty procedure to treat an aneurysm caused by a hemorrhagic stroke. This technique uses a catheter to deliver a coil to fill the aneurysm, preventing it from rupturing. This is an important option because it can reduce the risk of a second hemorrhagic stroke by reducing the pressure on the aneurysm.
A thrombotic stroke is caused by a blood clot that blocks an artery in your brain. This type of stroke is different from an embolic stroke, which is when a clot forms in another part of your body and travels through your blood vessels until it gets stuck in your brain. Embolic strokes typically occur in smaller blood vessels, but thrombotic strokes can occur in either large or small blood vessels.
You may be prescribed medications to help prevent clots from forming or to break up existing clots. These types of medications are called anticoagulants. They come in the form of injections or pills that you take by mouth. These medications can be very effective in preventing thrombotic strokes. They are also used to treat certain other conditions that cause clots, such as coronary artery disease and pulmonary embolisms.
There are several newer types of anticoagulants that have been approved in recent years. These drugs, known as direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), work by directly inhibiting specific proteins involved in the clotting process. These newer anticoagulants include rivaroxaban, apixaban, dabigatran and edoxaban. These medications have been shown to be as effective as warfarin and have been demonstrated to be more convenient.
The main advantage of these medications is that they do not require regular lab tests like those needed for blood thinners such as warfarin. However, if you are taking DOACs, it is important to let any healthcare professionals looking after you know that you are taking them. You should also make sure that you are not taking any other medicines or supplements that affect how your body responds to these medications.
Depending on your condition, your doctor may recommend that you avoid alcohol while on these medications. This is because alcohol can increase your chances of having a bleeding episode. You may also need to be careful about activities that can cause bruising, such as vigorous exercise or sports. It is also important to tell your doctor if you develop any new symptoms, especially if they are severe.
There are many things you can do to reduce your risk of a thrombotic stroke, including eating well, staying physically active and managing your medical conditions. You should also quit smoking and avoid excessive alcohol intake.
