What does a blood clot in your brain feel like? ever
wonders
You are in the kitchen chopping vegetables when you cut yourself. Wash the wound with water and it will stop bleeding within a few minutes. This is because the blood has formed a clot that helps stop the bleeding.
Have you ever wondered how blood clots?
Human blood to made up of millions of cells, each of which has a different function. Among these cells are platelets - a type of cell that handles blood clotting. There are several different steps involved in blood clotting.
1. A blood vessel has suffered a cut or injury. This injury sends signals to the platelets. which rush to the site of the injury to begin the healing process. Platelets clump together to form a
“platelet plug” that plugs the hole through which the bleeding occurs.
2. A chemical reaction begins that stimulates proteins in the blood called clotting factors. These are called factors V, VII, IX, and X "Roman numerals". which are protein fibers that help ensure strength. and stability of the platelet plug.
3. to keep it in check so that the blood does not clot further. These are the "knockout police" and include factors called proteins C, S, and similar proteins. They ensure that clotting only occurs where the injury occurred and not anywhere else in the body.
Over time, the blood clot becomes harder and breaks up, and disappears. This is caused by an enzyme called plasmin.
The entire precipitation process takes approximately 2 to 6 minutes. Cool, right?!
But precipitation has its dark side.
Blood clotting is a protective process. but it is the cause of conditions such as strokes and heart attacks. For example, in a heart attack the narrowed blood vessels that may have formed in atherosclerosis lead to turbulent flow causing damage to
the lining of the blood vessels. This triggers platelets in the bloodstream to form clumps of platelets. leading to blood clots.
A blood clot blocks a blood vessel and deprives the heart muscle of nourishing oxygen-rich blood. This leads to a heart attack. A similar phenomenon also occurs in the brain, leading to a stroke. It is not uncommon for this to happen in the legs as well, resulting in an "ischemic" limb. This can lead to gangrene and sometimes must amputation.
Blood thinners such as Aspirin, Clopidogrel. and Warfarin must to prevent this process in such situations. These are life-saving treatments and may need long-term.
