Ask an Expert: Blood clot in head

Bleeding and Clotting Disorders

Blood clot in head
11/12/2008

Question:

my sister has had severe headaches for years and was scared to go to a specialist. they seemed to be under control because she wasn`t complaining as much anymore. however she recently had a baby and they came back badly a few days after the birth. she had fits twice and she had never had those, the doctor did a head scan and suggested she has a blood clot in her head and that she had a minor stroke. she now is having trouble with memory but it is coming back and is a bit disturbed. please tell me what may be causing this because i don`t trust that it is a clot that caused this because at the end of the day the headaches have been present for a long time

Answer:

It is hard to comment on the specifics, but a clot in the vein of the central nervous system can be seen in association with either birth control pills or after pregnancy. The first 6-8 weeks after pregnancy are of greater risk of blood clots than the pregnancy itself.
As far as other causes, there are some inherited causes of blood clots that can be evaluated by drawing blood. This type of evaluation to better answer you sister's questions can be obtained by referral to a hematologist or other blood clotting specialist in your area. I would encourage this to help get your sister more answers regarding why this occurred as well as the risk for future events.

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Response by:

Spero R Cataland, MD
Associate Professor of Clinical Internal Medicine
College of Medicine
The Ohio State University