Hailey Bieber opens up about cause of stroke-like blood clot on her brain
Hailey Bieber has opened up about being left unable to speak after experiencing "stroke-like symptoms" due to a blood clot on her brain. Taking to her Instagram Story last month, the 25-year-old told her 41.7 million followers that she'd been rushed to hospital – describing the experience as one of the "scariest moments" of her life – and more recently she's detailed the potential causes of the blood clot.
Recalling what happened to her, the model said she was having breakfast with husband Justin Bieber when a "really weird sensation" moved from her shoulder, down her arm and into her fingertips. Justin asked her if she was okay, but the sensation left her unable to speak and the right side of her face started to droop – one of the main signs of a stroke.
The model was rushed to hospital, where doctors discovered she'd suffered a ministroke (medically known as a transient ischemic attack) as a result of the blood clot found on her brain. As for what caused the blood clot, sharing a YouTube video with her subscribers, Hailey said that doctors came "to the conclusion of why they think I had the blood clot in the first place."
She went on: "One [conclusion] was that I had just recently started birth control pills, which I should have never been on because I am somebody who suffers from migraines anyway, and I just did not talk to my doctors about this.
"So ladies, if you suffer from bad migraines and you plan on being on birth control pills, make sure you tell your doctor because having a stroke is a potential side effect from birth control pills."
According to the NHS, the contraceptive pill comes with "a very low risk of serious side effects, such as blood clots" although it has been "linked to an increased risk" of developing one. "The risk of getting a blood clot is very small, but your doctor will check if you have certain risk factors before prescribing the pill," the NHS advises.
As for the other potential reasons why she developed a blood clot, Hailey said: "The second thing was that I had recently had COVID and that was something that they thought was a contributing factor." It's worth noting here that some studies have found a link between COVID-19 and blood clots in rare cases.
"The third thing," she continued, "Was that I had recently gone on a really long flight. I had flown to Paris and back in a very short amount of time, slept through the whole flight both ways, didn’t get up and walk around, never thought about wearing compression socks. So basically all of the doctors came to the conclusion that it was a perfect storm that led to me having a small blood clot."
In her initial post on Instagram, where she revealed the ordeal, Hailey told her followers, "Although this was definitely one of the scariest moments I've ever been through, I'm home now and doing well, and I'm so grateful and thankful to all the amazing doctors and nurses who took care of me! Thank you to everyone who has reached out with well wishes and concern, and for all the support and love."
According to the NHS website, blood clots are rare in young, healthy people. However, blood clots are more likely to occur in people who: are staying in or recently left hospital; are overweight; smoke; use combined hormonal contraception such as the combined pill; have had a blood clot before; are pregnant or have just had a baby; or have an inflammatory condition such as Crohn’s disease or rheumatoid arthritis.
Symptoms to look out for include, throbbing or cramping pain, swelling, redness and warmth in a leg or arm, as well as sudden breathlessness, sharp chest pain (may be worse when you breathe in) and a cough or coughing up blood.
"Staying healthy and active can help prevent them," the NHS website advises, noting that "taking regular walks can help" as well as "drinking plenty of water to avoid dehydration."
This article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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