This is known as a ‘patent’ (open) foramen ovale, or PFO. However, in as many as one in four people, the gap stays open. After birth, the baby’s blood circulation changes, and this gap usually closes up. This gap is needed while the baby is connected to the mother’s blood supply. Patent foramen ovale (PFO, or hole in the heart)Īll babies in the womb have an opening between the right and left side of their heart, known as the ‘foramen ovale’. For more information about symptoms and diagnosing AF visit our atrial fibrillation webpage. If this clot travels through the bloodstream to the brain, it causes a stroke.ĪF often has no symptoms, but it can cause palpitations (feeling as if your heart is racing or skipping a beat). Because the heart doesn’t empty itself of blood at each heartbeat, a clot can form in the blood left behind. Read more on our stroke and high blood pressure webpage.Ītrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat)Ītrial fibrillation (AF) means your heartbeat is irregular and may be abnormally fast. If you have high blood pressure, you will be offered treatment and advice for healthy lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your blood pressure. High blood pressure is a common cause of small vessel disease. It can affect your thinking ability and your mood, and it’s linked to cognitive decline and dementia. Small vessel disease can be diagnosed on a brain scan, where it looks like scars in the brain structure. It can also lead to many small strokes, as well as increasing the risk of bleeding in the brain. The blood vessels become narrowed which reduces blood flow, and makes a stroke more likely. Small vessel disease means having damage to the tiny blood vessels deep inside the brain. For more information about things you can do to stay healthy after a stroke, visit our reduce your risk webpage.
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