Dr. Mallika Marshall: Hillary's health condition

(NECN) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's doctors say she suffered no neurological damage from the blood clot that formed in her head after her recent concussion.

She is expected to make a full recovery.

NECN's Health Expert, Dr. Mallika Marshall, stopped by "The Morning Show" to share more on blood clots in the brain.

Explain the location of Secretary Clinton's clot.
 
The clot is what's called a venous sinus thrombosis which can form in one of the low-pressure veins that return blood from the brain to the heart. This one is located behind the ear. The blood normally flows slowly through these vessels but can clot in patients with certain conditions like pregnancy, cancer, infection, and head injury.
 
What are the symptoms?
 
Symptoms can be rather vague but can include reports of worsening headache, confusion, weakness, speech problems or seizures. There are no reports of Secretary Clinton experiencing typical symptoms. Sources say it was only identified during a routine follow-up brain scan but perhaps she was in fact, having symptoms to prompt them to get the scan.  
 
How do you treat it?
 
It is best to try and dissolve the clot or at least to keep it from increasing in size. This is done by using the same medicines that we use to treat blood clots in the veins of the legs or blood clots in the lung.
 
Has Secretary Clinton had problems with clots before?
 
Yes. In 1998 doctors at Bethesda Naval Hospital diagnosed a large blood clot behind her right knee when she complained to the White House Doctor about pain. Some doctors are speculating that now that she has another clot that she'll be evaluated for a clotting.
 
How is Secretary Clinton's clot different from the one that killed the actress Natasha Richardson in 2009?
 
Natasha Richardson suffered what is called an epidural hematoma - a blood clot on top of the brain after a mild head injury skiing in Canada. This type of bleeding on the brain requires prompt treatment or they can be fatal.