Friday, January 31, 2014

What Causes Deep Vein Thrombosis?

Deep vein thrombosis leads to the formation of blood clots in one or more deep veins of the legs. It may or may not cause pain in the legs as in some cases this disease appears without any symptoms.

It is a serious health condition as the blood clot may break and travel in the blood stream and may block the flow of blood. In some cases, noticeable symptoms do not appear in deep vein thrombosis but in case they do, they are as follows:

  • Swelling in the leg, foot and ankle
  • Changes in the skin color
  • Shortness of breath
  • Discomfort and chest pain
  • Dizziness and fainting
  • Anxiety and nervousness
  • Sweating and coughing up blood

There are many factors that put individuals at risk of suffering from deep vein thrombosis. Hormonal contraceptive pills such as yaz, ocella, gianvi, beyaz, safyral and yasmin can cause deep vein thrombosis, so one should speak with a doctor before taking such birth control.

Long hours of sitting
When your legs are still for a long period of time, your muscles will not contract, which may result in the formation of blood clots in the body. Long periods of stagnation or sitting are considered one of the major causes of deep vein thrombosis. If you take a long trip or are confined to your desk at work try to break up the day or the trip by standing up and stretching and walking often to avoid the formation of clots.

Injury
Bodily Injury can lead to the veins slowing down the flow of blood which can lead to formation of blood clots in the legs.

Smoking
If you haven’t already heard and believed about the hundreds of reasons why smoking is bad for you, here’s another – smoking can cause blood clots! It is bad, bad, bad and you should stop smoking if you value your health.

On experiencing any abnormality in your body, one should not ignore such symptoms and must schedule an appointment with an expert as early as possible. Doctors conduct a variety of tests to diagnose deep vein thrombosis. Depending on your present condition, a doctor may ask you to undergo certain tests such as ultrasound, CT scan and blood tests.

However, it is possible to reduce the risk of a DVT by making certain changes in your lifestyle such as exercising daily, and if you need to sit for hours in the office take an hourly break to stretch and walk around. Also on long trips, whenever possible, walk around to break long hours of travel. Get rid of excessive fat and weight with the help of an effective diet and workout regime. If you are a smoker, quit smoking now for a healthy living.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

A Little Knowledge That Can Help Prevent DVT

Deep vein thrombosis is a medical condition that refers to the formation of blood clot (or thrombus) inside any part of the body. Most often, it targets the veins in the lower leg and thigh.

When blood thickens, it results in blood clumping, which is a clear indication of deep vein thrombosis. This medical condition is also known by other names such as Venous thrombosis, Thrombophlebitis, Venous thromboembolism or simply, blood clot in the leg (VTE).

Mentioned below are a few complications associated with DVTs:

When the blood clot breaks from the vein inside the leg and starts moving through the circulatory system it can be dangerous if not deadly. When blood clots move into the lungs through the veins, it can result in the occurrence of deadly condition called pulmonary embolism. If it moves to the head it can result in a stroke.

Often, deep vein thrombosis occurs without any prior symptoms. However, the possible signs and symptoms of this serious condition include:

  • Severe and regular pain in the leg, sometimes in the ankle and foot
  • Swelling in the leg
  • The skin of the affected region turns blue or deep red
  • Tenderness on the leg
  • Water retention

Since, deep vein thrombosis, may occur without obvious signs and symptoms or masked symptoms, here are some common signs of pulmonary embolism which is the the placement of a DVT in the lungs. It may result in feeling discomfort in the chest or regular pain in chest, difficulty in breathing, dizziness, anxiousness, irregularity in pulse rate, coughing up blood, sweating etc.

Deep vein thrombosis can occur due to various reasons. This condition can occur due to anything that blocks the flow of blood or does not allow blood to travel through veins properly. Discussed below are some common reasons that cause this deadly condition to occur:

  • This life threatening condition occurs when your body is idle and you are not involved in any physical activity for a long time. It is important to move around and stretch particularly during long rides or airplane rides.
  • If the person has a family history of blood clots.
  • Long time bed rest due to surgery can cause formation of blood clots in body, as well as the surgery itself.
  • Medication (such as the use of birth control pills like yasmin) can cause deep vein thrombosis.
  • Cigarette smoking is also a cause of DVT, another reason to quit smoking.
  • Broken bone in the body, especially, the leg or pelvis.
  • During pregnancy, the blood pressure is high in the leg veins and the pelvis area, which can also result into the development of blood clots.

Friday, January 10, 2014

Signs, Symptoms And Some Major Causes Of Pulmonary Embolism

A Pulmonary embolism or a PE is a medical condition in which the pulmonary vessels in both or one of the lungs become blocked. The reason behind the blockage is mainly the formation of one or more blood clots that travel through the veins from other body parts. Generally, this medical condition is a result of a clot that has transferred from small vessels in the arm, heart or leg.

Blood clots keep traveling through the venous systems, till the time it reaches a point after which it is no longer possible for it to travel freely through the system. Because of that, the affected part of the lung no longer gets the right flow of blood.

Below are some of the most common signs and symptoms of a PE:

  • Breath shortness – the patient is likely to have difficulty speaking properly

  • Chest pain – the pain becomes worse when the patient takes a deep breath

  • Sweating – patient may experience profuse sweating and clamming

  • Paleness – patient who are severely affected by pulmonary embolism may start to look too while or pale
Failing to receive proper medical assistance in case the patient is severely affected by this medical problem, can end up resulting in cardiac arrest, amputation, blindness, stroke, or death.

Some known reasons for pulmonary embolisms:
DVT (deep vein thrombosis) – A DVT is basically a blood clot that has formed within the veins of the leg. The clot sometimes travels through the vein channel resulting in a PE. Redness, swelling and pain in the calves may be indicative of DVT.

Contraceptives – Using birth control pills like yasmin can also cause pulmonary embolism. This is because contraceptives contain higher estrogen which can add to the chances of clotting.

Post-surgical complications – People who have had major surgery mostly remain immobile for a certain period of time, both before and after the surgery. Because of lack of physical activity and mobility, patients stand at a heightened risk of clot formation. Also post-surgery, the subsequent immobility can slow down the blood flow resulting in clot formation.

Pregnancy – During pregnancy, the blood becomes thicker and hence increases the chances of a clot forming, with additional increases as the female’s body goes through pregnancy changes. Women undergoing caesarean may additional risks of PE since it includes the post-surgical complication.

Leg injuries – Patients who have suffered tramatic crash injuries or orthopedic fractures have higher risks of suffering from a PE. The trauma directly affects the leg veins which boosts the chances of DVTs and eventually risks of PE.

Common birth control pills like yasmin can boost chances of pulmonary embolism in women trying to manage pregnancy via contraceptives.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Did Yaz Usage Result In The Death Of A Loved One?

When a loved one passes, the loss is irreparable and a matter of great sorrow. Depending on the manner of passing, sometimes there are more questions than answers. What if the tragedy was preventable? What if a bad drug entered the marketplace that should have never come into the market and as a result tragically avoidable consequences occurred. As difficult as it may be to think of obtaining a lawyer during a time of grieving, one should consider doing that as soon as possible to discuss how evidence and rights needs to be preserved and how the drug company needs to be placed on notice of the side effects of their products.

There are many popular contraceptive pills in the market (like Yaz), against which hundreds of cases have been filed, as many times its consumption has led to various side effects, and even death in some cases.

What is Yaz?
Yaz is the name of a birth control pill, manufactured by Bayer pharmaceuticals. The pill has been in the market for many years, despite for a warning issued against it in 2008 by the food and drug administration (FDA).

What are the side effects of taking Yaz?
There are a number of side effects associated with this pill.
While some of them are minor, and experienced very commonly other are extremely detrimental to the health of the women who consume it.
Minor side-effects include:

  • Nausea
  • Weakness
  • Headache
  • Palpitation
  • Confusion
Major side-effects include:
  • Strokes
  • Tenderness of breast
  • Pulmonary Embolism
  • Deep Vein Thrombosis
  • Sagittal Venous Sinus Thrombosis
  • Heart Attack
  • Blindness
In the worst case, even death is a possibility.

How can a birth control pill cause death?
Yaz incorporates the use of drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol to avert pregnancy. This causes changes in a woman’s cervical and uterine lining and prevents the sperm from reaching the uterus.

Drospirenone in particular is attributed to a disproportional rate of causing internal blood clots. This in turn causes the above mentioned severe side-effects and possibly consumption of Yaz can also cause death.

Is it safe to consume other birth control pills?
Every birth control pill has certain side-effects. You must consult with a physician before taking any contraceptive pill.

How should this situation be addressed? The number of cases of deaths due to Yaz and other birth control pills are twice that of earlier generations of hormones. If someone you knew also suffered from the same unfortunate fate, you too should address this issue and speak with a yaz lawyer about your rights.

This may help you in obtaining compensation for your loss, but no amount of money can bring someone back. More importantly, it will help spread awareness against the pill and its adverse consequences. This is vital when it comes to insuring that other women restrain from using birth control pills by as much as possible and resorting to the other available means to avert pregnancy.

If the consumption of Yaz has resulted in the death of someone you knew you should consult with an attorney about your rights.