Deep-vein thrombosis, or the formation of a blood clot in one of the body’s larger veins, affects an estimated 2 million Americans each year, according to the Coalition to Prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis.
The Coalition provides the following information about the condition:
• Deep-vein thrombosis most often occurs in the lower limbs, including the thigh or the calf.
• Only about half of the people with DVT experience symptoms. Sometimes DVT produces minimal or no symptoms.
• Symptoms of DVT may include pain, tenderness, swelling or discoloration of the affected area, and skin that is warm to the touch.
• The leading medical factors that cause DVT are: injury, immobility, surgery and/or illnesses that may include cancer, clotting disorders, and inflammatory diseases.
• Prolonged immobility (sitting or lying down) can slow down the blood flow and lead to blood “pooling,” or accumulating in the extremities.
• While most victims are 60 years or older, DVT can strike anyone at risk.
• Certain cancers may cause clotting factors in the blood to increase. Clotting factors may also be affected as a result of an infection or injury to a blood vessel or following surgery.
• Pregnant women are five times more likely than non-pregnant women to develop DVT. Risk increases in the third trimester and immediately following delivery.
• Women taking oral contraceptives or hormone replacement may be at increased risk of DVT.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently changed the labels on birth control pills containing the compound drospirenone. The new labels warn that numerous studies indicate that contraceptives with drospirenone may carry a higher risk for blood clots than other types of birth control pills on the market.
Pills containing drospirenone include Yasmin, Yaz, Ocella and Beyaz.
For more information about deep-vein thrombosis, visit the coalition’s Website at: https://www.preventdvt.org/
