The National Blood Clot Alliance provides a number of tips designed to help people avoid potentially fatal blood clots. They include:
- Losing weight, if you’re overweight
- Staying active
- Exercising regularly, even if that exercise consists only of walking
- Getting up and moving around at least every hour whenever you travel on a plane, train, or bus, particularly if the trip is longer than 4 hours
- Doing heel-toe exercises or circling your feet if you can’t move around
- Stopping at least every two hours when you drive, and getting out and moving around
- Drinking a lot of water and wearing loose-fitted clothing when you travel
- Talking to your doctor about your risk of clotting whenever you take hormones, whether for birth control or replacement therapy, or during and right after any pregnancy
- Following any self-care measures to keep heart failure, diabetes, or any other health issues as stable as possible
Blood clots can be potentially deadly if they travel to the heart, lungs or brain. Risk factors include pregnancy and a family history of blood clots.
While most birth control pills can also put users at an increased risk of blood clots, numerous studies indicate that those containing the synthetic hormone drospirenone carry up to three times the risk of blood clots compared to other types of oral contraceptive. Birth control pills with drospirenone include Yasmin, Yaz, Beyaz and Ocella.
Patients should consult their doctors before making any changes in their medication. A consultation with a Beyaz lawyer is also important if there are significant injuries.
See the National Blood Clot Alliance Website here: https://www.stoptheclot.org/index.htm
