Causes, symptoms, treatment of thrombosis

Only half of the German population is aware of the disease, although it is one of the most common vascular diseases. How to recognize the symptoms of a thrombosis and prevent it.

In the wrong place, at the wrong time: if blood usually clots, then for example to close a wound and stop the bleeding. One of the tricks of our body that happens automatically and is useful. It becomes critical when the blood coagulates for no reason and forms a blood clot and the clot blocks the blood vessel: Doctors then speak of a thrombosis. They are among the most common vascular diseases. Every year one in 1000 people in Germany suffers from a thrombosis. They usually appear as venous thrombosis in the legs.

Veins transport blood throughout the body and thrombosis becomes dangerous when the clot detaches from the vessel wall and migrates towards the lungs. This is how a pulmonary embolism is caused. In a survey, the German Society for Phlebology found that almost 50 percent of those questioned in Germany do not know what thrombosis is, the signs of it and how the disease can be prevented.

Vein thrombosis symptoms: pain, swelling, skin changes

Suddenly my leg feels tight. The feeling is uncomfortable and the pain is similar to that of a sore muscle. The pain usually occurs in the leg. Partially also in the hip. The skin reacts sensitively to pressure and becomes tense. If you feel the spot, the leg is usually very warm. The spot swells and turns bluish. Visible congestion may be visible: in the form of veins that stand out slightly from the skin.

Causes and increased risk of venous thrombosis

Leg vein thrombosis often occurs when you have not moved for a long time. For example on a long-haul flight. You sit in the same position for several hours, the blood no longer circulates as it should and instead collects in the calves. If you’re lying in bed with a broken leg, the situation is similar. The muscle as a pump fails, the blood circulates less quickly to the heart, and it builds up in clumps. During operations and major interventions, blood vessels are injured. In order to stop the bleeding, the body activates the clotting mechanism and the likelihood of blood clots forming increases.

The risk of getting a thrombosis increases due to other factors:

  • if you already have one Thrombosis would have

  • is over 60 years old

  • the predisposition runs in the family (parents or siblings had one Thrombosis)

  • certain cancers

  • cardiac insufficiency

  • severe overweight (obesity)

  • Hormonal drugs

  • severe varicose veins

  • Smoking

  • pregnancy

Do birth control pills and corona vaccination promote thrombosis?

During the course of the pandemic, the German Society for Neurology dealt with the effects of COVID-19 vaccination and the connection with cerebral sinus and venous thrombosis. A possible connection between the initial vaccination and the vector vaccine AstaZeneca was confirmed in a survey. The rate of a subsequent thrombosis was therefore nine times higher than with the mRNA vaccines. This could not be proven in a study with healthy volunteers who each received their first vaccination.

The contraceptive pill has a thrombosis as a confirmed side effect: 1100 out of 1,000,000 users get a thrombosis from the hormonal contraceptive. “First-time users in the first year of use have the greatest risk,” says Dr. Sabine Segerer, specialist in gynecology and obstetrics, gynecological endocrinology and reproductive medicine at the Amedes Center Hamburg. The increased risk also applies to other hormonal treatments, for example during menopause. In such cases, you should talk to your doctor about the possible side effects.

How to counteract or treat a thrombosis

The answer to the question of what you can do to prevent a thrombosis in advance sounds simple and has a generally good effect on your health: sport and exercise. That means cycling, hiking or swimming. Use the muscle pump. If you have to sit for a long time, as in the example with a long-haul flight, you should still make sure to get up and stretch your legs from time to time. It also helps to rotate your feet in between and to stretch forwards and backwards. The legs at work should not be crossed for too long.

With or without risk, it helps to drink enough. 1.5 liters at least. In the form of tea, water or diluted fruit juice spritzers. the pharmacies review It is also advisable to eat a balanced diet and, if you are overweight, to lose it “slowly”. Compression stockings or thrombosis stockings are usually recommended by the doctor. Compression stockings can also help if standing for long periods of time is unavoidable or it is very warm – they help prevent thrombosis, but do not replace compression stockings.

If you suffer from a thrombosis and recognize it, the earlier the treatment, the better. Therapy is important to reduce the risk of an embolism. If you have a venous thrombosis in your arm or leg that causes pain or swelling, your doctor will usually recommend that you first keep the affected limb still and elevate it. In rare cases, the clot is surgically removed or removed with the help of a catheter. Drugs that stop the blood from clotting are usually prescribed for deep vein thrombosis. Only rarely can the medication completely dissolve the blood clotting.

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