Blood clots are a very serious and insidious health problem. Serious because they can cause strokes and even death. Insidious because they can form without you even realizing that you have them. Usually, people are tested during checkups and found to be susceptible to having them and are then put on treatment to prevent them from appearing.
There are signs of blood clots so that people can know if they need to go to urgent care. The best thing to do, however, is to try to avoid them forming in the first place. In this article, we will go over how you can prevent blood clots and avoid a trip to the emergency room.
1. Take blood Thinners
Contrary to their name, blood thinners don’t actually make the blood thin. They do, however, prevent blood clots from forming. People that are at high risk of getting blood clots like people with a family history, cancer patients, and those with muscle and bone injuries should be taking them to reduce the risk.
A common blood thinner to take is aspirin and can be gotten without a prescription from a doctor. However, those that have trouble with aspirin and their stomach should look for a coated, low-dose version like Cartia aspirin.
As is the case with any type of medication, talk to your doctor before taking anything.
2. Get Moving
Sitting for long periods of time reduces blood circulation and can lead to blood clots. Unfortunately, many people work in offices which involve sitting at a desk for up to eight hours per day.
The idea is that when you get up and move around, the blood has a chance to circulate freely. This is a good way to prevent blood from slowing down and forming clots. If you live a sedentary lifestyle then take some time during the day to get up and do some sort of physical activity.
It could be anything from taking a ten-minute walk during lunch break, to taking a few minutes every hour to do some simple stretching exercises.
3. Stop Smoking
Smoking is a habit that brings with it many different health problems and is best to quit. If you don’t quit then one of the risks that you will expose yourself to is blood clots. Blood clots can easily form in the lungs and do some serious damage if they travel around your body.
Don’t be tempted to use e-cigarettes to stop smoking as they also raise the risk of blood clots in the lungs. Find a way to stop smoking as soon as possible to reduce your risk.
4. Use Compression
If you have poor circulation or are healing from surgery, then compression socks or sleeves is a way to avoid blood clots from forming in your extremities.
They help increase circulation easily and keep the blood flowing. This increase in circulation will help prevent the clots from forming. Even athletes use them to give them an energy boost due to better blood circulation.
This post was last modified on September 26, 2022 6:34 pm