Reports that tennis star Serena Williams got a blood clot in her lungs after a cross-country flight following foot surgery has put the deadly medical condition in the spotlight. Such blood clots, known as pulmonary embolisms, usually originate in the leg and travel up to the lungs, causing severe chest pain, rapid heartbeat, and shortness of breath — a medical emergency.
Some of us are at a higher risk for pulmonary embolism than others, and risk doubles every 10 years after the age of 60. Here’s what you should know to protect yourself.
Understand What It Is
When a pulmonary embolism strikes, it blocks a major lung artery, cutting blood supply to the lungs and reducing oxygen levels in the body, explains WebMD.com. These clots often start in a deep leg vein, a condition known as deep vein thrombosis.
In the United States, at least 100,000 cases of pulmonary embolism are reported, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. It’s the third most common cause of death among hospitalized patients. If the condition is untreated, about 30 percent of those with it will die, the NHLBI says. The majority of those who don’t survive die within the first few hours of being stricken.
Recognize the signs
It’s important to get help quickly when you experience signs of pulmonary embolism. The most common are shortness of breath even when you are not doing anything strenuous, sudden and severe chest pain, and rapid heartbeat, medical experts say. You also may cough up blood or pink foamy mucus.
Even if you are suffering from a pulmonary embolism, you might show only symptoms and signs of deep vein thrombosis, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Those include: red or discolored skin on the affected leg; pain, tenderness, and increased warmth there; and swelling of the leg or along its vein.
Know the risks
Prolonged sitting during travel, like Williams’ flight from New York to California, can put you at risk for blood clots, experts say. So can surgery, particularly surgery involving hips, knees, and the pelvis, the Boston Globe reports. People who have such operations usually are given compression stockings or mechanical pumps during the procedures to maintain circulation and may later be treated with blood thinners. After the age of 60, the risk of pulmonary embolism doubles every 10 years, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.
Other risk factors include:
• Genetic predisposition
• Long periods of bed rest
• Smoking
• Obesity
• Certain cancers
• Birth control pills
• Hormone replacement therapy with progesterone and estrogen
• Pregnancy and childbirth, especially with a Cesarean section
• Being older than 70
Reduce your chances
Decrease your pulmonary embolism risk by exercising your lower leg muscles during long trips in planes or cars, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute advises. Get out of bed and move around after surgery or illness as soon as you are able. Take blood thinners after surgery if you doctor recommends it, and stay hydrated during long trips.
A gene mutation test to see if you are predisposed for pulmonary embolism is available, but doctors don’t routinely order it because it is expensive, Boston.com reports. However, people with a family history of blood clots may want to have it if they are considering taking hormone therapy or birth control pills. Fifteen to 20 percent of the population has the mutation, Boston.com reports.
Get treated
Over time, the body reabsorbs the clot so it is not usually removed, says WebMD.com. Most patients are prescribed blood thinners, like Warfarin or Coumdin, for at least three to six months. When some clots are particularly large, they may be treated with clot-dissolving agents that may cause hematomas — areas of bleeding in other parts of the body. This may explain the hematoma that Williams was also reportedly treated for, the Los Angeles Times says.
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