Pregnant women – preventing and managing blood clots
June 24, 2008 by Marijke Durning, RN
Filed under Women's Health
My goodness, there’s news everywhere today about pregnancy!
Blood clots, while not a major concern for most pregnant women, can have severe and devastating consequences. Very recently, a relative of an acquaintance of mine lost her baby because she experienced a blood clot that went to her lungs. While her life was in considerable danger, she did pull through, thankfully.
Blood clots that occur inside the blood vessels can cause heart attacks and strokes, as well as severe problems with breathing if they travel to the lung. The most commonly known reason for blood clots is high cholesterol. The plaque builds up along the sides of the blood vessel walls and can either block blood flow or break off and travel to the heart, lungs or brain. Unfortunately, these happen without anyone ever realizing that they’re in danger and many people don’t have the risk factors that you may associate with blood clots (obesity, high cholesterol diet, smoking, for example).
Treating “special populations,” which means treating people who aren’t healthy men or women, can be tricky, especially in pregnant women and children. Not that pregnant women and children aren’t healthy – it’s that they require special care because of the situation. New guidelines have been adopted by specialists to try to better treat pregnant women who are at risk for or who have developed blood clots. You can read more in this press release: New blood clot guidelines for pregnant women.
Image: Newscom
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