Blood Clot Treatment
Blood clot is also known as Thrombus. Thrombus is the medical term used for the blood clots in artery or vein. It is a liquid that flows within the blood vessel. It is the final product of the blood coagulation step in homeostasis.
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Blood clot is a natural part of healing. It is also very dangerous. If an internal blood clot breaks loose and travel through the circulatory system
It may result in heart attack, stroke, severe leg pain and difficulty in walking.
There are many medicated treatment for blood clots. Blood clots may be caused in lower legs, thighs, or pelvis.
A clot blocks blood circulation through veins which carries blood from the back to the heart. When it blocks blood circulation, it causes pain, swelling or warmth in the affected leg.
Blood clots prevent proper blood circulation. Blood clots in legs or arms will cause everlasting damage to the veins. And it causes constant distension of extremity.
The clotting device is the most important and difficult of physiologic systems. Blood should flow freely through the blood vessels to sustain a healthy life.
Treatment :
To prevent ant treat the blood clotting, doctors must know well about the blood clotting mechanism. There are so many medicated treatments are prescribed by the doctors to regulate the blood clots. The main aim of the treatment should provide medicines safely, rapidly and much more effective on the disease.
Treatment for blood clots include aspirin and clopidogrel( oral anti platelet agents), intravenous anti platelet agents, heparin( a blood thinner and anticoagulant), low molecular weight heparins, clot blusters( thrombolytic agents) .etc.
image wikipedia
Anti platelet agents:
Chewing an aspirin tablet can improve survival by 20%. The blood clots patients who are affected by onset of heart attack can use this tablet which has 325mg weight. Clopidogrel is also a medicine given in conjunction with aspirin tablet to reduce the risk of death in the setting of certain types of heart attack. Intravenous anti platelet can also be used with aspirin and clopidogrel to reduce the heart attacks. These triple antiplatelet agents can cure the patients from heart attack which arises because of blood clots.
Anticoagulant agents:
Intravenous heparin is the anticoagulant agent which is created to prevent the growth of blood clots. Heparin is a strong and fast-acting anticoagulant agent. It is given in the hospital by IV (a small needle inserted in vein). But it can also given by injection under arms. The advantages of heparin are low cost and fast action.
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Low molecular weight heparins also an anticoagulant agent which controls blood clotting. It is new drug class which is similar to heparins. But it is much easier to use. Low molecular weight heparins have two major advantages when compared to heparins.
Patients can be treated at home because low molecular weight heparins are given by injection under arms. And it reduces the time patients need to be in hospital for treatment. Low molecular weight heparins are very similar to heparins but low molecular weight heparins are more expensive when compared to heparins.
Thrombolytic agents:
These clot blusters can reduce the blood clots which causes serious bleeding problems than anti- platelet agents and anti coagulant agents. But thrombolytic agents cannot differentiate the bad clot which causes heart attack from the good clots.
Pulmonary embolus:
Pulmonary embolus is the treatment for blood clots. The main aim of pulmonary embolus is to cure blood clots from getting bigger and from the new clots forming. It is the treatment made with medicines, procedures and other therapies. Rarely surgery is needed to remove the blood clots from the body.
image by Seegul
Novel treatment:
Novel treatment for blood clots in legs is considered as good and safe according to the pilot study. The study found that injecting or lacing the blood clots in legs through thrombolytic agents will reduce the blood clots. It remove the blood clots safely and rapidly.
Other types of treatment includes
Doctor may give vena cava filter to avoid blood clots travelling towards lungs. It is inserted in the veins in our body to stop the clots running towards lungs.
Graduated compression stockings are also the other type of treatment given for blood clots. It can reduce the swelling the may caused in the legs because of blood clots.
These are some of the treatment given for blood clots. Blood clots are life threatening disease, if appropriate treatment is given, it can be controlled and cured.
