Becoming pregnant can increase the risk of blood clot formation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that women can develop a blood clot during pregnancy five times more often than outside this state. Such a high risk preserves throughout the pregnancy and three months after delivery.
While this condition may be dangerous, there are ways to avoid and control it. Let’s get to know more about the causes of the issue and ways to prevent it.
What Is a Blood Clot and How Is It Dangerous?
The formation of the blood clot is the result of proteins, platelets, and cells sticking together in the blood. If such a mass forms in the blood vessels, it gets the name venous thrombosis. This condition may also include deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
While it is attached to the vein, it doesn’t impose any risk to your life, but if the clots break off and travel to the lungs, heart, or brain, they may trigger a life-threatening condition. In the lungs, it grows into pulmonary embolism (PE). In the heart, it causes coronary thrombosis and heart attack. When traveling to the brain, this mass will cause a stroke.
Although this condition is preventable, blood clots remain the leading cause of pregnancy-related death in the United States and other developed countries.
Who Is More Likely to Get Blood Clots during Pregnancy?
The risk of developing deep vein thrombosis in pregnancy grows significantly due to several reasons:
- Their blood is thicker due to their body preparing for labor and delivery. Such a natural mechanism exists to prevent significant blood loss when giving birth to a baby.
- The circulation of blood in their legs is worse than in non-pregnant individuals because of the pressure of the growing uterus and developing baby on the blood vessels leading to the lower extremities.
- A lack of physical activity in the last months of pregnancy and the postpartum period affects the healthy blood flow in the pelvis and legs.
Still, even among pregnant women, the chances of developing blood clots vary. Some expecting mothers are more prone to such a medical condition than others. The risk factors affecting this are as follows:
- Personal pre-pregnancy history of blood clots;
- Family history of deep vein thrombosis (genetic predisposition);
- Excessive body mass;
- Multiple births;
- Giving birth through C-section;
- The age of the expecting mother;
- Major health conditions (diabetes, infection, etc.).
How Should I Know I Have Blood Clots?
Like any medical condition, venous thromboembolism has its signs and symptoms. On noticing them, it’s essential to check with your doctor to confirm your suspicions and receive recommendations on how to control them and prevent complications. Here are the symptoms that may signal a blood clot:
- Pain or tenderness not caused by injury;
- Swelling of the affected area (usually the leg or arm);
- Changes in the skin color (redness or darkening is possible);
- The area affected by the blood clot feels warmer to touch;
- Swelling of the veins that are visible;
- Leg/arm cramps.
If one or several of these symptoms bother you, don’t delay a visit to the doctor. You require emergency medical attention if you get the symptoms of the blood clot blocking your lung blood vessels. They include:
- Trouble breathing;
- Coughing with blood;
- Pain in the chest;
- Abnormal heart rate.
How to Prevent Vein Thrombosis?
There are several methods that may be helpful in preventing deep vein thrombosis during pregnancy and childbirth. We’ve listed some of them for you to find those that will work best for you:
- Be physically active. If you are still pregnant, go for a walk or swim. Swimming works especially good for normalizing blood circulation and allows you to temporarily reduce the load on your limbs. If your mobility is limited during postpartum, do the leg stretching exercises in the sitting position.
- Wear compression stockings. We totally agree that they don’t look nice on your beautiful legs, but compression stockings ensure the normal circulation of blood in your legs, thus preventing the formation of blood clots.
- Drink plenty of liquids. The more you drink, the thinner your blood is. The formation of blood clots in thin blood is less likely than when it is thick.
By following these simple recommendations, you can prevent a lot of health problems that may appear due to blood clotting.
Bottom Line
Blood clots during pregnancy are common. For this reason, it’s essential to do everything you can to prevent their formation. Staying active throughout pregnancy and keeping hydrated are the basics of DVT prophylaxis.
At the same time, you should understand that not everything depends on you and your behavior. Sometimes, it just happens. In such a case, you should consult your GP and find an effective solution to the problem.