There are numerous blood management strategies. They may also help to stop being pregnant, but additionally have some negative effects. As one of many negative effects, contraception might trigger blood clots.
You probably have an energetic intercourse life and don’t desire a child anytime quickly, it will likely be pure so that you can use contraception strategies. Popping contraception drugs or utilizing a barrier methodology like condoms and diaphragms may also help stop being pregnant. Utilizing contraception strategies can also include negative effects like breast tenderness, complications, bloating, and stomach cramps, in addition to improve the chance of blood clots. Whereas contraception inflicting blood clots isn’t a quite common facet impact, one can’t rule out the probabilities. Nonetheless, not all contraception strategies might result in blood clots.
What are the contraception strategies obtainable?
There are numerous contraception strategies, which could be broadly categorised into the next sorts:
1. Hormonal strategies
These embrace contraception drugs, patches, vaginal rings, injections, and hormonal intrauterine machine or IUD. “They work by altering hormone ranges to stop ovulation, thicken cervical mucus, and skinny the uterine lining,” explains gynaecologist and obstetrician Dr Vinatha Puli. There are additionally copper IUDs that stop sperm from fertilising the egg with out utilizing hormones.
2. Barrier strategies
These embrace male in addition to feminine condoms, cervical caps, diaphragms, and contraceptive sponges. This sort of contraceptive methodology bodily blocks sperm from reaching the egg to stop being pregnant.
3. Everlasting strategies
These embrace surgical procedures like tubal ligation, generally often called “getting your tubes tied”, for girls, and vasectomy for males. “These strategies are thought-about everlasting and are often irreversible,” says the knowledgeable.
4. Emergency contraception
These strategies embrace emergency contraceptive drugs or morning-after drugs, and copper IUDs. They’re meant for utilizing after having unprotected intercourse to stop being pregnant.
Does contraception trigger blood clots?
Blood clots are clumps of blood that appear like gel. They get shaped after somebody will get a lower or an damage. The clots, which get shaped inside an injured blood vessel, assist cease the bleeding and heal the physique. However a few of them attain the veins and don’t dissolve naturally. Deep vein thrombosis or DVT is a blood clot in a vein, often in an individual’s leg, and could be harmful, as per the UK’s Nationwide Well being Service.
A clot within the vessels can take blood into an individual’s lungs, often called a pulmonary embolism. It may be deadly as it might cease blood from attending to the lungs. The incidence of pulmonary embolism ranges between 39 and 115 per 100,000 inhabitants in a yr, in line with a analysis revealed in StatPearls in February 2024.
A blood clot impacts about 1 in 1,000 individuals who use mixed hormonal contraception, which accommodates oestrogen and progestogen, as per the NHS. “Hormonal contraception strategies, particularly those which have estrogen, are related to an elevated danger of blood clots,” says Dr Puli. These embrace:
- Mixture contraception drugs, which have each the progestin and estrogen hormones.
- Contraceptive patches, which launch estrogen and progestin via the pores and skin.
- Vaginal rings such because the NuvaRing, which releases a mixture of estrogen and progestin.
Contraception strategies with solely progestin don’t improve the chance of blood clots, as per analysis revealed within the Haematologica journal in 2016. “Estrogen will increase the degrees of sure proteins within the blood that promote clotting,” says Dr Puli. Hormonal contraception may also result in adjustments within the blood vessels’ lining, which makes it simpler for blood clots to get shaped.
What are the indicators of contraception inflicting blood clots?
Blood clots could be life-threatening, so it’s essential to recognise the indicators early. Frequent indicators of contraception inflicting blood clots are:
- Swelling often in a single leg, which can additionally really feel heat or tender.
- Sudden or extreme ache within the leg, usually within the calf.
- Pink or discoloured pores and skin, notably on the affected leg.
- Sudden or unexplained issue in respiratory.
- Sharp ache within the chest which will worsen whereas respiratory deeply.
- Unexplained coughing, generally with blood.
- Feeling lightheaded or fainting.
Tips on how to stop blood clots because of contraception?
To cut back the chance of blood clots whereas utilizing hormonal contraception, do the next:
- Ask your physician about contraception strategies with decrease estrogen ranges or progestin-only choices.
- Keep a wholesome weight, and keep bodily energetic to cut back general clotting danger.
- Drink loads of water to maintain your blood flowing easily within the physique.
- You probably have a household historical past of blood clots, or different danger components akin to weight problems, focus on them along with your physician.
What to do if contraception causes blood clots?
Should you suspect that you’ve a blood clot because of contraception, go to a hospital in the event you expertise any signs of blood clot. Additionally, cease utilizing the hormonal contraception. “A physician will provide you with anticoagulant or blood-thinning medicines to assist stop the clot from rising and scale back the chance of latest ones forming,” says the knowledgeable.
Contraception strategies may also help to stop undesirable being pregnant, however there are negative effects like blood clots. Know the dangers and indicators of blood clots whereas utilizing hormonal contraception, and focus on your private danger components along with your physician earlier than beginning any contraception methodology.
