Blood clot a serious concern

MANILA, Philippines–Each and every one of us has experienced some form of blood clotting at some point in our lives.

We usually observe this whenever we cut or bruise ourselves—the streaming blood would eventually “harden,” forming clumps that in time, stops the bleeding (although it depends on how big or how deep the wound is).

This is part of the body’s natural mechanism to seal the damaged blood vessel and to prevent more blood from leaking out.

However, blood clotting could also happen internally and this is one occurrence that gets a lot of doctors more worried.

“There are many reasons these abnormal clots form and usually they dissolve on their own without causing any problem. However, there are also times when they could impede blood flow, which could result in tissue death. Even worse, the clot could break off, travel through the blood stream, and lodge in an artery near a major organ that could cause life-threatening conditions,” explained Dr. Serina Emano, a family physician.

If the clot gets lodged in the lungs, it could cause pulmonary embolism, which can lead to the death of lung tissue in the area lacking blood and oxygen supply.

Blood clots in the heart arteries could cause heart attacks, angina and other problems while the one that forms within an artery of the brain, could cause a thrombotic stroke.

To prevent such from ever happening, doctors usually prescribe their high-risk patients with blood thinner (also called an anticoagulant).

This is especially important for people who have suffered a first stroke, as they have an increased risk of suffering a second one.

Side effects

But not everyone could take blood thinners as this could cause intestinal bleeding, abnormal and sometimes profuse bleeding inside the eye, and in the intestines, stomach and intestinal irritation, indigestion, nausea and vomiting.

This is why researchers have also looked for other sources, Emano related.

Medicinal plants have been the focus of some of these past and recent studies considering they contain a substance that acts similarly to one drug and yet has less serious or fewer side effects.

One of these recently targeted plants include Curcuma longa (luyang dilaw) whose medicinal extract called curcumin has been found to prevent the formulation of dangerous blood clots by being able to lower the levels of fibrinogen, the protein responsible in helping blood clots to form.

This action of curcumin is significant since studies have found that high fibrinogen levels are considered a more dangerous risk factor for heart attack and stroke than high cholesterol.

As a result, one health food supplement manufacturer was able to isolate curcumin and make it a key ingredient of Curcumin capsule that is now being suggested for adults with a high chance of developing the dangerous clot.

Emano said the food supplement could be an effective preventive maintenance (a 09155050539 hotline was opened for inquiries) since a clot occurring internally is not readily detected, a fact that is supported by one study that found almost 30 to 50 percent of individuals are not able to experience symptoms of having a blood clot embedded in one of their major deep veins whether they are located in the lower legs, thighs, or pelvis.

“If one is not careful and vigilant, he/she may soon find himself/herself in serious health trouble,” the doctor reminded. –Charles E. Buban, Philippine Daily Inquirer