There are numerous blood management strategies. They may help to forestall being pregnant, but in addition have some unwanted effects. As one of many unwanted effects, contraception might trigger blood clots.
In case you have an lively intercourse life and don’t desire a child anytime quickly, it is going to be pure so that you can use contraception strategies. Popping contraception tablets or utilizing a barrier methodology like condoms and diaphragms may help forestall being pregnant. Utilizing contraception strategies may include unwanted effects like breast tenderness, complications, bloating, and stomach cramps, in addition to enhance the chance of blood clots. Whereas contraception inflicting blood clots shouldn’t be a quite common facet impact, one can’t rule out the possibilities. Nevertheless, not all contraception strategies might result in blood clots.
What are the contraception strategies accessible?
There are numerous contraception strategies, which will be broadly categorised into the next sorts:
1. Hormonal strategies
These embrace contraception tablets, patches, vaginal rings, injections, and hormonal intrauterine system or IUD. “They work by altering hormone ranges to forestall ovulation, thicken cervical mucus, and skinny the uterine lining,” explains gynaecologist and obstetrician Dr Vinatha Puli. There are additionally copper IUDs that forestall 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 kind of contraceptive methodology bodily blocks sperm from reaching the egg to forestall 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.
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4. Emergency contraception
These strategies embrace emergency contraceptive tablets or morning-after tablets, and copper IUDs. They’re meant for utilizing after having unprotected intercourse to forestall being pregnant.
Does contraception trigger blood clots?
Blood clots are clumps of blood that seem 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 will 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 12 months, in accordance 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 incorporates oestrogen and progestogen, as per the NHS. “Hormonal contraception strategies, particularly those which have estrogen, are related to an elevated threat of blood clots,” says Dr Puli. These embrace:
- Mixture contraception tablets, which have each the progestin and estrogen hormones.
- Contraceptive patches, which launch estrogen and progestin by way of the pores and skin.
- Vaginal rings such because the NuvaRing, which releases a mix of estrogen and progestin.
Contraception strategies with solely progestin don’t enhance 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 result in modifications 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 will 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, typically within the calf.
- Crimson or discoloured pores and skin, notably on the affected leg.
- Sudden or unexplained issue in respiratory.
- Sharp ache within the chest that will worsen whereas respiratory deeply.
- Unexplained coughing, typically with blood.
- Feeling lightheaded or fainting.
The best way to forestall 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.
- Preserve a wholesome weight, and keep bodily lively to cut back general clotting threat.
- Drink loads of water to maintain your blood flowing easily within the physique.
- In case you have a household historical past of blood clots, or different threat components akin to weight problems, focus on them together with your physician.
What to do if contraception causes blood clots?
If you happen to suspect that you’ve a blood clot because of contraception, go to a hospital when you expertise any signs of blood clot. Additionally, cease utilizing the hormonal contraception. “A physician offers you anticoagulant or blood-thinning drugs to assist forestall the clot from rising and scale back the chance of recent ones forming,” says the knowledgeable.
Contraception strategies may help to forestall undesirable being pregnant, however there are unwanted effects like blood clots. Know the dangers and indicators of blood clots whereas utilizing hormonal contraception, and focus on your private threat components together with your physician earlier than beginning any contraception methodology.
