There are numerous blood management strategies. They may also help to forestall being pregnant, but in addition have some unwanted side effects. As one of many unwanted side effects, contraception might trigger blood clots.
You probably have an lively intercourse life and don’t desire a child anytime quickly, will probably be pure so that you can use contraception strategies. Popping contraception tablets or utilizing a barrier methodology like condoms and diaphragms may also help stop being pregnant. Utilizing contraception strategies might also include unwanted side effects like breast tenderness, complications, bloating, and belly 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 might be broadly categorised into the next varieties:
1. Hormonal strategies
These embody 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 stop sperm from fertilising the egg with out utilizing hormones.
2. Barrier strategies
These embody male in addition to feminine condoms, cervical caps, diaphragms, and contraceptive sponges. The sort of contraceptive methodology bodily blocks sperm from reaching the egg to forestall being pregnant.
3. Everlasting strategies
These embody 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 normally irreversible,” says the skilled.
4. Emergency contraception
These strategies embody 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 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, normally in an individual’s leg, and might 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 could 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 response to 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 danger of blood clots,” says Dr Puli. These embody:
- Mixture contraception tablets, which have each the progestin and estrogen hormones.
- Contraceptive patches, which launch estrogen and progestin by means of 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 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 can even 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 might be life-threatening, so it’s essential to recognise the indicators early. Widespread indicators of contraception inflicting blood clots are:
- Swelling normally 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, significantly on the affected leg.
- Sudden or unexplained issue in respiration.
- Sharp ache within the chest that will worsen whereas respiration deeply.
- Unexplained coughing, generally with blood.
- Feeling lightheaded or fainting.
Learn how to stop blood clots resulting from 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 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 elements corresponding to weight problems, talk about them together with your physician.
What to do if contraception causes blood clots?
If you happen to suspect that you’ve a blood clot resulting from contraception, go to a hospital in the event you expertise any signs of blood clot. Additionally, cease utilizing the hormonal contraception. “A health care provider gives you anticoagulant or blood-thinning drugs to assist stop the clot from rising and cut back the chance of recent ones forming,” says the skilled.
Contraception strategies may also help to forestall undesirable being pregnant, however there are unwanted side effects like blood clots. Know the dangers and indicators of blood clots whereas utilizing hormonal contraception, and talk about your private danger elements together with your physician earlier than beginning any contraception methodology.
