There are numerous blood management strategies. They can assist to stop being pregnant, but in addition have some unwanted effects. As one of many unwanted effects, contraception might trigger blood clots.
When you’ve got an energetic intercourse life and don’t need a child anytime quickly, it will likely be pure so that you can use contraception strategies. Popping contraception drugs or utilizing a barrier technique like condoms and diaphragms can assist forestall being pregnant. Utilizing contraception strategies can also include unwanted effects like breast tenderness, complications, bloating, and stomach cramps, in addition to improve the danger of blood clots. Whereas contraception inflicting blood clots shouldn’t be a quite common aspect impact, one can not rule out the possibilities. Nonetheless, 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 sorts:
1. Hormonal strategies
These embrace contraception drugs, patches, vaginal rings, injections, and hormonal intrauterine gadget 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 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. Such a contraceptive technique bodily blocks sperm from reaching the egg to stop being pregnant.
3. Everlasting strategies
These embrace surgical procedures like tubal ligation, generally referred to as “getting your tubes tied”, for ladies, 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 seem like gel. They get shaped after somebody will get a lower or an harm. 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 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, referred to as a pulmonary embolism. It may be deadly as it will possibly 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, based on a analysis printed 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 drugs, 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 mixture of estrogen and progestin.
Contraception strategies with solely progestin don’t improve the danger of blood clots, as per analysis printed 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 also can 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 might 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 problem in respiration.
- Sharp ache within the chest that will worsen whereas respiration deeply.
- Unexplained coughing, typically with blood.
- Feeling lightheaded or fainting.
How you can forestall blood clots attributable to contraception?
To scale back the danger 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 energetic to cut back total clotting threat.
- Drink loads of water to maintain your blood flowing easily within the physique.
- When you’ve got a household historical past of blood clots, or different threat elements similar to weight problems, focus on them along with your physician.
What to do if contraception causes blood clots?
In the event you suspect that you’ve got a blood clot attributable to contraception, go to a hospital when you expertise any signs of blood clot. Additionally, cease utilizing the hormonal contraception. “A health care provider will provide you with anticoagulant or blood-thinning medicines to assist forestall the clot from rising and cut back the danger of recent ones forming,” says the knowledgeable.
Contraception strategies can assist to stop 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 elements along with your physician earlier than beginning any contraception technique.
