Surprising Causes of DVT - Health Stato

                                          Surprising Causes of DVT - Health Stato 

                   

              

Being an Athlete

New research suggests that athletes, especially those who do endurance events like marathons, could get clots more often. They're more likely to get dehydrated or injured. They may travel far. DVT symptoms are easy to mistake for sports-related issues. Call your doctor if you notice swelling, unexpected bruises, or a stabbing "Charley horse" pain in your arm, leg, or especially your chest.

Surgery

Bed rest before or after any kind of surgery slows the flow of blood around your body. Major surgery involving your abdomen, pelvis, hips, or legs raises the risk for DVT since large veins will be injured during your operation. Before surgery, talk to your doctor. You may need to take a blood-thinning medication to help lower your chances of a clot. After your surgery, get up and moving as soon as you're able.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

When you have IBS, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, or another bowel disease, you may have double or even triple the normal risk for blood clots. People with these conditions are more likely to be dehydrated, go on bed rest, or need surgery. The inflammation that causes bowel diseases may be connected to blood clots as well.

Low Vitamin D

Researchers in one small study found that the vitamin D levels of 82 people who had DVT with no known cause were less than the 85 people who had never had DVT. Adults need 600 to 800 IU of the vitamin per day. You can get it from salmon, tuna, cheese, and egg yolks. Or spend up to 30 minutes in the sun twice a week. You can have your vitamin D level checked with a blood test.

Medicines With Sex Hormones

Birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for menopause have estrogen, an essential female hormone that can make blood clot more easily. The chance is small: Only 1 in 1,000 women taking birth control pills each year get DVT. But the odds may be higher if you use a patch, which has 60% more estrogen than a pill, or if you're at risk for other reasons, too. Men who use testosterone, a male hormone, are also more likely to get clots.