Have you ever taken a medication knowing that there were a host of possible side effects associated with it? The majority of human beings have at some point during their lifetime. Many consumers are prone to taking medication if the positives of the medication outweigh the risks. The same can be said about taking birth control and its increased risk of a DVT. A DVT, or “deep vein thrombosis,” is when blood clots develop in the body’s deep veins, usually in the legs or the pelvis. Symptoms of a possible DVT include swelling, pain or tenderness, skin color change, or warmth of the skin to one leg. A DVT is dangerous for a few reasons, which include the risk of chronic leg pain, swelling, and vein damage in the legs. Pulmonary embolisms can also be a problem after a blood clot in the leg breaks free and travels upward to the lungs. There are more people who die of preventable blood clots than AIDS, traffic accidents, and breast cancer combined. Therefore, knowing the risk factors for DVT when considering birth control options is important for a woman’s physical well being.
If women are on birth control, they are three to four times more likely to develop a blood clot. A blood clot is a collection of blood into a clump that stops other blood from flowing through the blood vessel. Birth control is presumed to make the blood more coagulable, which means it is more likely to clot and can also release more clotting factors. The risk of developing a DVT is associated with the various amount of estrogen that is present in different birth control options. Thus, the higher the amount of estrogen in the birth control, the higher the risk is of developing a DVT. The transdermal (“under the skin”) birth controls tend to deliver up to 60% higher amounts of estrogen compared to oral pills. For a woman who is not on birth control, the risk is between one to five women out of 10,000 developing a blood clot.
Image Source: Science Photo Library – SCIEPRO
Other risk factors of a blood clot include personal or family history of a DVT, prolonged sitting or travel longer than 6-8 hours, recent surgery or immobilization, history of cancer, smoking, and older age. Speaking thoroughly with a health care provider for the best contraceptive options that pose the least amount of risk in developing a DVT is an effective way to prevent blood clots, especially for women taking birth control.
In a prior study, researchers collected data indicating that in a population of women with one or more stroke factors that increased the risk of DVT, only 15% recalled advice not to start contraceptives, and 36% remembered being told to discontinue the birth control. Proper screening and detailed conversations with a health care provider can lead to greater knowledge about possible risks and symptoms to look out for while ensuring that patients have enough information to make educated decisions about their medical treatments.
Featured Image Source: © Africa Studio / Adobe Stock.
