What You Need to Know About Using Blood Thinning Medications

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Blood Thinning
Check for Blood thininng Problems

There are quite a few ways to thin your blood. Most people thin they’re blood like myself, by taking a baby aspirin daily, I’ve been doing this for the last 20 years. It’s served me well…

I haven’t had a heart attack and I still do pretty strenuous exercise regime. As of resonantly, there have been stories about large groups of people who don’t need to take aspirin that are.

Blood thinners are medication used to prevent blood clots. When used as directed, they’re safe and effective, but before using them, it’s essential that you learn more about how they work and how to manage their side effects.

Here are just a few things you should know about using blood-thinning medications before you try them.

How They Work

There are two types of blood thinners: anticoagulants and antiplatelet aggregation inhibitors. Anticoagulants interfere with the chemical reactions in the body that cause clotting.

Antiplatelet aggregates reduce the ability of platelets to stick together. Some are taken by mouth, others are administered via injection, but both effectively control the unwanted clotting caused by certain medical conditions such as heart valve disease and atrial fibrillation.

Used for more than sixty years, blood thinners remain the treatment of choice to prevent heart attacks and strokes.

Risks

Using blood thinners can save your life, but they’re not without risk, and some medications like Xarelto can have dangerous side effects despite being marketed as a safer alternative to warfarin.

The most serious side effect for all types of blood thinners is abnormal bleeding. Bruising and bloody noses are especially common. When someone is taking a blood thinner gets cut, the bleeding may be hard to control.

These types of minor bleeding are a nuisance, but they’re easy to manage. Of more concern is the potential for internal bleeding that is harder to recognize.

Symptoms can be vague and include things like a lower backache, dizziness, a pink tinge in urine or blood in bowel movements. Long-term use of the blood thinner warfarin is associated with the risk of osteoporosis and vertebral fractures in women.

Living Your Best Life

Blood thinners save lives, and while they’re not without side effects, taking one shouldn’t hold you back from living life to its fullest. Use it only as directed, and in most cases, you’ll still be able to enjoy an active lifestyle.

You’ll need to take routine precautions against injury such as wearing a helmet if you ride a bike and keeping a first aid kit with bandages and wound clotting products handy is recommended. Millions of people successfully use blood thinners to prevent heart attack and stroke.

However, it’s important to remember that risks and side effects come with every medication. By educating yourself on the risks of blood-thinning medications and how they work, you’ll be able to be much more confident when taking these kinds of medications.

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