- Coagulation – blood clots are formed
These 3 factors lead to clotting. The clotting of the blood stops bleeding without hindering blood flow through the injured vessels.
The complex process of blood clotting starts when fibrinogen, and plasma protein is activated by thrombin, which then forms fibrin fibers. Once these fibres are formed, they entrap red blood cells and platelets, which lead to a blood clot. This thrombus which is formed, is subjected to large shear forces in blood vessels, due to several hundred picoNewtons (pN) . Depending on how the clot is able to withstand these forces determines whether it prevents ruptures resulting in thromboembolism. To withstand these forces, a clot must exhibit a measure of elasticity that is able to deform reversibly.
Blood flows freely through arteries and capillaries. But in some cases Clotting is a good thing, as a blood vessel is injured, at the first sign of injury the blood will clot, resulting in the blood deciding its own flow rate at the site of the injury. However if a blood Clot is formed inside a healthy blood vessels this would lead to heart disease.
As in today’s society, where people have totally different life’s and are currently working and not giving thought to look after the ever so clever human body, one of the common disease as a result to blood clotting are heart attack. The correct term for a heart attack is myocardial infarction, a heart attack occurs when the blood supply is interrupted to the heart, and that may be due to a blood clot. If a shortage of blood did happen due to a blood clot, this would mean a reduction in oxygen which could lead to severe problems or even death. As technology has advanced and studies have been carried out, there are many symptoms which would point to blood clotting in the body, these would be chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, palpitations, sweating, and anxiety (often described as a sense of impending doom). Patients frequently feel suddenly ill. Women often experience different symptoms from men as they might feel a shortness of breath, weakness, and fatigue. If a heart attack was suffered, it is usually confirmed with an electrocardiogram (ECG), this shows the electrical activity of the heart. The patient is then given Oxygen to give the body and blood stream a boost in oxygen. As there is a blood clot, a dose of aspirin is given to thin the blood; this allows the blood to flow at a faster rate since the blood clot has slowed the blood stream down to the heart.
An injection of thrombolytic is usually given to the patient as it allows the blood clot to dissolve. The recovery rate of the patient depends on if the blood clot is has dissolved. If the ECG has shown the doctor s very low heart rate then surgery would be considered, this would be to perform a Coronary artery bypass grafting is a type of open-heart surgery. It is sometimes carried out if angioplasty is unsuccessful. It involves rerouting the blood around the affected coronary artery, using a replacement section of a blood vessel - the graft - which is usually taken from a leg vein. This helps people with dangerously narrow coronary arteries, especially if the left side of the heart is not pumping well.
A blood clot that forms in the heart or a blood vessel is called a thrombus. As a flesh wound occurs to the human body, the thrombi produce onto the blood vessel walls to heal the wound, then they hopefully dissolve, but in the case if they don’t dissolve, they will slow circulation, also break loose and flow with the blood, this is very dangerous as the blood clot is now traveling in the blood, this traveling blood clot then becomes stuck at some point in a blood vessels as it travels threw the blood stream, as it gets stuck it is known as an embolus, even though this is less common but it is very dangerous.
Not all blood clots may oppose a threat, this would be due to the size and where the clot has occurred in the body. However if clots occur in any of the arteries supplying the heart they lead to the most common disease which is the heart attack as described above.
A different example would be if a clot occurred in the cerebral artery, this would lead to common dieses called stroke. Another less common problem would be if clots occurred in the arteries of the eye this would lead to a patient going blind. A blood clot in the lungs is very dangerous, as this would cause sudden death and a very tired individual gasping for air. The blood clot causes tissue to die, as in case of a heart attack, it causes the tissue to die and release dead blood cells, these dead blood cells increase the volume of blood, blood tests can be done to find out and check for this extra blood volume, this is common in heart attacks.
Depending of the severity of the blood clot treatment can be given but with most problems with the body time plays a major part, if at the early stage blood clots can be treated by a Doctor who may prescribed drug therapy to reduce the risk of abnormal clotting, this would be the more common aspirin for patients who are at risk for embolisms, in more severe cases dicumarol, heparin, and warfarin sodium would be given, these will be used to allow the body to shrink and dissolve the blood clots through normal methods, these are known as anticoagulant. Anticoagulants stop the blood from clotting.
”Heparin is a biological substance, usually made from pig intestines. It works by activating antithrombin III, which blocks thrombin from clotting blood. Heparin can be used in vivo (by injection), and also in vitro to prevent blood or plasma clotting in or on medical devices. Vacationer brand test tubes containing heparin are usually colored green. “ (text taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anticoagulant - source created: 7 February 2008, at 21:33).
Preventing blood clots and heart disease is part of daily life, the main way to prevent such problems would be to change your lifestyle to a healthy lifestyle, and this would mean to keep you cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar under control. This would be done by having a high and rich in fruit and vegetables, low dairy, low in fat diet. A major player in preventing blood clots and heart disease is exercise, it is recommended to get at least 30 minutes every 2 days.
A lot of scientists have done studies recommending what helps with heart disease and blood clots, however, these studies are not backed up with hard evidence, as scientists have got as far as saying “chocolate” helps prevent blood clots.
Surgery can also be performed to prevent blood clots, it is called thrombectomy, and it is the removal of the actual blood clot threw surgery. It is performed to the cavity of the vessel, allowing the blood to flow as the thrombus (clot) is pushed against the wall allowing blood to flow.
Ethical issues surrounding the treatment of blood clots exist as some people cant be treated using the anticoagulant medicines, as taking aspirin is not safe for everyone, as it effect some peoples stomachs, causing pain, nausea, vomiting or even bleeding. Smoking is a big factor affecting blood clots and heart diseases, as some people without smoking are very stresses out people, some people even though suffer from heart disease or had a blood clot will not consider to stop smoking as they see it as more of as a medicine to their problems and solutions. In many countries surgery and medicine is available in many countries however some of the countries lack in health care and this is a major problem as they lack in technology which results in people loosing their lives due to blood clots.
Recently a study has shown that office workers are at a risk of DVT, DVT is a deep vein blood clot, this is a risk to office workers because they sit on their chairs for constant hours without any exercise, this decreases the blood flow around the body, therefore forming a clot.
Overall the basis of the blood clot process is complex, it has many disturbances in the process, mostly due to the patient who is suffering, and even though using aspirin to thin the blood is a good idea, but on the other hand if the patient has an allergy it could lead to further problems for the patient. As we progress with life, we must make sure we live a healthy lifestyle; however in today’s world, where people have work and a very busy life keeping up with life itself, it is very hard to stay healthy. With blood clotting there come many problems such as it can lead to a heart attack; however with most problems comes a solution, not just a solution but many solutions, depending on the exact situation of the blood clot.
A lot of research has been put into blood clots, as a way of finding a more efficient and patient friendly way to treat it. As a multicultural society, we all have a different diet, we humans find it hard to adapt to a healthy society due to the fact of different kind of food available. An example would be far eastern people who have a very high chili diet, as this increases blood pressure and leads to heart disease.
Overall there are many problems but there are excellent solutions available, but blood clot is a life threatening situation, and should be taken seriously and should not be ignored. A wide range of health care advice is available and should be taken up.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org
Biochemistry Book – 3rd Edition – Mathews – Van Holde / Ahern
BBC News (for research)
http://www.healthscout.com/ency/1/imagepages/18120.html