Even young women can be affected by deadly clots. In some instances, a blood clot can break off and travel to the lungs. This is known as a pulmonary embolism, and it can be fatal.
The best way to avoid a pulmonary embolism is by preventing the formation clots. This can be achieved by avoiding those activities that contribute to clot. And you won’t believe the list of offenders. Check out these five habits that could be putting you at an increased risk for a clot.
Taking an Oral Contraceptive and Smoking
It’s a double-edged sword, taking the pill. On the one hand, you are being responsible by not accidentally bringing a new life into the world. On the other hand, you might be endangering your own life. Especially for women past the age of 35 who also smoke.
Smoking reduces the efficacy of your circulation system, resulting in symptoms like cold hands and feet. Decreased circulation adds to the likelihood that your blood will pool, usually in the legs because your body can’t move it back up toward your heart so quickly. When you combine this problem with taking an oral contraceptive and being over 35, you need to do a cost/benefits analysis.
Because quitting smoking can be difficult, smokers are encouraged to switch to an alternate form of birth control, condoms being the obvious choice. There are also low-dose estrogen pills that your gynecologist can prescribe. These are called the “minipill” and contain only progestin. Bear in mind that the minipill has only half the ingredients that a standard oral contraceptive does, and so your risk for pregnancy significantly increases.
Sitting (is the New Smoking)
As if asking you to monitor your other vices like smoking and sex isn’t enough, now we’re asking you to stop relaxing! Surprisingly, it isn’t so much the time spent logged in front of the TV (who has cable anymore?) as it is the time spent sitting at your desk.
Dr. James Levine, director of the Mayo Clinic-Arizona State University Obesity Solutions Initiative, coined the term “sitting is the new smoking” and he relates the two activities because they both cause irreversible damage that cannot be fixed by changing your diet or exercise.
When you sit for long lengths of time and do things like cross your legs or slump over after answering your 100th email of the day, you compress the veins in your legs. This can lead to a blood clot. Stand up and walk around at least once an hour, preferably every 20 to 25 minutes. There is an added benefit to walking around too, as women who spent four hours or less sitting while at their jobs (as opposed to standing or walking around) have almost 100 percent less likelihood of depression.
Traveling for Long Stretches otherwise Known as Your Daily Commute
If you are one of the many people who don’t walk or bike to work, your daily commute could also be adding to your blood clot risk. Pile a 30-minute drive on top of plopping down at your desk as soon as you hit work, plus chilling on the couch after hours, and you have a recipe for a health disaster.
If you live in the ‘burbs and work in the city (or vice versa) and honestly cannot add some exercise to your work commute, then try to get as much NEAT into your schedule as possible. NEAT stands for non-exercise activity thermogenesis. Essentially, this means get as much movement as you can in the day, and it doesn’t have to be heart-pounding cardio.
Almost any physical activity qualifies as NEAT. So you can pace around your cubicle while on the phone, clean the house, or walk the dog. The key is to keep some muscles moving so that the blood flows, and there is no possibility for blood to pool and form a clot.
Clots can also develop during isolated events when you travel for long stretches on a plane, train or bus. You are now given carte blanche to wake up your seatmates and make them scrunch over so that you can use the bathroom on a flight.
Four hours of sitting in the same position is the absolute maximum recommended, but you should try to move your body much sooner than that. It also counts if you can stretch your legs out in front of you and flex your feet. Go so far as to pull your legs up close to your chest and hold them. As weird as it may seem, these moves may save your life.
Being Plus-Sized
Make no mistake, beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. But if you are what doctors consider obese – a body mass index of over 30 – then you may be inadvertently adding the danger of a blood clot and pulmonary embolism to your life. When you are carrying around extra pounds, this increases the pressure on your pelvis and in your legs. So if you’re losing the battle of the bulge, take the necessary steps to stave off those clots. A healthy diet and regular exercise are good places to start.
Other Clot Preventing Essentials
There are a few more things that can help you avoid blood clots.
• Avoid salt
• Don’t put pillows under your knees
• Raise the foot of your bed four to six inches higher than the head of the bed
• Wear progressive compression tights
If you work on minimizing these dangerous activities, you can reduce your chances of developing a blood clot at any age. Avoiding most of these things – especially smoking, sitting, weight gain – also produces a host of other benefits for your health.
Cut out the risk factors that increase your risk for clots. Simple steps mean big changes. Always consult your doctor before making a significant lifestyle change.