Experts in This Article
medical and scientific advisory board chair of the National Blood Clot Alliance.
professor of medicine and pathology and medical director at The Johns Hopkins Hospital Special Coagulation Laboratory.
But my discomfort was only worsening, and it was especially bad in the mornings.
Hows your insurance?the physicians assistant asked me after a brief exam.Good… Why?I countered.
I bristled at the idea.
I couldnt possibly have a blood clot.
medical and scientific advisory board chair of the National Blood Clot Alliance.
But mostly, I had lots of questions and very few answers.
I even turned to Dr. Google instead of my trusted primary-care doctor when I had burning questions.
Could this DVT travel to my lungs, like Id seen on an episode of Greys Anatomy?
Whats the difference between a vascular specialist and a hematologist?
Was it safe to run and do yoga while taking anticoagulants?
My questions felt like medical whack-a-mole.
As soon as one was answered, more appeared.
But I also learned that DVT and PE are not uncommon, and can reoccur.
Why was no one talking about these numbers, let alone vascular health in general?!
medical and scientific advisory board chair of the National Blood Clot Alliance.
Why dont we have a clever acronym for blood clot warning signslikeFAST to spot a stroke?
This societal lack of awareness was reflected in my personal circles.
I felt alone, and the isolation of the pandemic didnt make finding support any easier.
Theres an awareness needed.
But DVT and PE are really commonthe third most common thrombotic disease, he adds.
The first two are heart attack and stroke.
Its Amazing How Its All Connected.
We need to know about DVT and PE just like we know about heart attacks.
Dr. Streiff agreed with my previous self-assessment: I didnt fit the profile of most blood clot patients.
As we age, our risk goes up.
And I hadnt used hormonal birth control in over a decade.
Not coincidentally, my calf pain started a few days later.
Not mine, it turns out.But why?
I learned I have Factor V Leiden (FVL)a genetic mutation that predisposes me to blood clots.
FVL is the most common inherited form of blood clotting mutation.
(Were so rare even an expert in venous thromboembolisms cant give an exact figure!)
Under healthy conditions, our bodies form blood clots as a means of protection, Dr. Streiff says.
Dr. Streiff says the FVL mutation likely formed over 25,000 years ago as a survival mechanism before modern medicine.
Back then, pregnancy and delivery were times of great risk to women, he adds.
Some women would bleed to death, but others with FVL were less likely to have that happen.
If you have those symptoms, its a medical emergency, says Dr. Streiff.
Call your doctor, and go to the ER or urgent care immediately.
Blood clots (and vascular issues in general) are often seen as problems only older adults face.
But they dont discriminate.
Vascular health is important for everyone, no matter your blood clot risk.
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