Blood clots occur due to blood hardening. They can form in the blood vessel or even within the heart. Mentioned ahead are the popular myths about blood clots.
Blood clots are an economy class syndrome
If you are a budget traveler, you might have a misconception that first class and business class travelers cannot become victims of blood clots during long hours of flight as they have comfortable seats. This in not true! According to a recent medical research, it has been proved that blood clots are mainly caused because the passengers tend to remain in the same posture without moving their lower limb for a long time. Blood clots are recognized to be caused mainly by a combination of venous statis and hypercoagulability. Generally, people who become victims of blood clots are the ones who also have other risk factors like obesity, old age, recent surgery, history of previous blood clot or regular usage of birth control pills. Exercising calf muscles and a short walk can help in preventing blood clots.Eating a high fat meal causes blood clots
Many people believe that eating a high fat meal causes blood clots, this is not true. Our body stores excess calories as body fat, whether carbohydrates, proteins or fat. However, having one high fat meal doesn’t lead to building of fat in the blood. A diet which is high in fat leads to conditions such as arthritis, sclerosis, diabetes and obesity, all of which are main causes of blood clots. That means having one high fat meal doesn’t increase the chances of blood clots, however, having high fat meals regularly may to lead to such conditions. Regular intake of high fat meals leads to higher levels of blood cholesterol, which often leads to blood coagulation.
Drinking alcohol cures blood clots
Consuming excess alcohol is going to have adverse effects on your health for sure. However, according to a recent study, it has been said that consuming moderate amounts of alcohol has effects on blood coagulation which may be either positive or negative. Consuming moderate amounts of alcohol acts as a blood thinner, this prevents heart attacks as a heart attack is nothing but coagulation of blood in the arteries. In this way alcohol has positive effects. Moderate drinkers tend to have activated platelets which are much stickier than the platelets of a normal person and stickier platelets lead to blood clots.Massage during pregnancy doesn’t cause blood clots
Most of us believe that massage helps in improving blood circulation in our body and prevents blood clots, but it is not true in case of pregnant women. In fact, there is a higher frequency of blood clot formation for a woman during pregnancy and postpartum. The risk of blood clots increases to 5 times during pregnancy and in the first 6 weeks of postpartum. Blood clots are formed due to excessive pressure and jostling of inner thighs during a massage session. Because of the pressure, the flow of blood in the blood vessels is hindered leading to the formation of blood clots. So, it is better for pregnant women to avoid massages during pregnancy.Eating vegetarian food can cause blood clots
This is a common myth which is accepted by a large section of people, but it is not true. Blood clots are sometimes formed due to vitamin K Deficiency. Vegetarian foods like spinach, mustard, cabbage, asparagus etc., supply large amount of vitamin K. Vitamin K acts as a blood thinner and prevents the blood from clotting. Sometimes, blood clots are formed due to hereditary reasons, such people produce more coagulating protein than needed which causes excessive clotting.Blood donation can cause blood clots
Donating blood is a good habit, please ignore the rumors that blood donation causes blood clots. If your blood clots while you are donating your blood, then it is usually due to dehydration. Drink water or juices before donating your blood to prevent dehydration. Iron deficiency also leads to blood clots while you are donating blood. Intake of red meat helps in improving the iron content in your body as the red meat is rich in iron.Men suffer blood clots after sex
This is a wide spread myth which is not at all true. Having sex has nothing to do with blood clots in healthy people. People who don’t maintain genital hygiene become victims of blood clots due to prostate infections, dirty urinary tract etc. In these people, blood clots are formed while urinating or during ejaculation. It is better to consult a doctor as soon as possible to avoid further complications. However, sometimes blood clots may be formed due to other habits like excessive smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.
