The presence of a blood clot in the lung that causes a partial or complete blockage is called a pulmonary embolism. The blood clot usually travels from another part of the body, most commonly a vein in the leg, and deposits itself in an artery in...
Parasites have many effects on human skin. Known as organisms living on a host from which they take nourishment, parasites usually enter into, escape from or reside on skin. Mites and lice bite or burrow into skin, causing itching and irritation....
Blood coagulates in the normal clotting process that keeps us from bleeding to death when we cut ourselves. But blood clots inside the blood vessels can travel to the brain, causing stroke, or to the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolus (PE), a...
If you are taking a medication that causes you to have symptomatic lupus anticoagulants, your doctor will most likely treat the condition by taking you off your medicine. Lupus anticoagulants are antibodies that exponentially increase your risk of...
The lower eyelid protects and nourishes your eye, and the skin of the lid is thinner and more pliable than almost anywhere else on the body. It contains glands to nourish the lashes, sweat glands to keep your eyes cool, and tarsal or meibomian...
An anticoagulant drug is one that helps prevent clotting or coagulation of the blood. Anticoagulants are often known as blood thinners, although they do not actually make the blood thinner but decrease the blood's ability to clot. Anticoagulants...
Blood clots in the heart can be the result of a blood clot elsewhere in the body migrating to the heart, or due to an anatomical problem that disrupts blood flow in a portion of the heart, resulting in the clot forming within the heart chambers....
The body clots blood as a naturally occurring response to an injury. When this occurs, platelets form a sort of plug to stop the bleeding and then the clot seals the wound. However, according to the Mayo Clinic, sometimes a clot forms when it is...
Heparin is an injectable anticoagulant medication commonly given to prevent the formation of blood clots. Patients also receive heparin to decrease the clotting ability of blood during open-heart surgery, bypass surgery, blood transfusions and...
Blood thinners do not really make the blood thin; instead, they affect some step in the clotting process to make the blood less likely to clot. The medical term for these medications is anticoagulants, which is a more accurate description of their...
Limited evidence suggests that there may be a connection between baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, and the formation of blood clots in the body, as baking soda's influence on pH balance inhibits blood clotting. However, as scientific trials on...
A stroke refers to a neurological condition in which the brain no longer receives enough blood. Stroke sufferers suddenly develop such symptoms as numbness or tingling on one side of their body, a severe headache, muscle weakness, trouble...
Deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, is a formation of a blood clot in veins of the legs. If the blood clot increases in size, it can impede circulation in the leg, causing pain, heat, redness and tenderness in the affected area. An embolus occurs when a...
Anticoagulants are medications that are used to prevent the blood from coagulating and causing life-threatening clots. Examples of commonly used anticoagulants are heparin and warfarin; heparin is injected and warfarin is taken by mouth. These...
Niacin is a B vitamin, also called vitamin B-3, that improves circulation throughout the body. Although naturally occurring, vitamins like niacin can interact with certain kinds of prescription medications. Warfarin is a commonly prescribed blood...
Open knee surgery is used during knee replacement surgery. The operation is a routine procedure done by orthopedic surgeons. People with osteoarthritis often have knee replacement surgery. The cartilage between the knee joint gradually wears away,...
Warfarin, an oral anticoagulant, hinders the normal clotting effects of vitamin K. Discovered in 1942 at the University of Wisconsin, warfarin decreases the action of clotting factors to a level that is medically beneficial. By blocking vitamin K,...
A deep-vein thrombosis, or DVT, is an abnormal blood clot that blocks blood flow in a large vein. DVTs in the arm cause pain, swelling, discoloration and occasionally weakness. Clot fragments can break off and travel to the lungs, causing...
Blood clots, also called deep vein thrombosis, can form in the leg or arm, often resulting in pain or swelling in the area. The clots usually occur because of prolonged inactivity. This can happen to people recuperating from injury or surgery and...
Blood clots, which can develop anywhere in your circulatory system, are considered a leading cause of death among Americans, according to the National Blood Clot Alliance. They are often a secondary effect of some prescription drugs and even...
Blood clots can form in the arteries or in the veins. When they form in the deep veins, the condition is known as deep vein thrombosis. Inactivity increases the chance that blood clots will form, usually in the calves or thighs, according to the...
Coumadin is the brand name of a prescription drug, warfarin, used to prevent blood clots from growing larger or forming in your body. Your doctor may prescribe it for irregular heartbeat, a blood clot in your lungs or a vein, or if you've suffered...
Warfarin (Coumadin) is an anticoagulant medication used for the prevention and treatment of blood clots. It is currently the only anticoagulant that can be taken by mouth rather than by injection in the U.S, making it a commonly used medication....
Hypothyroidism occurs when your thyroid gland produces inadequate quantities of thyroid hormone. Sometimes referred to as an underactive thyroid, hypothyroidism causes a variety of symptoms including weight gain, constipation, headaches and...
Millions of Americans suffer from osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease affecting the cartilage in joints. Although medications can help to control pain and inflammation, they are not able to reverse the disease process. As a result, many...
Ovarian cancer is a potentially life-threatening disease in which cancer cells multiply at a very fast rate. According to The Mayo Clinic, signs of ovarian cancer include abdominal bloating, swelling or fullness, pelvic discomfort and urinary...
Beets -- beta vulgaris -- are round or sometimes cylinder-shaped root vegetables. Eaten fresh, cooked, pickled or canned, beets have been around since the Greeks ate them 2000 years ago. The deep red color of some beets can show up in your urine...
