Do you take blood thinners every day?
Look out for the following symptoms - they may indicate internal bleeding
Created: 05/17/2022, 09:45 am
By: Juliane Gutmann
Many people have anticoagulants in their medication box every day.
These have enormous advantages, but side effects are also possible.
© Patrick Pleul/dpa
Around one million people in Germany regularly take blood thinners.
You can read more about the most common side effects and the warning signs here.
Anticoagulants like Marcumar are colloquially referred to as blood thinners.
They are among the most commonly taken medications in Germany: around one million Germans regularly take anticoagulant medication, according to the German Heart Foundation.
This drug therapy is an important pillar in the treatment of various cardiovascular diseases
.
According to the Apotheken Umschau
portal, doctors recommend
long-term treatment with anticoagulants after repeated thrombosis and embolism.
The main role of anticoagulant drugs is to
prevent blood clots, which can cause a heart attack, stroke, or pulmonary embolism
.
Some patients should take blood thinners for years, others only for a few months.
How long therapy lasts is decided by the doctor treating you.
According to the Apotheken Umschau
, when blood thinners
are used permanently:
with persistent atrial fibrillation
after the insertion of mechanical heart valves
after a thrombosis or pulmonary embolism
Medication survey
Internal bleeding as a common side effect of anticoagulants
Anticoagulant drugs prevent the most common causes of death in Germany: cardiovascular diseases.
According to the Federal Statistical Office, 331,200 people died of cardiovascular disease in 2019.
These include heart attacks and strokes.
However, blood thinners also have side effects that can sometimes have dangerous consequences.
The most common side effect of anticoagulants is bleeding, especially in the gastrointestinal tract
, reports the portal
Gesundheitsinformation.de
of the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care.
Symptoms can vary depending on where in the body internal bleeding occurs
.
According to
Gesundheitsinformation.de
, slight bleeding from the nose or gums and bruises on the skin are usually unproblematic.
However, if you experience the following symptoms, you should see a doctor as soon as possible:
severe, persistent nose or gum bleeding
big bruises
red colored urine
Traces of blood in the stool (dark red or black colored stool)
Traces of blood in vomit
Bleeding in the brain is a very rare
side effect of anticoagulants.
According to health information
, you should call an ambulance immediately
if you have the following possible signs :
severe, sudden headache
Visual disturbances, dizziness, signs of paralysis or numbness
Loss of consciousness or reduced ability to react
cramps
Video: Study - blood thinners significantly increase Covid 19 survival chances
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More sources: https://www.herzstiftung.de/infos-zu-herzopathies/
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