Guide To Managing Factor V Leiden
Factor V Leiden is a mutation of the genes that causes impairment to the normal process of blood clotting. In a healthy individual who is bleeding, platelets and clotting factors or specific proteins form a clot to stop the bleeding. When the bleeding stops, different proteins tell the clotting factors to break apart so the clot can dissipate. With factor V Leiden, the impairment lies within the process that is supposed to occur when it is time for the clotting factors to break up. This impairment can lead to the excess blood clots breaking free and flowing throughout the bloodstream. Depending on where the blood clots travel to, they can cause life-threatening or minor problems. For example, when a blood clot moves into the brain and blocks blood flow, a stroke may occur. Although there is no cure for factor V Leiden, there are several ways to manage it.
Course Of Blood-Thinning Medication
When a blood clot has been discovered in an individual who has factor V Leiden, they may be prescribed a course of blood-thinning medication to keep it from resulting in life-threatening conditions. The use of these medications in an individual with this condition can lower the risk of having a heart attack, stroke, and other dangerous complications. While blood thinners do not actually thin the blood, they do stop blood clots from becoming worse. Blood thinners also prevent new blood clots from forming. There are two main types of blood-thinning medications: anticoagulants and antiplatelets. Anticoagulants work by expanding the amount of time it takes for the blood to clot. Antiplatelets work by stopping the platelets in the blood from sticking to each other and other tissues. By halting the clotting process before it really begins, these medications can eliminate the complications associated with factor V Leiden affected clot breakup process. Individuals with factor V Leiden will most likely not be on blood thinners for the long term, but they will take a course of them when a clot has been detected.
Wearing Compression Socks
Wearing compression socks is an excellent way to help improve circulation around the body in individuals who have factor V Leiden. Compression socks are tight and stretchy expertly made socks that have a gentle squeezing effect on the legs. Compression socks work by putting pressure on the legs to help enhance the function of blood vessels. Because the arteries that carry oxygenated blood to the legs have the ability to expand, the pressure from the socks helps to give the veins a boost in their function of moving blood back up to the heart. Better circulation can prevent the development of blood clots because the blood keeps moving and cannot pool in the veins. Compression socks are often used in healthy patients who do not have factor V Leiden following a surgical procedure to prevent blood clots during recovery. Factor V Leiden patients may need to wear compression socks for a certain amount of time each day to prevent further formation of blood clots.
