Preventing Blood Clots With A Healthy Lifestyle And Omega-3s

Preventing blood clots is very important. This is a serious health problem that can result in a stroke and sudden death. There are measures you can take to lower this risk. Learn about the specific things you can do to keep your cardiovascular system healthy and strong. Blood Flowing and Clotting Blood has the seemingly impossible job of continuously flowing through our bodies, but also must quickly form a clot when damage occurs. This is normally a flawless and perfect system that keeps us safe from infections and from bleeding out from wounds. However, sometimes clots can be dangerous. Clots that form abnormally, such as from too much cholesterol or from other internal problems can be life threatening. Risk Factors A risk factor does not guarantee that you will experience a problem with blood clotting. It only means that you have an increased chance of having a problem. Some factors you have control over, while some you do not. The best way to stay healthy is to change the risk factors you can while being aware of the ones you cannot do anything about. Some common risk factors include: -Prolonged immobility -Smoking -Certain hormonal birth controls -Family history -High Cholesterol -Heart Disease -Obesity Do what you can to avoid these risk factors. It may involve making some lifestyle changes. Do what is necessary and possible to improve your health and reduce the risk of a clot. Omega-3 and Blood Clots Omega 3 supplements can help reduce your risk of a blood clot. These are found in fish oil, though flax seed oil is also a good source for vegetarians. The omega-3s protect the heart by reducing inflammation. When blood vessels become inflamed they can get damaged. A waxy substance called plaque is how your body patches up this damage. However, when too much damage is done the vessels can get blocked. Clots form and can end up breaking off and traveling to other parts of the body, which is dangerous if they encounter the heart or brain. The result is a heart attack or stroke. Omega-3s can help prevent this whole mess by keeping your blood pressure and inflammation low. Blood clots normally protect us from harm when an injury occurs. However, when clots form abnormally it can be life threatening. Preventing blood clots is important for those who have risk factors for this condition. Make healthy lifestyle choices, and reduce as many risk factors as you can. Also, consider taking an omega-3 fish oil supplement to further protect yourself from a potentially deadly blood clot.