Blood Clots and How to Help Prevent Them!

Dear Dr. Mitch:

My mother just had a clot from her leg travel to her lungs (she is now working on one lung in the  E.R.). The doctors call it a pulmonary embolism.  At first the doctors thought her swollen knee was arthritis and gave her medication for that but it was really from the clot.  I don’t understand this, can you explain it to me, please?

B.C., California

Dear B.C.,

A pulmonary embolism IS a clot that comes from someplace in the body and goes to the lungs which can be extremely dangerous and/or fatal.  The most important thing is to prevent clots.  In a healthy cardiovascular system, the blood typically flows and has a good elasticity allowing it to move freely, going effectively around bends and doing its job.  However, for several reasons the blood can become thickened or hyperviscous and when the blood shows down (even in terms of microseconds) a clot can form and then travel to the lungs and block a blood vessel up.  The analogy would be like putting a too much of a thickness of oil in your car in the summer months; thereby not allowing it to flow freely to the different mechanical parts which could eventually freeze the engine.  Several things that create this problem are simply age itself, poor mineral status specifically low magnesium, being overweight, poor diet that causes a lot of inflammation, certain drugs, lack of daily exercise AND the birth control pill in younger women.  

The prevention of blood getting thick begins with water.  Studies done several years past demonstrated that people who drink five or more glasses of water have 50% reduction in heart attack and stroke risk just because it keeps the blood from becoming too viscous.  Ask your doctor first on the following:  Check your diet because fatty, fried foods and high sugar foods can certainly create more viscosity than you want and if you are overweight there is no time better than now to start losing it.  Talk with your doctor about a good exercise program and look up your medications that would suggest any words in your Physician’s Desk Reference of any type of blood dyscrasia, viscosity or clots then bring up the subject directly with your physician.  Keep your mineral status healthy especially extra magnesium if it is OK with your PCP.  If you are still not sure then write to me at drmitch@drmitchshow.com   The products that may help in maintaining good blood movement are magnesium, CR Mimetic, and the Essential Fatty Acids like the Super Omega.   These and similar can be found on my website at www.drmitchshow.com or a good health food store.

Look Good, Feel Good and Have Great Sex!

Dr. Mitch

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Tags: Blood clots, blood dyscrasia, CR Mimetic, diet, Essential Fatty Acids, fried foods, magnesium, pulmonary embolism, thickened blood, viscosity