You may be someone who takes supplements and vitamins every day to stay healthy . Many people do. But if you're about to undergo something major like cardiac surgery, you might want to think twice about some of these "natural" things. Let's talk about this a little bit today, shall we?
When you say "natural," is everything good for the body? Especially before surgery!
We often think that "natural" things, such as herbal supplements, are safe and harmless. However, that's not always the case. Especially when you're preparing for something like heart surgery, these so-called "natural" things can cause problems that you don't expect. They can cause complications during or after surgery.
Think about it, you might be using:
- A simple multivitamin pill.
- Garlic is said to be good for the heart.
- Ginkgo for memory.
- Echinacea to boost immunity .
- Kava to sleep.
- Vitamin E or fish oil for heart health.
If you are taking these things before a bypass operation , valve repair, or any other heart surgery, you need to be very careful.
What are these potentially dangerous herbal supplements?
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in 2001 looked into this as well. They specifically looked at eight commonly used herbal supplements. They looked at what effects they might have on someone undergoing surgery. Here are the types:
- Echinacea: Many people use it to stimulate the immune system .
- Ephedra (Eph ED ra): Some people take it for energy and weight loss, but it can affect the heart.
- Garlic: Good for the heart and known to lower cholesterol.
- Ginkgo Biloba: It is said to help with memory development and blood circulation.
- Ginseng : Used for a variety of things, to increase energy.
- Kava: It is said to reduce stress and help with sleep.
- St. John's wort: Some people use it for conditions like depression.
- Valerian: It is said to help those who cannot sleep.
This study found that these herbal supplements may increase bleeding during surgery, cause cardiovascular instability, cause hypoglycemia, affect the effectiveness of anesthesia during surgery, and change the way other medications used during surgery work in the body .
Just think, if you continue to go for surgery thinking that these things are "natural" and there's nothing wrong with them, how much trouble would it be if an unexpected problem arose?
Other studies have found that things like ginger, coenzyme Q-10, and vitamin E can cause serious side effects like heart attacks, strokes, or excessive bleeding, making heart surgery unnecessarily complicated.
What harm can these actually cause during surgery?
Simply put, many of these natural products affect our blood. This can lead to dangerous side effects. For example:
- Reduced blood clotting ability: This means that if bleeding occurs, it takes longer for the blood to stop. You can imagine how dangerous this is during surgery.
- Increased internal bleeding: Although it may not be visible from the outside, bleeding inside the body may increase.
- Effects on Platelets: Our blood contains a type of cell called platelets. These are what help blood clot. Some supplements can reduce the number of these platelets, or reduce their ability to stick together (platelet aggregation and adhesion).
- Effects on blood vessels: Blood vessels can become dilated or narrowed.
- Decreased blood viscosity: Blood viscosity may increase.
If you've been taking these things for a long time and haven't had any side effects, you might think, "Oh, these are fine for me." But don't forget, during and after heart surgery, you'll be given a lot of other medications (like painkillers and anesthetics) that you wouldn't normally take. These natural supplements can interact with those medications. That's when problems arise.
Why are these seemingly "innocent" things so dangerous?
There are several reasons for this.
First, in many countries, these herbal medicines are not regulated. That is, they are not subject to controlled clinical studies to determine their side effects. They are not subject to regulatory agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for their quality, ingredients, and manufacturing processes.
These are sold as pills, teas, powders, liquids, extracts, tinctures, and capsules. Since none of these are regulated, we have no way of knowing for sure their safety, efficacy, content, dosage, or even their reliability, even if they have an expiration date listed.
The second issue is that these herbal remedies can interact with other nutrients in your body, with other herbs you take, or with prescription drugs or over-the-counter drugs you are taking. These herbs can change the bioavailability, or how much of a drug is absorbed by the body, of a drug given during heart surgery, or affect the effectiveness of that drug.
For example, a natural medicine may change the rate at which a traditional medicine is absorbed into the body, how it is distributed throughout the body, or how quickly it is eliminated from the body.
Like regular medications, the effects of these herbal and dietary supplements may vary depending on your age, gender, family history, and general nutritional status. If you have other health conditions or are being treated for them, these effects may also vary.
Most importantly: inform your doctor!
If you are using any supplements, herbal remedies, or alternative therapies, it is imperative that you inform your cardiologist and cardiac surgeon well in advance of your heart surgery.
Doctors may not ask you about this. But even so, you should talk about it yourself. Because everyone involved in your care wants the best outcome for you. Got it?
Many people turn to alternative products like these in search of better health. That can be a good thing. However, it is your responsibility to ensure that your journey does not take you down a dangerous path.
The most important message we want to take home
Okay, so, here are a few things you need to remember from what we've talked about:
- Not all supplements, even those labeled "natural" or "herbal," are safe before surgery. They can cause serious complications.
- In particular, there may be an increased risk of bleeding, conflicts with anesthetic drugs, and the effectiveness of other medications given during surgery.
- Because these herbal supplements are often unregulated, there is no guarantee of their content, quality, and safety.
- If you are taking any herbal supplements, vitamins, or other natural products, be sure to tell your doctors (cardiologist and surgeon) before surgery. Even if they don't ask, tell them.
I hope this information is helpful to you. Taking care of your health is very important. Don't panic, but it's best to be informed and stay safe!
` Herbal supplements, heart surgery, drug interactions, surgery risks, natural medicines, medical advice, health safety
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