Do you also take blood-thinning medications? Things you need to know about (Anticoagulants)

Someone in your family, or you yourself, may be taking 'blood thinners'. You may have felt a little scared when your doctor prescribed this medication for you. It's very normal for questions like "Will this increase bleeding?", "What happens if I do it wrong?" to come to mind. So, don't be afraid. Today, let's talk about these blood-thinning medications, or as they are medically called, `(Anticoagulants)`, to make everything clear.

Simply put, what are these anticoagulants?

Anticoagulants are a type of medication that reduces your blood's ability to clot. Some people call them 'blood thinners'. But what they actually do is not 'thin' the blood like water, but rather slow down the rate at which blood clots form . These medications do two main things. One is to help your body dissolve existing blood clots. The other is to prevent new, unwanted blood clots from forming.

These medications are available as injections, intravenous (IV) fluids, and oral tablets.

Why do we need this kind of medicine?

Normally, when our body gets injured, it's good for the blood to clot. This stops the bleeding and the wound heals. But imagine, what if a blood clot forms inside our veins for no reason?

If a blood clot that forms in this way travels through the blood vessels and becomes stuck in a small blood vessel in a vital organ such as the brain, lungs, or heart, it can cause very dangerous conditions.

• Stroke: Caused by a blood clot that travels to the brain and blocks it.
• Pulmonary Embolism (PE): A blood clot that blocks a major blood vessel in the lungs . This is a dangerous condition that can lead to immediate death.
• Heart Attack: Caused by a blood clot blocking the arteries that supply blood to the heart.

So, doctors prescribe these ``Anticoagulants'' medications to people who are at risk of developing such dangerous conditions.

How does this medicine work inside the body?

Our body constantly maintains a balance between blood clotting and blood clotting prevention. Anticoagulants affect this balance slightly and weaken the clotting side of the blood. This stops unwanted blood clots from forming. These medications work differently.

Injections and IV medications

These are usually used in hospitals, when quick results are needed.

• Heparin: This works by activating a protein called `(Antithrombin)` that prevents blood clotting in the body. There are two types of this. One is very fast, but you need to check your blood regularly to make sure the dose is right. The other type `(Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin - LMWH)` works a little slower, but it is easy to imagine its effectiveness. Therefore, you don't need to check your blood frequently.
• Direct Thrombin Inhibitors: These directly inactivate the protein called `(Thrombin)` that helps blood clot.

Types of oral pills

These are the ones that doctors prescribe for long-term use.

• Warfarin: This is a somewhat old drug that many people in our country use. It works by blocking the use of vitamin K, which is essential for blood clotting. The dosage is very important when taking Warfarin. If you go a little overboard, the risk of bleeding can increase. That's why your doctor will regularly do your blood test (INR test) and adjust the dosage.
• Direct Oral Anticoagulants (DOACs): These are newer medications. Examples include `(Dabigatran)`, `(Apixaban)`, `(Rivaroxaban)`. These do not require frequent blood tests like Warfarin.

The scariest thing! What are the side effects and complications?

The main and most common risk of any anticoagulant medication is bleeding. This means that even a minor cut may take longer to stop bleeding, and you may bruise easily. In addition, each medication has its own side effects.

When should you seek immediate medical advice?

As someone who takes this medication, you need to be very careful about this, because even a small accident can be dangerous.

Talk to your doctor if you have these symptoms:

• If bleeding from the gums, nose, or a small wound doesn't stop .
• If you bruise more easily than usual or notice bruises for no reason.
• If you feel unusually dizzy, weak, or tired .

If you have these symptoms, go to the hospital's Emergency Treatment Unit (ETU) immediately:

• Any type of fall, especially if you hit your head, should be reported to the ETU immediately, even if there are no visible injuries.
• If you have a car accident or are hit by something hard and get a big bruise .
• A sudden, severe headache or stomach ache.
• Vomiting blood (especially if it looks like coffee grounds) or coughing up blood.
• Blood in the urine (urine turns orange, red, or brown) or blood in the stool (stool turns red or dark black, like tar).

Anticoagulants, blood thinners, blood clotting, Warfarin, Heparin, stroke, heart attack