This Silent Disease Kills Over 200,000 a Year
Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., D.A.C.B.N., M.S.
Full Article: http://www.yourmedicaldetective.com/public/1114.cfm
Most people are totally unaware of a deadly condition that is totally preventable that kills more people a year than the combination of breast cancer deaths (41,000), AIDS deaths (15,000), and fatal auto accidents (43,000).
What makes me very sad is the fact that this condition is rarely diagnosed and is usually missed, even when folks are dead.
Few people are educated about this condition.
In fact even with a special leadership conference sponsored by the American Public Health Association in which Harvard Medical School professors participated still people have not been told about this serious and many times lethal condition.
Over 600,000 Americans suffer from this condition every year and if they don’t die from it, they can have serious complications that can eventually cause death.
When a national survey was conducted it is hard to believe that 74% of adults had never heard of this condition and over 57% were unable to name any risk factors.
In addition, over 95% of the people who were surveyed reported their physicians had never discussed this medical condition with them.
What is even more alarming is the fact that this silent epidemic is practically ignored by the medical profession.
The reason has been said to be due to the fact that 50% of the people don’t even have early symptoms before they get the serious or fatal event.
What makes matters worse is 71% of patients with this condition did not even receive medication within 30 days of diagnosis.
So what condition am I referring too?
DVT, deep vein thrombosis.
DVT indicates that clots have silently been forming in blood vessels, usually in the deep vessels of the legs. If the clot breaks loose it could go either to the lungs (pulmonary embolism), brain (stroke), or heart (heart attack).
The risk factors include increasing age, and prolonged immobility like sitting on a plane or in a car or at a computer for hours without getting up.
If you are overweight you are more at risk of developing DVT because the extra weight increases the compression on the blood vessels in the leg slowing down blood circulation.
The following have been shown to also increase your risk of developing DVT: having any form of cancer or any of its treatments, major surgery, fractures of the pelvis, hips or legs, varicose veins, congestive heart failure, anything foreign inside blood vessels like catheters or metal stents, as well as inflammatory bowel disease, kidney disease, birth control pills, hormone replacement pills for menopause, certain many medications, trans fatty acids and nutrient deficiencies.
Are There Any Symptoms?
The symptoms can range from no pain to mild or severe localized point tenderness in the leg or arm. Be on the lookout for any swelling, discoloration or redness in lower legs. This could be the only sign of the start of a developing DVT.
If you experience sudden unexplained shortness of breath, chest pain, sudden palpitations or arrhythmia, sudden anxiety and/or sweating or coughing up blood, a clot may have broken loose and moved up to the lung and/or heart.
The immediate medical treatment includes blood thinners.
What is “very” important is taking the appropriate natural action steps to prevent developing DVT, especially if you are going on a long trip where you will be sitting for an extended period of time.
One documented natural treatment includes beta-1,3/1,6-glucan, an extract from the yeast Saccharomyces. An excellent product is Beta Glucan Circulatory Formula . This natural nutritional supplement has been shown to boost the immune system in a number of ways. In addition is has the unique ability to decrease plaque accumulation in arterial walls.
If you consider yourself at even higher risk or want to promote even more protection, to give even more potent clot-preventing power, you could add the enzyme Serrapeptase.
Don’t be a victim to DVT. Take the prevention route and do not let a long day at the office sitting in front of the computer, or a fun trip beginning with a long flight or car ride lead to deadly deep vein thrombosis.
References:
Goldhaber SZ, American Public Health Association, Deep-vein thrombosis: Advancing awareness to protect patients lives, White Paper: Public Health Leadership Conference on Deep-Vein Thrombosis, Washington D.C., Feb. 26, 2003
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