Gallstones form due to an elevated level of cholesterol secreted by the liver combined with reduced gall bladder contractions. These circumstances are believed to be caused, in part, by the hormones estrogen and drospirenone (a synthetic progestin). Both are released by the oral contraceptive into a woman’s bloodstream. If they lead to the development of stones, you may experience one or more of the following symptoms.

Upper And Right Abdominal Pain

Commonly called biliary colic, this is a specific type of pain that is present in the majority of women who have symptomatic stones. Once it occurs, it intensifies quickly, and persists for up to twelve hours. The pain typically subsides, but there is a high likelihood of subsequent episodes.

Biliary colic occurs as a result of stones that block either the cystic or common bile duct. When food arrives in the duodenum (first part of the small intestine), a hormone called cholecystokinin is released. This hormone causes the gallbladder to contract, which pushes bile fluid into the obstructed ducts. Stones prevent bile from passing, and thus fluid accumulates. This leads to distension of the gall bladder and ducts, resulting in a sharp pain in the upper and right abdomen.

The pain tends to occur following meals due to the contractions of the gall bladder. Eventually, the contractions cease, which reduces the pressure within the organ and ducts. This normally causes the pain to subside within a few hours. When it persists for several hours, there is a high likelihood that acute cholecystitis (described below) has developed.

Acute Cholecystitis

Acute cholecystitis is an abrupt inflammation of the gall bladder (as opposed to chronic cholecystitis, which is a long standing condition). It occurs when bile becomes trapped inside the organ due to a blockage in the cystic or common bile ducts. It becomes increasingly concentrated, and begins to irritate the inner wall of the gall bladder. At the same time, distension causes pressure to build within the organ, making it more susceptible to bacterial colonization. As bacteria increases, infection sets in.

Inflammation of the gallbladder triggers intense abdominal pain. If Yasmin side effects caused by gallstones have already blocked the ducts and caused biliary colic, it may be difficult to distinguish it from acute cholecystitis. As mentioned earlier, however, persistent pain that lasts for several hours is a reliable indicator.

Fever, Nausea, And Vomiting

Nausea and vomiting are common with both biliary colic and acute cholecystitis. In some cases, fever and chills may present due to bacterial overgrowth and severe inflammation of the gallbladder. At that point, the condition calls for an immediate medical response. If the organ and ducts are not drained of bile, the patient may potentially slip into septic shock.

Fistula Between The Gallbladder And Duodenum

Even when stones migrate into the cystic and common bile ducts, others may remain inside the gallbladder. If the organ’s wall has developed severe inflammation, these stones may cause it to erode by rubbing against it. This can lead to a channel (i.e. fistula) forming between the walls of the gall bladder and the duodenum. Contents of the former may spill into the latter.

If a particularly large gallstone passes directly into the small intestine, it can cause a bowel blockage (known as an ileus). This type of intestinal obstruction can become fatal.

Yasmin Lawsuit Gallbladder
While gallstones are usually “silent” (i.e. absent of symptoms), they can cause severe abdominal pain, fever, and nausea without warning. Even worse, they can lead to dangerous complications stemming from bacteria and infection. If you have suffered from gallstones, gallbladder disease, or other serious Yaz or Yasmin side effects, you may be able to file a claim for compensation. Contact an experienced Yasmin gallbladder settlement attorney to discuss your options.

Called clot-busting drugs (and sometimes, thrombolytics), fibrinolytics are an effective solution for treating Yaz side effects involving blood clots. But they pose serious risks. Below, we’ll explain how they differ from anticoagulants, and describe the medical emergencies they help resolve.

How Fibrinolytic Medications Differ From Blood Thinners

The term “blood thinners” is a misnomer. These medications do not technically thin the blood. Instead, they inhibit factors that contribute to your body’s coagulation system, and thus slow the process of clotting. This prevents existing thrombi from growing larger, and new thrombi from forming.

Known as anticoagulants, the most common are warfarin and heparin. Warfarin inhibits production of a clotting factor called prothrombin, which is converted into thrombin during the coagulation process. Warfarin accomplishes this by interacting with vitamin K, the stimulus of prothrombin production.

Heparin interacts with thrombin, which normally converts fibrinogen into fibrin. Fibrin strands provide the structural support for a clot. Thus, by preventing thrombin from stimulating this conversion, heparin can slow the rate of coagulation.

Fibrinolytic drugs work differently. Rather than preventing Yasmin side effects caused by blood clots from forming, they address those that have already developed. The medications are focused upon plasminogen, which converts into an enzyme called plasmin. This enzyme is instrumental in breaking down the fibrin strands that provide support for clots. It cuts into fibrin molecules, and causes the strands to dissolve. As this occurs, the thrombus deteriorates.

Serious Conditions Caused By Yaz And Blood Clots

Thrombi can form within the veins or arteries. Our focus here is on the veins, of which there are two main types: superficial and deep veins. Clots in the former present few, if any, major problems. Clots in the latter, however, are dangerous.

Blood clots that cause a deep vein thrombosis (usually in the legs) can break free of the venous wall. This is known as embolization. As emboli, they are carried by your bloodstream as it returns to your heart and lungs for oxygen.

Once emboli enter your heart, they can be pumped into your pulmonary arteries. These arteries supply blood to your lungs. If the clots cause a blockage, you will experience a pulmonary embolism as a portion of your lung tissue is deprived of blood.

In some cases, emboli that arrive in the right side of your heart can cross over to the left side. This may occur through a small hole in the interatrial septum (the wall that separates the two upper chambers). Once the clots are on your heart’s left side, they can be pumped into the aorta.

In the aorta, emboli can travel into the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the surface of your heart muscle. Here, a blockage will trigger a myocardial infarction (i.e. heart attack).

If, after being pumped into the aorta, the emboli pass by the coronary arteries, they may travel into one of your carotid arteries. These bring oxygen-rich blood to your brain tissue. An obstruction will cause an immediate stroke.

Potential Risk Of Fibrinolytic Drugs

The most significant risk associated with clot-busting medications is internal hemorrhage. These drugs can cause severe bleeding, which is the main reason doctors are hesitant to use them. If any of the conditions described earlier place your life in danger, however, treatment with thrombolytic therapy may be necessary. Otherwise, your doctor may choose to first administer anticoagulants, and monitor the results.

Yaz Lawsuit Settlements
Yasmin and blood clots are dangerous when they form in the deep veins because they can trigger one or more medical emergencies. Even if they remain attached to the walls of the deep veins, they can damage the one-way valves, and cause problems due to poor venous drainage. If you have suffered from abnormal clotting, DVT, pulmonary embolism, or other serious Yaz side effects, you may be able to file a claim for compensation. Contact a Yaz lawsuit attorney to discuss your options.

When Yaz side effects involving gallstones become symptomatic, the pain prompts most women to seek medical attention. Doctors will use one or more tests to diagnose the condition prior to starting treatment. These tests are described below.

Abdominal Ultrasound

An ultrasound study is considered essential for detecting stones inside the gallbladder. It is highly accurate, quick, and noninvasive (though it is less useful for detecting stones in the bile duct). For these reasons, it is usually the first test performed when you arrive at the hospital.

A small instrument called a transducer is passed over your abdomen. This device sends out high-frequency sound waves that penetrate the skin and bounce off your liver, pancreas, gallbladder, and bile ducts. They also bounce off gallstones inside the gall bladder. The sound waves return to the transducer, and create an echo signature. This signature is used by a computer to construct an image of the structures in your abdomen.

Abdominal X-rays

X-rays can be taken of your gallbladder, but visualization is limited without the use of a contrast dye. The dye may be taken orally (oral cholecystography) or via injection (cholangiography). X-rays display its movement as it is secreted by your liver, and flows through your biliary system. It’s worth noting x-rays are rarely taken if ultrasound is available.

Computed Tomography (CT) Scan

If your doctor suspects problems in your biliary tract (in addition to Yaz and gallstones), a CT scan may be ordered. This diagnostic study is valuable for identifying gall bladder perforations, inflection in the common bile duct, inflammation of the pancreas, and other issues. It can be completed quickly and is noninvasive.

Traditional CT scans have largely been replaced with helical CT scanning since the latter provides much clearer images. Your doctor will have you lie flat on a narrow table, which is positioned in the middle of an x-ray tube. The x-ray machine rotates around your body and takes multiple images. These images are reconstructed to provide color-coded, 3-dimensional visualization.

Cholescintigraphy (HIDA Scan)

HIDA scanning is useful for detecting bile duct blockages, abnormalities in the gallbladder’s contraction activity, and related problems. The downside is that the test takes longer to complete than other diagnostic studies. In most cases, it will require at least one hour, and often two or three.

This test uses a contrast dye, which is delivered intravenously. The dye is secreted by your liver into bile fluid. A specialized scanner is used to monitor the flow of the contrast material as it moves through your biliary system toward the small intestine. If the dye fails to enter the gallbladder, it suggests the cystic duct is blocked, and the organ is inflamed. If the material enters the gall bladder, but is not pushed outward properly, it implies abnormal contraction activity.

A HIDA scan cannot display gallstones. Instead, it is used to detect problems that commonly stem from them.

Making An Accurate Diagnosis

It is important that your doctor is able to conclusively diagnose the presence of Yasmin side effects caused by gallstones before administering treatment. The reason is because the condition presents nonspecific symptoms. The pain and nausea that are characteristic of stones may be due to many other conditions. Some of them are life-threatening; all of them require different forms of treatment than that which is applied to stones. For example, symptoms may be caused by a myocardial infarction, pancreatitis, appendicitis, and gastric ulcers.

If gallstones present symptoms, hospitalization is necessary. Left unresolved, they can cause one or more serious medical emergencies. If you have suffered from gallstones, gallbladder disease, or other dangerous Yasmin or Yaz side effects, you may be able to file a claim for compensation. Contact an experienced Yaz attorney to discuss your options.

Most stroke survivors require some level of rehabilitation. Its type and duration depend on the impairments suffered as well as their severity. We’ll describe the goal of rehabilitation, and the disabilities it seeks to address below.

The Goal Of Yaz Side Effects Stroke Rehabilitation

A stroke can result in impairments that are either physical or cognitive. They may be mild and barely noticeable, or severe. In the latter case, they may significantly reduce your quality of life. The main goal of rehabilitation is to help you regain functions that were lost.

In some cases, this involves retraining the brain – and thus, the body – to do things that were once easy. An example would be relearning how to brush your hair. If relearning how to perform a task is not possible, a therapist will help you learn an alternative approach. For example, if the Yaz stroke results in right-sided paralysis, you might need to learn how to brush your hair, drive, or perform your job, with your left hand.

The direction of therapy is governed by the type of impairments caused by the stroke. They vary based on the location of the arterial blockage in the brain.

Types Of Impairments That Result From A Stroke

Loss or impairment of motor functions is common. This can include paralysis that affects one side of your body (called hemiplegia). It can also include one-sided weakness (called hemiparesis). With some strokes, a blood clot may deprive the portion of your brain that influences your ability to swallow. This can make swallowing difficult, a condition known as dysphagia. Stroke can also affect your ability to walk straight, or balance yourself while standing.

Language deficits are also common. Known broadly as aphasia, these can impair your ability to speak or understand what others are saying. It also affects your ability to understand what is written. There are different types of aphasia that are categorized by their presentation. This is influenced by the lobe of your brain that suffered injury during the stroke.

Impairments to sensory perception are also found in survivors; they can present in several ways. For example, you may be unable to identify changes in temperature; you might lose the ability to feel pain; or you may be unable to recognize when someone is touching you.

Yaz stroke symptoms can affect your memory and cognition. This, too, presents differently based on the location of the brain injury. You may experience a deficit in your short-term memory; you might develop neglect of your affected limbs; or your brain may not accept or recognize your physical disabilities.

How Post-Stroke Rehabilitation Occurs

As mentioned earlier, the path to recovery depends on the Ocella, Yasmin or Yaz side effects stroke symptoms that present. For instance, a physical therapist will help you cope with motor function deficits; therapy might involve exercises designed to help you regain full motion of your affected limbs. If you suffer from a language disability, a speech therapist will help you relearn basic communication skills, or develop alternative ways to communicate. An occupational therapist will help you cope with sensory and memory deficits.

Even though a stroke is unlikely to be fatal, it can trigger lasting impairments that require rehabilitation. Survivors who develop severe deficits may require long-term care. If you have suffered from blood clots, stroke, or other dangerous Yasmin, Ocella or Yaz side effects, you may be able to file a claim for compensation for your injuries. Contact an experienced Yaz lawsuit attorney to discuss your options.

In most cases where symptoms present, the stones have migrated into the cystic duct, the route bile fluid takes on its way to the small intestine. They become lodged within this duct, and prevent bile from escaping the gallbladder. This leads to bile stasis inside the organ, which causes the wall to become irritated and inflamed. The inflammation triggers the abdominal pain characteristic of gallbladder disease.

In some instances, Yasmin side effects involving gallstones can migrate further downstream in the biliary tract. They move from the cystic duct into the common bile duct, and create a blockage. Bile once again is prevented from flowing past the obstruction. Below, you’ll learn why gallbladder removal surgery cannot resolve this condition. We’ll also describe the procedure used to retrieve the stones.

Why Gallbladder Removal Surgery Is Ineffective

The common bile duct is located below the gall bladder; it is connected to the lower end of the cystic duct. During cholecystectomy (surgical removal of the gallbladder), the cystic duct is severed, and the gall bladder is removed. The common bile duct is typically left untouched unless clinical findings have revealed a stricture or other condition that can be addressed at the same time. Hence, even though the inflamed organ is removed during the procedure, bile duct stones often remain.

A two-pronged approach is necessary to resolve Yaz gallbladder side effects involving gallstones that are present in the bile duct. This approach combines endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) with endoscopic sphincterotomy.

How ERCP And Endoscopic Sphincterotomy Are Performed

The procedure is done while you lie on your side. A sedative is provided to minimize your discomfort. A long, thin, and flexible instrument called an endoscope is then introduced through the mouth. This instrument is equipped with a tiny camera and light on its tip. It is advanced down your throat, through your stomach, and passed into the top portion of your small intestine (called the duodenum).

A small valve called the sphincter of Oddi regulates the flow of bile fluid from the common bile duct into the duodenum. When the endoscope has reached this valve, a catheter is pass through it. Your doctor will advance the catheter through the valve into the lower portion of the duct. Then, a contrast dye is introduced.

The purpose of the dye is to help your doctor visualize the inside of the duct, and detect stones that are causing a blockage. The dye displays on x-rays. Once the precise location of Yasmin side effects caused by gallstones has been identified, endoscopic sphincterotomy is done.

This stage of the procedure involves the extraction of the bile duct stones. To accomplish it, your doctor needs to widen the opening between the duct and the duodenum. A surgical tool is passed through the endoscope, and used to make a small incision into the sphincter of Oddi. An alternative method (known as balloon dilation) is to inflate a tiny balloon in the valve. The widened opening allows your doctor to retrieve the stones more easily.

Potential Complications From ERCP

Even though ERCP with endoscopic sphincterotomy is less invasive than conventional surgery, the procedure can lead to complications. For example, your doctor may accidentally puncture the bile duct, which will allow bile to leak outside the biliary tract. Your pancreas may become inflamed during the procedure, leading to pancreatitis. Bacteria and infection can also result due to poor biliary drainage. Each of these circumstances can become life-threatening unless they are resolved.

Gallstones do not always present symptoms. When they do, however, treatment is necessary to avoid dangerous complications. If you have suffered from gallstones, gallbladder disease, or other serious Yasmin side effects, you may be able to file a claim for compensation for your injuries. Contact a Yaz lawsuit attorney to discuss your options.

In most cases, Yaz and gallstones present no noticeable problems. This can change quickly, however. The stones can become symptomatic, and in the absence of treatment, lead to acute complications in the biliary tract. We’ll describe a few of the most serious medical issues below.

Acute Cholecystitis

Cholecystitis is inflammation of the gallbladder. It typically occurs when stones migrate outside the organ, and block the cystic duct. Bile fluid is prevented from passing into the common bile duct, and instead, is trapped inside the gall bladder. As it becomes more concentrated, it begins to irritate the inner lining. The organ’s wall eventually becomes inflamed, which triggers sharp abdominal pain and nausea.

When symptomatic stones are allowed to remain within the inflamed gall bladder, they can cause the wall of the organ to slowly erode. Small holes – or perforations – can develop, which allow bile fluid to leak into the abdominal cavity. Unless treatment is administered, infection can occur within the gallbladder and abdominal cavity, and spread to other areas of your body.

Choledocholithiasis

Choledocholithiasis is the presence of stones in the common bile duct. Sometimes, they form within the duct as the result of bile stasis, biliary sludge, and an increased level of bilirubin. More commonly, however, the stones originate in the gall bladder (for reasons described earlier), and migrate into the duct.

Symptoms typically present when the stones form a blockage, and prevent the passage of bile. Indications are similar to those associated with acute cholecystitis, including abdominal pain and nausea. If the blockage persists, or moves downstream in the biliary tract, it can lead to serious complications, such as cholangitis.

Cholangitis

Cholangitis is an infection within the common bile duct. It stems from bacterial colonization that overwhelms the body’s immune system. Bacteria is usually present in bile throughout the biliary tract whenever stones are present. However, as long as bile fluid flows unimpeded from the gall bladder to the duodenum (upper portion of the small intestine), infection rarely occurs. Yaz side effects caused by gallstones that block the common bile duct prevent bile from passing, and allow bacteria to grow. This leads to infection.

When a blockage exists in the bile duct, bacteria from the duodenum can enter the duct, and climb upward through the biliary tree. This is called ascending cholangitis. Unless the bacterial colonization is resolved (typically, with the use of antibiotics), infection will approach the gallbladder and liver. Organ damage becomes a serious risk.

Eventually, bacteria can enter your bloodstream, and allow infection to become systemic. At that point, the condition is life-threatening. Sepsis and septic shock are imminent.

Acute Pancreatitis

Gallstones can also travel further downstream in the common bile duct, past the ampulla of Vater. This is the juncture where the bile duct is joined by the pancreatic duct. Your pancreas secretes fluid that is largely comprised of digestive enzymes. These enzymes travel through the duct to the duodenum where they aid in digestion. When stones block the duct, and thus block the passage of pancreatic fluid, these enzymes begin to digest the cells of the pancreas. This is called acute pancreatitis.

Presentation begins with inflammation, but can quickly worsen as damage to the pancreas increases. With extensive damage, bleeding can occur, allowing toxins and bacteria to gain entry into your bloodstream. This condition, unless resolved, can be fatal.

Problems related to Yaz and gallstones expose many otherwise healthy women to serious medical emergencies. If you have suffered from gallstones, gallbladder disease, or other Ocella, Yasmin or Yaz gallbladder side effects, you may be able to file a claim against the manufacturer. Contact an experienced Yaz lawsuit gallbladder lawyer to discuss your case.

Thrombi typically develop in the deep veins of the legs, and adhere to the venous lining. This is a condition known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Without treatment – usually in the form of anticoagulation therapy – the clots grow, and further restrict blood flow through the occluded vein. This hampers venous drainage, and leads to swelling, warmth, and pain in the area of the blockage.

While Ocella, Yasmin and Yaz side effects caused by blood clots usually remain attached to the wall of the affected vein, they can break away and be carried along with your bloodstream. Given certain circumstances, they can trigger life-threatening medical emergencies. We’ll cover the most serious below.

When Emboli Reach The Lungs

Blood flows from the deep veins within your legs into a large vein called the inferior vena cava. The purpose of the IVC is to deliver deoxygenated blood from your lower extremities to your heart. It is connected to the right upper chamber (i.e. atrium). Blood that drains from the IVC into your right atrium is then pumped into the right lower chamber (i.e. ventricle). From there, it is pumped into the pulmonary arteries, which brings it to your lungs.

Recall that when a thrombus in your leg embolizes, it migrates with your bloodstream. This is the reason doctors, after diagnosing a DVT, are particularly concerned regarding the likelihood of a pulmonary embolism. Most cases of PE are due to thrombi that originated in the legs. Once they break away from the venous lining, they can travel directly to your heart and lungs, and trigger a PE.

Small emboli that restrict blood flow through your pulmonary arteries may not pose an immediate problem. A large embolus, however, can cause a substantial blockage. It can lead to sudden death.

How Blood Clots Can Trigger A Stroke

Thrombi from the legs will seldom reach your brain. In order to do so, they must first move from the right side of your heart to the left side. A wall called the septum separates the two sides. The only way for emboli to traverse the wall is to pass through a hole in it. Such a hole may exist if you have a congenital heart condition called atrial septal defect.

A greater danger exists from emboli that block your pulmonary arteries. When blood flow becomes restricted, pressure builds within these arteries and the right ventricle. This is known as pulmonary hypertension. It can trigger an arrhythmia.

Arrhythmias may prevent your atria and ventricles from contracting fully, which allows blood to pool within them. This leads to blood stasis, a precursor to clot formation.

Thrombi that form within your left atrium or ventricle can be pumped outside your heart and into the aorta. Along the upper arch of the aorta lies your left and right carotid arteries; both carry blood toward your brain. Emboli that migrate downstream in either of these blood vessels can cause an obstruction. If this occurs, a portion of your brain will be deprived of blood, and you will experience a stroke.

Is A Heart Attack Possible?

Also located along your aorta – before the carotid arteries – are your left and right coronary arteries. These supply oxygen-rich blood to the surface of your heart. Emboli that exit your heart can make their way into these blood vessels, and travel downstream. If they form a blockage, and prevent blood from reaching a portion of your heart muscle, you will suffer a myocardial infarction (i.e. heart attack).

Blood clots in the deep veins indicate a serious condition because they can break away and migrate to your lungs. There, they pose a danger of contributing to life-threatening medical emergencies. If you have suffered from abnormal clotting, DVT, PE, or other Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella side effects, you may be able to file a claim against the manufacturer. Contact a Yaz lawsuit lawyer to discuss your case.

Doctors can treat a PE by introducing anticoagulants and thrombolytic drugs into the obstructed artery. In severe cases when such an approach is contraindicated, or will not produce results quickly enough, more invasive strategies can be used.

Your doctor may prefer to prevent blood clots from reaching your lungs in the first place. When clots have been identified within the legs, one method for accomplishing this is to install a vena cava filter.

Preventing A PE By Addressing The Source

Because deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a common precursor to Yasmin, Ocella and Yaz side effects caused by pulmonary embolism, your doctor will first try to treat clots that exist in your legs. The form of treatment will vary based on the size of the clots, and any contraindications that preclude the use of anticoagulants and thrombolytic drugs.

If the deep venous occlusion is mild, most doctors will start with heparin and warfarin. Initial therapy typically begins with intravenous delivery of heparin for the first day, and daily injections of low-molecular weight heparin (LMWH) thereafter. If long-term therapy is needed, LMWH is usually replaced with warfarin (taken in pill form).

If significant clotting has occurred in the deep veins, your doctor may suggest the use of thrombolytic drugs, such as tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). Delivery of these drugs is usually done via catheter.

In cases where severe occlusion poses a risk of gangrene, surgical thrombectomy may be necessary. While anticoagulants and thrombolysis focus on inhibiting clot formation and accelerating their dissolution (respectively), thrombectomy is the removal of the clot.

Each of the treatment methods described thus far may be contraindicated due to bleeding disorders, recent surgery, or even recent trauma. When this is the case, or when the risk of a PE is extremely high, an inferior vena cava (IVC) filter may present a solution.

How An IVC Filter Is Installed

The inferior vena cava is a large vein that carries oxygen-poor blood from your legs to your heart. It is the path deep venous clots will travel if they break away from the wall of a vein. An IVC filter can be placed to trap emboli as they migrate.

The filter is delivered to the site of deployment with a catheter. The catheter is introduced through an entry point made in the groin, and threaded to a location chosen by your doctor. Once the catheter reaches the target site, the filter is deployed. The catheter is then withdrawn, and the entry site is closed. This entire procedure can normally be completed in under an hour.

Risks Associated With The IVC Filter

The main concerns surrounding the installation of an IVC filter are that it may cause a venous perforation, might migrate from the deployment site, and may be difficult to retrieve. Also, in rare instances, the filter can trap so many emboli that their collective mass prevents blood from flowing through. In this case, the IVC filter must be retrieved, emptied, and reinstalled.

A pulmonary embolism is a medical emergency since a massive blockage – or even smaller blockages that are left untreated – can be fatal. If you have suffered DVT, PE, gallbladder disease or other dangerous Ocella, Yasmin or Yaz side effects, you may be able to file a claim against the manufacturer. Contact a Yaz lawsuit settlements lawyer to discuss your case.

A DVT is defined by blood clots that develop within the deep veins – usually, in the calves and thighs. The clots normally remain attached to the vein’s inner lining where they restrict circulation, and cause mild inflammation. In some cases, however, they can travel to the lungs, and cause a pulmonary embolism. This can lead to serious secondary outcomes, including an ischemic stroke.

How Yaz Side Effects Blood Clots Reach Your Lungs

The deep veins in your legs drain into the lower portion of the vena cava (known as the inferior vena cava, or IVC). When clots become detached from the wall of the blood vessel, they travel with your bloodstream into the IVC.

Recall that the vena cava delivers oxygen-depleted blood to the right side of your heart – specifically, the atrium (i.e. upper chamber). Emboli from your legs follow this same route. Once they arrive in the right atrium, they can be pumped into the right ventricle (i.e. lower chamber), and onward toward your lungs.

The right side of your heart pumps blood to your lungs via the pulmonary arteries. A blood clot that migrates into one of these arteries can travel downstream until it becomes wedged, and creates an obstruction. This restricts blood flow to the lung tissue normally supplied by the artery. The result is a pulmonary embolism. The condition can be life-threatening.

Clots In The Left Side Of Your Heart

A persistent blockage in the pulmonary arteries causes blood pressure in the lungs and the right ventricle to rise. Your heart begins to work harder in order to pump the same amount of blood to your lungs through the restricted artery. The right ventricle can endure the increased workload for awhile, but will eventually enlarge and thicken to handle the mounting strain. Meanwhile, the increased blood pressure may trigger an arrhythmia (i.e. an erratic heartbeat).

An arrhythmia increases the risk of blood pooling within the heart’s chambers. Pooling occurs when the irregular heartbeat prevents the atria and ventricles from emptying properly. Blood becomes stale, and begins to clot. If such clots form within the left atrium or ventricle, they can be pumped outside the heart.

When Clots Leave Your Heart

Your left ventricle pumps oxygen-rich blood into the largest artery in your body: the aorta. This artery climbs upward, arches, and then descends until it splits into the common iliac arteries near your pelvis.

Your left and right carotid arteries begin at the arch of the aorta, and extend upward. Blood flows through them toward your brain. When a clot leaves your left ventricle, and migrates through the aorta, it comes dangerously close to the base of these two arteries. If it travels into one of them, it may cause a blockage that prevents oxygen-rich blood from reaching your brain tissue. This triggers a stroke.

Stroke is particularly worrisome because symptoms are unpredictable; they vary based on the area of your brain that sustains damage. This is the reason some survivors suffer vision or memory problems while others experience one-sided paralysis, vertigo, and speech impairments.

Though it is rarely discussed in this context, a DVT can set off a sequence of events that lead to an ischemic stroke. If you have suffered clotting, DVT, pulmonary embolism, gallbladder problems or other Ocella, Yasmin or Yaz side effects, you may be able to file a claim against the manufacturer. Contact a Yaz lawsuit lawyer to discuss your options.

The most worrisome complication associated with a DVT is that a thrombus will break loose, and travel to your lungs. As an embolus (i.e. a migrating mass), it can become lodged within an artery supplying blood to your lung tissue. If it causes a blockage, it will restrict blood flow. This is known as a pulmonary embolism. A large embolus that causes a massive PE can be life-threatening.

Treatment of a DVT is focused on preventing clots from traveling to, and obstructing, the pulmonary arteries. Below, we’ll cover the modalities your doctor may use to accomplish this goal.

Blood Thinners And Fibrinolytic Medications

Once Yaz birth control problems involving a DVT has been diagnosed, treatment typically begins with anticoagulation therapy. Low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH), a purified form of unfractionated heparin, is administered via injection. Your doctor will also give you warfarin to be taken in pill form. Low-molecular-weight heparin begins to work immediately. Warfarin requires a few days to show results. In most cases, once warfarin begins to have an effect, LMWH is stopped.

Blood thinners do not literally “thin” your blood, but instead inhibit clotting factors. This prevents new thrombi from forming, and existing thrombi from growing larger.

Your doctor may also decide to give you a fibrinolytic drug, such as tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). Rather than merely inhibiting clotting factors, these medications dissolve existing clots. They do so by encouraging production of plasmin. This is an enzyme that breaks down fibrin molecules, which provide support for clots.

The danger of administering anticoagulation therapy or fibrinolytic drugs is that they pose a high risk of bleeding. Tissue plasminogen activator and other fibrinolytics pose a higher risk than blood thinners. For this reason, your doctor will examine your medical history to check for an existing bleeding disorder or other factors that contraindicate their use.

Compression Stockings

Compression stockings are often worn to help blood drain from the legs. They are elastic and usually worn below the knee, starting from the ankle. Some, however, extend past the knee, and may be recommended if a deep vein thrombosis affects the blood vessels in your thighs.

The stockings are tightest around the ankle, and become less tight as they ascend. Depending on the severity of the DVT, your doctor can suggest varying levels of pressure. Compression stockings that offer the most pressure are only available with a prescription.

Installation Of A Vena Cava Filter

The deep veins in your legs drain into the inferior vena cava (IVC). This is a large vein that carries blood to your heart. In rare cases – typically when anticoagulants and fibrinolytics are contraindicated, yet a large thrombus threatens to break loose – a vena cava filter is installed. This filter prevents migrating clots from reaching your heart. By catching them as they travel through the IVC, it prevents them from gaining entry into your pulmonary arteries.

Surgery For Severe Clotting

Occasionally, when other forms of treatment prove inadequate or cannot be used, surgery is necessary to prevent a pulmonary embolism. A vascular surgeon can perform a procedure called venous thrombectomy. A contrast dye is injected into the occluded blood vessel to visualize and identify the precise location of the thrombi. A catheter is then threaded to the obstruction to break up and remove the clot. This procedure is usually reserved for severe cases of deep vein thrombosis.

A DVT may be mild or severe. The type of treatment your doctor administers will depend largely on the likelihood of clot embolization. If you have suffered from abnormal clotting, DVT, or other serious Ocella, Yasmin or Yaz birth control side effects, you may be able to file a claim against the manufacturer. Contact a Yaz lawsuit lawyer to discuss your case.