e-Newsletter - October 2016
Advancing the Prevention, Early Diagnosis, and
Treatment of Life-Threatening Blood Clots
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Worldwide Blood Clot Awareness Initiative
Recognized on October 13, World Thrombosis Day -- sponsored by the International Society for Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) -- is a global initiative intended to reflect the combined efforts of individuals and organizations worldwide to bring awareness to the often unheard of and misunderstood disease of thrombosis, including blood clots in the leg (deep vein thrombosis or DVT) and blood clots in the lung (pulmonary embolism or PE).
World Thrombosis Day seeks to increase worldwide awareness of thrombosis, including its causes, risk factors, signs, symptoms, prevention, and treatment, by engaging medical partners, individuals, organizations, and communities around the globe.
The National Blood Clot Alliance is happy to be a partner in this effort, and we encourage you to get involved too, perhaps by just taking time to share your experience or important information about blood clot risks and signs/symptoms with your family, friends, and contacts.
In addition to sharing how blood clots have affected you or someone you know, you can share these critical resources to help raise awareness about the risks and the signs and symptoms of blood clots.
- Stop the Clot, Spread the Word™, including information about blood clot risks, signs and symptoms.
- Stop the Clot, Spread the Word™ Hospitalization, including information about blood clot risks associated with hospitalization, surgery and trauma.
- Women and Blood Clots, including information about the unique risks women face for blood clots in connection with choices related to estrogen-based birth control, pregnancy and childbirth, and the treatment of menopause symptoms.
- Blood Clot Basics, including information about blood clot risks, signs and symptoms and prevention.
- Patient Stories, including information about how you can share your story with NBCA.
The affects of thrombosis, including DVT and PE, are far-reaching and span far beyond this day of the year. As a result, NBCA also encourages you to connect with us on our social media channels where we work tirelessly everyday to provide you with the most current, important, and relevant information about blood clots. If you have not already, please join us (@StoptheClot) on
Facebook,
Twitter,
Instagram,
Pinterest and in our
online discussion community, powered by Inspire. All of your likes, shares, comments, retweets, pins, and posts help us greatly in our mission to educate as many people as we can reach about blood clots.
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WTD: Something for Everyone
The National Blood Clot Alliance is participating in a number of efforts to raise awareness about blood clots in connection with the celebration of World Thrombosis Day on October 13. Here are a few highlights:
World Thrombosis Day
Twitter Chat
on Thursday, October 13, noon Eastern. Use the hashtag #ClotChat on Twitter to participate in a discussion about the leading topics relating to thrombosis.
IPRO
Webinar
on Thursday, October 13, from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm Eastern. IPRO - a national organization that provides important services to improve healthcare quality and achieve better patient outcomes - is hosting a webinar to increase understanding among patients and the public about life-threatening blood clots, including deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and clot-provoked stroke. The webinar will feature a number of NBCA patient representatives. To learn more and to register, please visit here.
VTE Educational Symposium in New York City
on Thursday, October 13 from
1:00 pm to 3:30 pm Eastern. This free symposium is geared toward healthcare professionals and is open to the public. The discussions will
highlight the important topic of hospital-associated venous thromboembolism (VTE) and is
co-hosted by Northwell Health and ISTH, the organization that manages World Thrombosis Day. The symposium will include a panel of three leading experts as they discuss several key topics pertaining to hospital-associated VTE, as well as patient ambassador Sara Wyen, NBCA's Manager of Communications & Health Marketing and a PE survivor. Learn more, here.
Join World Thrombosis Day online
and find additional information, including material to share on social media, such as posters and risk assessment tools to distribute in your own community.
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Back-to-Basics Guide to Blood Clots
By Olivia Lapinski, University of Pittsburgh Intern and Special Contributor to NBCA's Women & Blood Clots Program and the NBCA e-Newsletter.
When it comes to raising awareness about blood clots, sharing and discussing basic information about blood clots risks, signs and symptoms, and prevention remains an important step in helping to reduce the number of people affected by blood clots - and even deaths as a result of blood clots. Blood clots do not discriminate by age, gender, ethnicity or race. From professional athletes to people recovering from surgery, and from pregnant women to women taking contraceptives, blood clots can and do affect everyone.
Up to 900,000 people are affected by blood clots each year, and about 100,000 people die due to blood clots every year. While some people recover quickly with little to no complications, other people battle symptoms and chronic complications for weeks, months or even years to come. The good news, though, is blood clots can be safely treated and even prevented. Determining your risk factors for blood clots, recognizing blood clot signs and symptoms, and educating yourself about blood clot prevention can save you or someone you know from the often painful and devastating effects of blood clots.
Use this back-to-basics guide to share important information with the people you know.
What is a Blood Clot and What are the Symptoms?
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot that forms in one of the deep veins in a limb of your body - such as the legs or arms. Symptoms of a blood clot in the arm or leg may include swelling, tenderness in the affected limb, skin that is warm to the touch, and/or reddish or bluish discoloration of the skin.
Pulmonary embolism (PE), occurs when a DVT - or blood clot in the legs or arms - breaks off travels through the bloodstream to the lung. Symptoms of a blood clot in the lung may include sudden shortness of breath, chest pain that worsens with deep breathing, frequent coughing or coughing up blood, and a rapid heart-rate. If left untreated, a blood clot in the lung can be fatal.
Learn more about blood clot signs and symptoms here.
How do I know if I May be at Risk for a Blood Clot?
Determining your risk for blood clots is one of the most important things you can do to help prevent blood clots. Some of the most common risk factors for blood clots are hospitalization for illness or surgery, pregnancy and childbirth, taking estrogen-based birth control, the treatment of menopause symptoms with estrogen, cancer and sitting for extended periods of time, like on a long flight or road trip. The more risk factors you identify, the greater your risk for a blood clot. Identify your risk for blood clots and discuss your risk with your healthcare provider. You can download a risk factor checklist to help start the discussion with your doctor.
I've Identified One or More Blood Clot Symptoms, Now What?
If you have identified a symptom of a DVT, contact your doctor as soon as possible, because you may need treatment to prevent worsening symptoms or a PE.
If you are experiencing symptoms or suspect you may be suffering from a PE,
seek emergency medical attention or call an ambulance. A PE can be fatal, and should be treated immediately.
How Can I Prevent Blood Clots or Reduce My Risk?
After you have identified your risk factor for blood clots, tell your doctor, and have a discussion about any steps that need to be taken to help prevent blood clots. Even if you do not have any known risk factors, always discuss the possibility of blood clots with your doctor before
surgery
. About half of all blood clots occur during a hospital stay or within three months of a hospital stay or surgery.
In addition to determining your risk and talking to your healthcare provider, there are some simple steps you can take to
help prevent blood clots. Know your family or genetic history for blood clots and blood clotting disorders, get up and move frequently if you are traveling for more than four hours, don't smoke or take steps to quit smoking, and maintain a healthy weight.
Share Your Knowledge, Save a Life
Share this information with your family members and friends, so they are also aware of their risks for blood clots, as well as the signs and symptoms of blood clots.
If you experience symptoms of a blood clot in your legs, arms or lungs, talk to your doctor as soon as possible, as blood clots can be safely treated. Talk to your doctor about your risk for blood clots and develop a prevention plan together.
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Community Connection
Revlon Challenge Update
NBCA is nearly half way through the Revlon Love Is On™ Million Dollar Challenge and going strong. Our Revlon Challenge team is currently in 29th place out of 160+ organizations. To date, we've raised $14,116. It's not too late to join our team and be a part of this great cause. If you would like to share your story and raise awareness of the signs, symptoms, and risk factors for blood clots to help NBCA continue our life saving mission, e-mail Caitlin Augustine. If you're unable to join our team, but want to help NBCA place into the top 5 and win a grand prize from Revlon, donate here. Any amount helps.
Upcoming CDC Webinar Re: Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) in Children and Young Adults, Thursday, Nov 3, 2:00 pm ET
In an upcoming Centers for Disease Control and Prevention webinar being hosted by NBCA, Neil Goldenberg, MD, PhD, Director, Thrombosis Program, and Director of Research, Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, will present an overview of VTE in children and young adults. He will discuss what is currently known about risk factors, diagnosis, treatment, outcomes, prognostic factors, and prevention strategies. This webinar is free and open to public health professionals, clinicians and researchers, and the public. For more information and to register, click here.
2016 TCS NYC Marathon, Sunday, November 6
The 2016 members of Team Stop The Clot® will be running the TCS New York City Marathon and conquering the 26.2 mile course in an effort to raise awareness about deadly blood clots on Sunday, November 6. Our team is made up of blood clot survivors and people running in memory of or to honor a loved who has been affected by blood clots. Our team members need your support. If you're in the New York City area on the day of the race, come down to cheer on our terrific team. If you're unable to make it, but would like to make a donation,
click here
to meet our team members and help them meet their fundraising goals to help Stop the Clot®.
Invest in Our Future
Consider making a
monthly recurring donation of any amount to the National Blood Clot Alliance, and help support our mission of advancing the prevention, early diagnosis, and successful treatment of life-threatening blood clots. Thanks to the reliable and consistent support of friends who make a monthly tax-deductible gift, we are able to plan for the future and continue our life-saving work. Help
S
top the Clot® and save a life by
becoming a monthly donor today.
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