A doctor spoke about the risks for people with blood clotting disorders

For people with blood clotting disorders, many familiar everyday situations can be dangerous. Even a scratch from a pet cat can be fatal. Ekaterina Demyanovskaya, a doctor and expert at Gemotest Laboratory, told Izvestia on November 26 who may have the disorder and whether a person may not be aware of this peculiarity of his or her body.

Blood coagulation is a complex process that helps a person not to lose too much blood with minor abrasions and wounds, the expert explained. It is regulated by the clotting system and special proteins - clotting factors. If they work incorrectly, coagulation can become excessive or, conversely, insufficient. In the first case, a person will have a tendency to increased thrombosis. In the second - to bleeding, which even with minor cuts can be difficult to stop without medical assistance.

According to the doctor, clotting disorders can develop due to hereditary factors, for example, in hemophilia or Willebrand's disease. About such diseases, as a rule, a person learns at an early age and receives the necessary treatment. But the problem can also occur in people without genetic predisposition, for other reasons, including in adulthood. There may be many causes: liver disease, autoimmune disorders, malignant diseases, vitamin K deficiency. Many of these conditions run for a long time without pronounced symptoms, so a person may not even suspect that something is wrong, the specialist added.

"To suspect a coagulation disorder in yourself can be suspected by a number of signs. First of all, it is the appearance of hematomas on the skin and mucous membranes at a minor physical impact - say, when shaking hands. If a person constantly notices bruises on the body, but can not even remember when and what hit him, it is an alarming sign - it is better to see a doctor and take tests: a general study of blood and urine, coagulogram, "- explained Demyanovskaya.

She added that long bleeding even after minor cuts, as well as during dental procedures, manicures should be alert. Nosebleeds, traces of blood in the stool or urine, extremely heavy menstruation in women, leading to the development of persistent anemia - all these reasons for routine examination and check the clotting ability of the blood, the doctor stressed.

People with blood clotting disorders need to be especially careful in everyday life. Even a small injury to the skin - a scratch, cut, bite - can cause prolonged bleeding. And not only blood loss is dangerous: even if the blood was stopped, the wound will take longer to heal, the risk of infection in this case is higher than in other people. The expert noted that the greater danger is internal bleeding, which do not have direct external manifestations, but literally in a matter of hours can lead to hemorrhagic shock.

"It is important to make the house as safe as possible: protect sharp corners of furniture, breaking objects as much as possible to replace with safer - made of wood, plastic or special glass, which when broken does not form sharp splinters. It is important to avoid situations where there is a high risk of falls, bruises: wear only stable and non-slip shoes, do not engage in traumatic sports, go to work or school in advance, so as not to rush on the way. But the main thing, of course, to be regularly examined and comply with the doctor's appointments," - said the expert.

According to the expert, the presence of pets is an additional risk factor, so it is important to take precautions: regularly trim the pet's claws, avoid games that can lead to injury, always keep antiseptics and dressing materials on hand. Most importantly, you should not let your pet sleep in the bedroom, together with a person. Even if the animal is kind, it can accidentally injure the owner in his sleep, and the latter will not notice it and will not take measures to stop bleeding in time.

Particular caution should be observed in contact with strangers, unvaccinated animals. In case of animal bites, which are walked on the street, it is necessary emergency rabies prophylaxis with several injections of anti-rabies serum, and invasive interventions for patients with blood clotting disorders are highly discouraged, concluded Demyanovskaya.

Earlier, on November 23, it was reported that in the Leningrad region, a man died after he was scratched by a cat. The animal scratched the owner, hitting a vessel, after which the victim bled, which could not be stopped.