9 Things that must be considered when taking blood thinners: function, dosage, side effects, how to use them

Are blood thinners in any of the medicines you take every day? If you have a history of heart disease or are at risk for developing it, it is likely that blood thinners are on your medication list. This drug is useful for preventing blood clots that can cause heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure. This medicine does make your blood thinner, therefore there are a number of things that must be considered when using this medicine.

Things to watch out for when using blood thinners

There are various types of blood thinners, for example the most commonly used are warfarin or heparin. Usually, the use of this drug is applied to people with high blood pressure. Unfortunately, many patients do not know what conditions should be done and followed when using this blood thinner drug. In fact, these things are quite important to know because they can affect the work of drugs and body health.

The following are recommendations for what you should take when taking blood thinners.

• Do not take the drug in excessive doses. If you have missed your medication, then you should wait until the next scheduled medication. Taking a large dose at the same time can cause health problems.
• Avoid activities that risk getting you injured and bleeding. The reason is, even though the wound is quite small, bleeding can still occur as a result of using this drug. For example, when you are cycling, you should wear safe protective equipment to reduce injury.
• If you fall or hit something hard enough, you should immediately consult a doctor. Even though there is no bleeding, the appearance of bruises is a sign that there is bleeding in the body. Bleeding can be fatal when a person is taking blood thinners.
• Replace your shaver with an electric one. This is to avoid cuts caused by the blade of a regular razor.
• Use gloves when you use sharp objects, such as scissors, knives, and cutting tools.
• Always wear footwear outdoors. When on the ground there is something sharp and can then injure your leg.
• Use a toothbrush with soft bristles so that the gums do not bleed easily.
• Do not take other vitamin supplements without consulting your doctor. Some vitamin supplements have interactions with this drug that will be detrimental to your health.
• Also avoid using some types of painkillers, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen. These medicines can make your blood thinner and cause bleeding. If you experience pain and want to take painkillers, you should first consult with your doctor about which types of drugs are safe for you to take.

Food can also be a barrier to blood thinning drugs

Some types of food can actually inhibit and affect the action of blood thinning drugs. Usually, this occurs in foods that contain lots of vitamin K. In the body, vitamin K plays an important role in the blood clotting process. This then makes you better avoid foods with high vitamin K such as:

• Asparagus
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Onion
• Spinach
• Soybeans

Meanwhile, other types of vegetables are safe for consumption and can replace vegetables with lots of vitamin K.