You remain in the kitchen area chopping some vegetables when you inadvertently cut on your own. You wash the injury with water, and it stops hemorrhaging within a few minutes. This is since the blood has created an embolism which is aiding the bleeding to stop.
Ever wonder how blood really clots?
The human blood is constructed from countless cells, each serving a different function. Amongst these cells are platelets – a sort of cell that is accountable for the clotting of blood. There are variety of different steps involved in blood clot. Below is a short description of what actually happens.
- The capillary receives a cut or injury. This injury sends out signals to the platelets, which hurry to the website of injury to begin the healing process. The platelets clump with each other as well as develop a ‘platelet plug’ that connects the hole where the blood loss is occurring.
- A chemical reaction begins which boosts healthy proteins in the blood (released from the liver) called thickening aspects. These are called variables V, VII, IX and X (Roman numerals). The clotting factors are accountable for the development of fibrin, which are healthy protein strands that help supply stamina as well as stability to the platelet plug.
- Considering that clotting is a chemical procedure, there should be something to maintain it under check to ensure that blood does not continue to clot. These are ‘clotting authorities’, and include variables called healthy protein C, protein S and also similar proteins. They ensure that thickening just takes place where injury has actually taken place and not anywhere else in the body.
Gradually, the blood clot becomes tougher and is eventually broken down and also goes away. This is brought around by an enzyme called plasmin.
The entire clotting procedure takes about 2 to 6 minutes. Awesome, ideal ?!
But there is a dark side to clotting.
Blood clotting is a protective procedure, yet is the cause of conditions such as stroke and cardiovascular disease. In a heart assault, the narrowed blood vessels that evening have formed from atherosclerosis lead to stormy circulation, causing damage to the blood vessel lining. This causes the platelets in the blood stream to develop platelet globs, evenutally leading to blood clot development.
The blood clot blocks off the blood vessel, depriving the heart muscle mass of nourshing oxygen rich blood. This causes a heart attack. A similar sensation happens in the mind too, leading to strokes. It is not unusual for this to happen in the legs as well, leading to an ‘ischemic’ arm or leg. This can lead to gangrene, and sometimes may need amputation.
Blood slimmers such as Pain killers, Clopidogrel as well as Warfarin are needed to stop this procedure in such situations. They are life saving treatments and also might be needed long term.
