A large number of women in India use birth control pills as oral contraceptives, to manage their menstrual cycle or to get relief from the painful health conditions such as endometriosis.
Birth control pills have diverse side-effects and those include medical complications related to vein health. Although the risk of a vascular disorder due to a regular dosage of birth control pills is low, it cannot be ignored.
Women who consume birth control pills are likely to develop varicose veins and blood clots in the legs. This is primarily because the hormones that help prevent pregnancy are also known to adversely affect the blood flow through the veins.
The Hormones in the Birth Control Pills
All birth control pills have two hormones – progestin and estrogen. These hormones together hinder the ovulation process and significantly reduce the chances of pregnancy in women.
The birth control pills make the woman’s body believe that it is already pregnant and thus prevent another pregnancy from taking place. But what is harmful is that these pills also severely restrict the blood flow.
As stagnant blood tends to collect and pool in the legs, this increases the chances of development of new varicose veins and blood clots in the deep veins thus leading to Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). This is a life-threatening health condition as the blood clot can break free and travel from the deep veins of the legs to other parts of the body such as the lungs and lead to pulmonary embolism.
These hormones that are generated naturally by the body during pregnancy also contribute to the development of varicose veins in pregnant women. Although the sluggish blood helps prevent blood loss during delivery, it also increases the likelihood of varicose veins as the valves of these veins do not help move the de-oxygenated blood back to the heart.
Should you consume Birth Control Pills?
Although consuming birth control pills increases the odds of developing varicose veins, the risk is low for healthy women. For women who have a healthy lifestyle, there are rare chances of birth control pills causing blood clots or DVT.
In simpler words, the risk is not so high that the women should avoid taking these oral contraceptives. However, every woman should consult a doctor and discuss their personal and family medical history to examine the risk of blood clots and DVT. No women should pick-up birth control pills from the chemist and consume them without a doctor’s prescription.
In one instance, a woman asked the drug store for the best-selling birth control pills and started consuming them without any medical advice from a specialist. In a few months, she developed varicose veins and had extreme swelling in her legs. This happened as she was overweight and had already been diagnosed with a gallbladder ailment which heightened the risk of blood clots on regular consumption of birth control pills.
Always consult a healthcare practitioner before consuming birth control pills. Women who are known to have developed blood clots due to birth control pills in the past must speak to their doctor before restarting the contraception program. Any woman who is on birth control pills must carefully watch out for any early signs of varicose veins, blood clots, and DVT. Never postpone or ignore the symptoms and schedule a consultation with a specialist for a medical check-up.
If you plan to begin consuming oral contraceptives or are already taking them for a while but want to understand the associated risk of varicose veins and blood clots in the deep veins, schedule an appointment with the best vascular surgeon and interventional radiologist in Hyderabad, Dr. Rajah V Koppala at Avis Vascular Centre. He will analyse your medical details and examine your family history of blood clots to advise a suitable dosage of birth control pills or rule out oral contraceptives consumption and suggest alterative therapy or preventive measures for your ailments.
If you have already developed early symptoms of varicose veins, Dr. Rajah V Koppala can help you with the treatment and cure. He excels in the painless endovenous laser treatment of varicose veins and is renowned for having treated 40,000+ patients. Book your appointment for the best treatment with Avis Vascular Centre today!