Causes and treatment of thick blood. Thick blood, what tests to take?

Why does the blood thicken, what does it mean and how to recognize and treat the disease at home using medications and folk remedies.

With an increased level of hemoglobin in the test results, a person often comes to the conclusion that he has thick blood. This is not entirely true; viscosity refers to different states. The norms depend on the age of the patient and his characteristics, so the density can change as he grows older, as well as under various pathological conditions of the body. When people talk about thick blood, they mean the following:

the number of red blood cells is increased;
increased hemoglobin level;
the ratio between red blood and plasma is disrupted.

Thick blood during pregnancy is a completely common phenomenon that almost every woman encounters. If the indicators are too far from the norm, changes must be carefully monitored, as this can lead to miscarriage.

Treatment of this condition usually does not cause difficulties; the therapist will easily give recommendations on changes in diet and lifestyle, and, if necessary, prescribe medications for thinning. During pregnancy, a gynecologist or therapist will tell you what to do if the blood is thick, taking into account the woman’s position and her medical history. Most often, she is recommended to inject a special drug for thinning throughout the entire pregnancy. When viscosity appears, a person often feels the symptoms of such a pathology, but does not attach importance to them. Paying close attention to your body will allow you to normalize your indicators in time.

Causes and symptoms

There is no diagnosis of “thick blood,” which means that the symptoms of this phenomenon may indicate other problems in the body. Despite this, there are some signs, when they appear, it is recommended to get tested. Symptoms of possible hypercoagulability (viscosity) are:

general weakness and constant desire to sleep;
cold hands and feet, regardless of air temperature;
dizziness and headache.

These signs are characteristic of thousands of diseases, and if we are talking about a woman carrying a child, the presence of such symptoms does not mean that thick blood will be detected during pregnancy. Expectant mothers feel this malaise almost constantly.

In addition, there are additional signs that appear much less frequently:

change in skin condition - severe dryness, bluish tint, increased sensitivity to cold;
from the nervous system - depression, irritability, nervousness, anxiety and absent-mindedness;
slow bleeding from cuts, and the inability to bear a child (constant miscarriages);
symptoms of varicose veins (bulging veins, heaviness in the legs).

Not everyone exhibits such symptoms, so if there is a suspicion of thick blood, the cause must be identified as early as possible, because treatment depends on it. Many factors can cause pathology, the main ones are:

In men, the blood itself is more viscous than in women, due to the presence of male hormones - androgens. This suggests that their risk of developing pathology is slightly higher. In older people, viscosity is almost always increased; this is considered a normal variant, as it is associated with age-related changes. In the younger generation, this illness is caused by some reason, often the use of poor-quality water and insufficiently good ecology.

How to thin thick blood

Under no circumstances should a pathology such as increased blood viscosity be ignored. It is necessary to take action if there are symptoms and the analysis shows that the person has thick blood. The doctor will tell you exactly what to do in such a situation, since you should definitely find out the cause. Treatment can be prescribed with medications or folk remedies that have a diluting effect. As a rule, doctors advise combining these methods, depending on the specific case.

The first thing to do if your blood is thick is to eat right. The success of the fight against the disease largely depends on this. Many products can normalize blood circulation and ensure the performance of all its functions. The most important thing during treatment is to drink enough fluids. If it is deficient, not a single medicine or folk remedy can cope with viscosity and normalize the condition of the body. In addition, you should include the following foods in your diet:

Regular consumption of these products will help avoid aggravation of the situation and keep blood density under control.

Before looking for ways to thin the blood, you need to reconsider your lifestyle. This is very important, since the effectiveness of treatment depends on this factor. The following rules must be adhered to:

to refuse from bad habits;
workout;
spend a lot of time walking in the fresh air;
rest both physically and mentally;
avoid stressful situations.

After following all the rules, you can begin specific actions aimed at normalizing blood viscosity.

Folk remedies

There are many folk recipes that can help you get rid of thick blood. It should be remembered that their use must be agreed with a doctor, since in some cases it is impossible to do without medications completely. Folk methods include the following:

Fresh juices. The vitamins and microelements contained in the composition have a beneficial effect on the coagulation system, thinning the blood.
Apple vinegar. Regular intake of the solution, the preparation of which requires 2 tsp. Add vinegar to a glass of warm water to quickly notice improvements. This remedy must be taken in the morning; contraindications are diseases of the stomach and intestines.
Linseed oil. Thanks to the large amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids, lipid metabolism is normalized and blood viscosity is reduced. The oil must be taken daily strictly on an empty stomach, 1 tbsp. in a day.

These remedies will improve a person’s condition, but it will not always be possible to completely cope with the problem. If blood viscosity is caused by any disease, medications are necessary.

Medications

Taking medications to get rid of excessive blood thickness is especially important for women planning a baby. This pathology often leads to the fact that every pregnancy ends in miscarriage, so you should take the doctor’s recommendations very seriously. There are several types of drugs prescribed to combat the disease. All of them are divided into 2 groups:

Anticoagulants. The action of these substances is aimed at reducing blood clotting, thereby reducing the risk of blood clots. Some drugs begin to act immediately after administration and are necessary for emergency blood thinning, such as Heparin. Others are used for prevention and in cases where a gradual decrease in viscosity is necessary - Sinkumar, Warfarin and others.
Antiplatelet agents. These medications are prescribed by your doctor to prevent platelets from sticking together and forming blood clots. These include Aspirin, Curantil, Trental and others.

It is not recommended to self-prescribe medications, since the dosage and duration of treatment depends on the specific situation and diagnosis.

You can cope with thick blood, there is nothing difficult about it. The main thing is to follow all the doctor’s recommendations and remember that the lack of treatment can lead to negative consequences for the entire body.

Blood can be called the “river of life” in our body; very important processes depend on it.

When it thickens, capillary blood flow slows down, as a result, stagnation occurs, oxygen starvation in the tissues, all systems and organs suffer, the heart and brain have to work in emergency mode. There is a high risk of blood clots, strokes, and heart attacks.

Increased blood thickness is called hyperviscosity syndrome, also known as hyperviscose syndrome.

1. About the functions performed by blood.

2. Hyperviscosity syndrome.

3. Blood viscosity is normal.

4. Why does the blood become thick?

5. Signs of thick blood.

6. Reasons for increased blood density. Risk factors.

Brief functions of blood:

Transport is the most important, this is gas exchange, transfer of nutrients, heat, hormones, etc.
Ensuring immune responses and homeostasis (stable internal balance).
Regulation of the intake of salts (electrolytes) and water into the body,
Creation of protective barriers against foreign bacteria and viruses, and one’s own defective cells.

All these important tasks are accomplished thanks to a complex composition:

liquid extracellular part - plasma,
suspended formed elements (cell mass) - erythrocytes, platelets, leukocytes;
enzymes, hormones, ions, and other substances.

The thickness of the blood is determined by the balance of plasma and cell mass; there must be more liquid part so that the blood can freely flow into the smallest vessels and capillaries.

Hyperviscosity syndrome

Hyperviscose syndrome refers to a number of changes in the rheological (fluid) properties of blood:

increase in the density of blood in general and plasma,
increase in hematocrit (hematocrit number).

Hematocrit shows what proportion of the total blood volume is occupied by formed elements. If the balance shifts toward cellular mass, the blood thickens.

The hematocrit balance in normal blood conditions is 4:6, where 4 is the formed portion and 6 is plasma.

Men have a higher hematocrit than women due to the presence of androgens (male hormones) that thicken the blood.

High hemoglobin, and specifically the level of heme (iron-containing part) and globin (protein).
Reduced elasticity and ability of red blood cells to deform.

Thanks to the ability to deform and take on different shapes, red blood cells penetrate into micro vessels, delivering oxygen to tissues.

Fibrinogen is a special protein responsible for blood clotting. Its increased content in the blood leads to the clumping of red blood cells, the formation of blood clots (thrombi), and the development of thrombosis.

Aggregation (increased gluing) of red blood cells.

Red blood cells carry a negative charge and repel each other. When the balance of acids and alkalis is shifted towards an acidic environment (blood acidification), red blood cells lose their original polarity and, instead of repelling, attract and stick to each other.

Cellular accumulations, similar to coin columns or tiles, of red blood cells are formed.

Increased production of paraproteins.

In pathological conditions, plasma cells intensively produce paraproteins - special proteins that report a malfunction in the body to all organs so that they adjust to the required regime.

Blood viscosity is normal

Blood density in healthy people is 1.050 -1.064 g/ml. This value is determined by the volume of cell mass, lipids, and proteins in the blood.

Blood viscosity is measured by a viscometer, which compares the speed of blood movement in relation to distilled water at the same temperature and volume.

The norm is that blood flows 4-5 times slower than water.

The density of women's blood is lower than that of men's. Democritus is normal in women - 37-47%, in men 40 - 54%. This difference is due to different hormonal systems and physiology.

Why does the blood become thick?

Blood viscosity is caused by many reasons. The most common:

Lack of enzymes (enzymeopathy, sometimes congenital) is a pathology in which food enzymes are absent or insufficiently active, food is not completely broken down, the blood is contaminated with under-oxidized breakdown products, it becomes acidified, red blood cells stick together, cells and tissues starve without oxygen.

Low quality water: chlorinated, destructured, carbonated, polluted.

The liver cannot cope with stress due to a deficiency of vitamins and minerals (vitamin C, selenium, lecithin, zinc, calcium, magnesium, etc.), which supply the enzymes and hormones it needs.

This leads to a change in chemistry. plasma composition, increasing its viscosity. The liver bears an increased load when consuming canned, smoked, meat, salty, and sweet foods. Living in areas with unfavorable ecology and working in hazardous industries also harm the liver.

The balance of blood composition is disturbed: there is more cell mass than plasma.

Dehydration: with insufficient water intake; strong physical exertion (sweating thickens the blood); poor digestibility of water; taking diuretics, drinks, herbs; diarrhea, vomiting.

Hyperfunction of the spleen, its excessive blood-destructive activity.

Doctors are concerned that the tendency to thicken the blood is observed not only in older people (this is a natural process), but also in young people.

By the way, 100 years ago the blood of the younger generation was more liquid. This fact can be explained by dirty ecology and a huge amount of chemicals in food.

Heavy, thick blood has difficulty fulfilling its main transport role. The vital functions of the entire organism are disrupted.

Signs of thick blood

If you are not aware that your blood is thickening and circulating slowly, you should be alert to the following signs:

aching headache, dizziness with a short loss of coordination, nausea, muscle weakness and general fainting.

Sensitivity disorder in the arms and legs:

numbness, tingling, burning, crawling

Blue discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes.

Increased sensitivity to cold.

Drowsiness, sleep disorder.

Tingling in the heart area, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat.

Protruding veins, heaviness and pain in the legs.

Always cold feet.

Increased blood pressure due to general weakness.

Depressive state, anxiety.

Decreased hearing and vision.

Tearfulness, burning in the eyes.

Frequent yawning is a sign of a lack of oxygen to the brain.

Sometimes constipation, bloating, gas formation.

Slow bleeding from cuts and wounds.

The presence of one or more chronic diseases, such as chronic fatigue syndrome or irritable bowel syndrome, candidiasis.

Causes of increased blood viscosity. Risk factors

Excessive blood thickening and restricted blood flow can result from many causes. They are divided into genetic and acquired.

Genetic or hereditary causes are less common.

You are more likely to have a genetic cause of excessive blood clotting if you have:

Family members who have had blood clots.
Personal history of recurrent blood clots before the age of 40 years.
A personal history of unexplained miscarriages.

Acquired causes of thick blood lie in the presence of other diseases or pathological conditions:

Aging. With age, the blood thickens, hyperviscosity makes the vessels too rigid, less elastic and, often, calcified.

Smoking increases the risk of unwanted blood clots. Smokers have thicker blood than normal.

Alcohol abuse. Alcoholic drinks, being diuretics, bind and remove water from the body, thereby thickening the blood. The amount of water lost is four times the amount of alcohol consumed.

Overweight and obesity are serious risk factors for blood clots.

Pregnancy. Women are more likely to develop blood clots when they are pregnant due to an increase in platelet counts and clotting factors. The uterus compresses the veins, slowing blood flow, which can lead to blood clots.

Men over 45 years of age have increased platelet synthesis.

Use of birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy.

Prolonged bed rest due to surgery, hospitalization, or illness.

Lack of physical activity, especially among the population in large cities, long periods of sitting motionless in a car, airplane, or workplace.

Dehydration. A condition in which your body does not receive enough water. This condition causes blood vessels to constrict and the blood to thicken, risking blood clots.

For example, older silver dental implants may contain mercury, a heavy metal that causes blood to thicken. Mercury can also be found in high levels in marine predatory fish.

Lack of Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Stress affects the blood vessels, constricts them, and the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline enter the blood in large quantities, thickening the blood.

A high level of cholesterol in the blood leads to its crystallization and deposition on the walls of blood vessels, which reduces their lumen and blood flow slows down.

Organ transplantation and implantable devices such as central venous catheters and dialysis shunts.

Surgery on blood vessels can damage the vessel walls, which increases the risk of blood clots. In addition, catheters and shunts have an artificial surface that causes blood to clot.

Thermal and chemical burns.

containing the female hormone estrogen or phytoestrogens. Taking them is associated with an increased risk of blood clots.
Diuretics, intensively remove fluid through the kidneys, the blood thickens.
Painkillers such as NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, for example, ibuprofen).

inflammatory processes lead to an increase in the concentration of fibrinogen, other proteins, and leukocytes in the blood. At the same time, cholesterol increases. All this negatively affects the thickness and fluidity of the blood. Therefore, in case of any inflammation, you should try to drink more water.

The list of diseases that contribute to blood thickening is quite extensive:

disruption of the gastrointestinal tract due to toxic infection, pancreatitis, hypoxia (accumulation of carbon dioxide in the blood), erythremia (increased number of red blood cells), polycythemia (increased number of red blood cells), adrenal dysfunction, antiphospholipid syndrome, liver cirrhosis, hepatitis, heart failure, hypertension, myocardial infarction, atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus, ischemic stroke, leukemia, spleen diseases, vasculitis, myeloma, cancer, HIV, thrombophilia, varicose veins.

Senile dementia, impotence, atherosclerosis, heart attack, stroke - this is not a complete list of diseases associated with impaired blood circulation. People are overcome by various diseases, but the cause of death is very often the same - viscous thrombosed blood.

Good blood quality is the main condition for health and active longevity. It is vital to exclude factors that cause blood thickening. Be sure to pay attention to your well-being.

Fatigue, absent-mindedness, drowsiness, memory loss, heaviness in the legs are possible signs of thick blood.

Elena Valve for the project Sleepy Cantata.

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Does the viscosity of blood affect its clotting during cuts or open bleeding wounds, or are these different concepts? An interesting note, I learned a couple of important points that I had previously observed in myself, but did not understand the reason for their origin. Thanks for the article, I’m waiting for an answer to the question at the beginning of the comment.

Andrey88, viscous blood contains a larger number of platelets than normal blood. Platelets directly influence blood clotting in any wound.

I guess my blood is thick. My hands go numb, I become distracted and sleepy. However, I also smoke. It's time to get tested 😀

While donating blood, I noticed that the elderly man still couldn’t get the required amount of blood. Probably, after all, this is the surest way to monitor your blood density.

The list of diseases that lead to blood becoming thicker is impressive. It seems that all the most serious diseases lead to this problem. I think that the most accessible means of combating this disease is the consumption of clean water, provided there is no kidney pathology.

I also recently saw a doctor and he told me that I have “High Viscosity Syndrome.” I somehow don’t remember what the doctor said, because I was puzzled by what would happen next.. Until I understood the main thing, I need to quit smoking!

I’ve had a headache for a week now, I think it’s because of the heat, but today I accidentally came across this article. I'll definitely check it out, I hope everything is fine. In any case, a very useful and informative article.

Almost every person can notice signs of this disease, and this does not mean that everyone’s blood is thick, but this disease must be diagnosed after passing the necessary tests.

Everything in the body is so connected! But the most important thing is to protect yourself from stress, it even turns out to affect the blood, and not only stress, you also need to avoid an increase in adrenaline, otherwise it will cause problems

I read the article and discovered almost all the signs: I am constantly lethargic and want to sleep, my skin is peeling even in summer, panic attacks for no reason. sense of anxiety. I thought it was a coincidence and that it wasn’t worth attention, but I still decided to go to the clinic to dispel this fear. The result is that the blood density is higher than normal, the doctor said that you need to change your diet and stop drinking tap water, because... There are no other compelling reasons. But at first I didn’t pay attention to this article, like this

It's so damn hot right now! I have all the symptoms of blood thickening. I didn’t even suspect that it could be so life-threatening. It’s very scary, I’m thinking of going to the doctor to find out for sure.

The biggest danger of thick blood is the increased risk of blood clots. To avoid problems, it is enough to drink thinning tablets such as aspirin. Well, the easiest way is to drink a lot of clean water.

I had heard about thick blood before, but somehow I didn’t delve into the topic. Although I myself have had slightly elevated hemoglobin all my life. And then I got scared :) I carefully re-read the signs and found something about a rapid pulse. The rest doesn’t seem to coincide, you can relax. But such things are very useful to know.

Be sure to consult with a specialist so as not to harm your health!

Thick blood (high viscosity syndrome): prerequisites, signs, connection with diseases, how to treat?

Noticing a high level of hemoglobin, many people explain this simply - thick blood. However, when wondering how to liquefy it to a normal state, it would be useful to find out what all this means, why the blood thickens, what the consequences are and how to deal with it.

The concept of “thick blood” implies:

Increased number of red blood cells (erythrocytes);
Increasing the level of hemoglobin, which consists of heme, which contains iron, and globin protein;
An increase in hematocrit, that is, the ratio between red blood and plasma.

It should be noted that these indicators change in different age groups, so it is impossible to put the blood of a newborn, a teenager and an elderly person under one standard.

The condition when the blood becomes viscous is scientifically called hyperviscosity syndrome or hyperviscose syndrome.

Hematocrit and viscosity

Before describing why blood is very thick, I would like to dwell a little on its normal indicators, which are decisive in changing its physicochemical properties.

Fluctuations in the relative density of blood under normal conditions do not go beyond the boundaries of 1048 - 1066 and depend on the concentration of formed elements, proteins and salts in the blood plasma, while the specific gravity of red blood cells is slightly higher than the relative density of plasma and is 1092 - 1095 versus - 1024 - 1050. The hematocrit indicator in the male half is 40–54%, while in women it is noticeably lower (37–47%), which, of course, is associated with the physiological characteristics of the female body.

The viscosity of whole blood depends on the concentration of formed elements and ranges from 4.0 to 5.5 (relative to water, where this indicator is taken as 1). With an increase in the content of red blood cells, the viscosity indicator increases, and when their level falls, it correspondingly decreases.

Blood viscosity becomes less than the permissible limit when drinking a large amount of fluid and retaining it in the body, which happens with renal pathology, as well as with anemia, decreased protein, slow blood clotting, pregnancy accompanied by anemia, or the introduction and use of certain medications (heparin , aspirin). A decrease in blood viscosity leads to accelerated movement of blood through the vessels. Thick blood, on the contrary, impedes blood flow, which becomes the cause of many cardiovascular diseases.

Viscosity is determined using a special device - a viscometer, specific proteins are identified by immunoelectrophoresis, and immunochemical methods are used to clarify their quantitative content.

Why does the blood become thick?

The causes of blood thickening are many acute or chronic pathological processes. Such phenomena lead to an increase in blood viscosity, a shift in the hematocrit boundaries (increase), accompanying the diseases that actually caused this disorder:

Foodborne illnesses and other diseases accompanied by profuse diarrhea or uncontrollable vomiting and leading to dehydration;
Hypoxia associated with the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the blood;
Antiphospholipid syndrome;
Erythremia (polycythemia), which is characterized by an increase in the number of formed elements (red blood cells);
Some forms of leukemia;
Waldenström's macroglobulinemia and other types of diseases characterized by an increase in protein concentration;
Diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus (hyperosmolar coma);
Decreased functional capacity of the adrenal glands;
Myeloma and other monoclonal gammopathies;
Amyloidosis and heavy chain disease;
Thrombophilia;
Cirrhosis of the liver;
Hepatitis, pancreatitis;
Pregnancy;
Varicose veins of the lower extremities, which helps reduce the speed of blood flow through the vessels;
Thermal burns in the acute phase.

The viscous, too thick blood resulting from these diseases changes the hydrodynamic peripheral resistance in the vessels towards an increase, which makes it difficult for the heart muscle to work and slows down the movement of the blood itself.

Increase in viscosity as a manifestation of adaptation

Preparing for childbirth

In some cases, blood thickening occurs as a result of processes that are compensatory in nature. For example, thick blood during pregnancy, when nature itself tries to prevent miscarriage and prepare a woman for childbirth, where some blood loss always occurs. To prevent it from becoming unnecessary, blood viscosity increases. Control over the course of this process is carried out using a general blood test with calculation of the concentration of red blood cells, hemoglobin level and hematocrit. Changes in the amount of individual proteins, in particular fibrinogen and other indicators of the coagulation system, are monitored by a coagulogram, also prescribed to pregnant women at different times.

However, if the viscosity increases above the permissible limits, as the doctor will say, then, depending on how much the values exceed normal values during pregnancy and what causes this condition, the woman will be prescribed treatment. Perhaps everything can be managed by following a diet using folk remedies (only in consultation with your doctor!), and you may have to use medications, but V In any case, the approach will be strictly individual, where an important role will be given to the life history of a pregnant woman. After all, she may have some kind of congenital or acquired pathology, but she takes risks for the sole purpose of experiencing the happiness of motherhood. Thrombophilia, leukemia, varicose veins and other diseases associated with blood thickening during pregnancy can threaten thrombosis not only of the microvascular bed, but also affect large vessels, which is very dangerous for both the mother and the fetus.

New breath

A newborn baby’s blood is thick and dark, and its indicators differ significantly from those of adults or even children who have passed the age of one year. This is a physiological phenomenon that occurs approximately 12 hours after birth and goes away after some time, so mommy should not panic when she sees the frightening numbers. The concentration of erythrocytes in a child in the first day of life exceeds 5.5 h/l, and hemoglobin varies between the level of 160 - 200 G/l; after a few days the indicators change towards a decrease.

Therefore, such fluctuations are not associated with pathology. Everything is explained very simply: a newborn baby’s blood is thick, because the baby is in an unfamiliar environment to which he still needs to adapt, for example, adapt to a new way of breathing.

In addition, at the time of birth, the child contains up to 50% of fetal hemoglobin, which is contained in fetal red blood cells and will begin to break down in the first days of life, which explains the appearance of physiological jaundice in newborns. By the age of one, the baby will almost completely get rid of fetal hemoglobin, the values of which will not exceed 1%, and the viscosity, hematocrit and other indicators of red blood will approach those of an adult.

Symptoms and signs

Now it is obvious that thick blood is a syndrome, but not an independent disease, since such a phenomenon is formed due to many circumstances that accompany the list of diseases that significantly affect homeostasis. Therefore, identifying increased viscosity through laboratory tests always involves searching for the main cause that led to such disorders, that is, we can say that a person’s blood is thick because he has a serious diagnosis. In this regard, it is also fair to say that the symptoms of hyperviscose syndrome will depend on the clinical manifestations of the underlying disease.

In cases where a person is not aware of the events occurring in the body, which have not yet gone far enough to give specific symptoms, thick blood, creating a slowdown in blood flow and promoting the formation of microclots, can be limited to general signs of trouble:

Headache;
Impaired microcirculation (numbness, tingling);
State of chronic fatigue (weakness, malaise).

By the way, these signs can be temporary (hypoxia, dehydration) and disappear when the cause of their appearance is eliminated.

Serious reasons - serious consequences

In the presence of other, more serious diseases, the dangerous consequences of blood thickening are:

Thrombosis, which most often occurs in small-caliber vessels, impairing blood circulation, however (again depending on the cause) they, although very rarely, can occur in the vessels of the brain or coronary vessels, and as a result lead to acute necrosis, and namely, to ischemic stroke or myocardial infarction;
If there are circulatory problems and a simultaneous decrease in platelets, the consequence of thick blood will most likely be bleeding, which seems paradoxical in this situation. Similar symptoms are observed in some forms of leukemia, Waldenström's macroglobulinemia, myeloma, that is, they accompany serious and often untreatable diseases;
Subdural and intracerebral hemorrhages arising as a consequence of hyperosmolar coma, which was caused by the phenomena of dehydration and hyperglycemia, which in turn became the cause of an increase in blood osmolarity, and, therefore, a violation of the processes of regulation of oncotic pressure created mainly by proteins. This mechanism is quite complex, practically incomprehensible to non-specialists, but the fact that it affects the increase in blood viscosity and, thus, entails life-threatening consequences is beyond doubt, which is why we remembered it.

In short, the symptoms of blood thickening and the degree of their manifestation are directly proportional to the disease that gave rise to hyperviscose syndrome.

Treatment of hyperviscose syndrome

Treat thick blood? It is unlikely that this can be done by following any specific plan. Perhaps for prophylactic purposes, use aspirin and aspirin-containing drugs (cardiomagnyl, magnecard) for atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease and other diseases, which, having anti-aggregation properties, will thin the blood and, thus, participate in the prevention of heart attacks.

As different as the causes of thick blood are, the treatment for this phenomenon is so different, therefore, when the viscosity increases, the main therapeutic measures are aimed at the underlying diseases and disorders in the body that caused the thickening of the blood. In this regard, the following is carried out:

Correction of metabolic processes;
Combating blood clots in order to prevent thrombosis and the ensuing consequences;
Treatment of tumors of hematopoietic tissue.

In a word, there is no specific treatment regimen for thick blood. For example, with hypercoagulation, which, in general, in most cases is a consequence of the process of thickening and increased coagulation, drugs with anticoagulant properties are prescribed. These include medications such as heparin, fragmin, warfarin, etc.

Of course, with hyperviscose syndrome with hypocoagulation, and, therefore, with a predisposition to bleeding (myeloma, Waldenström's macroglobulinemia), such treatment, which involves anticoagulant therapy, is completely excluded. And to prevent hemorrhagic syndrome, plasmapheresis, platelet transfusions and other symptomatic treatment are prescribed.

How to thin the blood without drugs?

It is indeed possible to thin the blood without drugs offered by the pharmaceutical industry if the thickening of the blood is not caused by a very serious reason. For older people, when the number of red blood cells and hemoglobin levels become higher due to age-related changes, drugs containing aspirin are prescribed. At the same time, some try to correct these indicators with nutrition, the use of herbs that thin the blood, or other folk remedies.

And many simply say that “the benefits of red wine are obvious and visible.” This fact is often taken into account by people for whom such medicine has always “warmed their souls.” However, I would like to somewhat disappoint fans. Without doubting the benefits of red wine in very small doses (up to 50 grams per day), one must caution against excessive consumption, since it is still an alcoholic drink. In addition, it should be noted that high-quality grape wine has medicinal properties, and not a cheap intoxicating “swill” called “ink” or other words that clearly express the essence.

As for diet, there is one. In the hospital they call it table No. 10, which is prescribed for atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease, after a heart attack and other cardiovascular pathologies. At home, the diet can be significantly expanded and diversified by including in the diet:

Grapes, cranberries, gooseberries, red and white currants, cherries and cherries, strawberries and blueberries;
Apples, peaches, lemons and oranges;
Beets, tomatoes, cucumbers;
Cinnamon, ginger, chili pepper, garlic and celery;
Seafood (seaweed, fish);
Coffee, cocoa, dark chocolate.

Of course, it is not possible to list all the healthy foods, there are many of them and some of them are not typical for Russian open spaces, but even this list can change the state of the blood for the better.

As always, you can try to thin the blood using the healing properties of plants. They say that yellow sweet clover, collected during the flowering period and then dried, can replace the widely used aspirin. And if you mix it with other herbs that thin the blood, the result can exceed all expectations. Thus, in equal parts we can take:

Red clover flowers;
Meadowsweet herb;
Red hawthorn fruit;
Rhizome of valerian officinalis.

To the resulting collection add yellow sweet clover, lemon balm and angustifolia fireweed. Mix everything and take 2 teaspoons per 350 - 400 ml of boiling water for brewing. The resulting mixture should be kept in a water bath and drunk throughout the day.

Willow bark has a beneficial effect on blood vessels and the speed of blood movement (1 tablespoon of crushed branches and bark is infused in 500 ml of boiling water in a thermos), which is taken in the morning and evening, ml each. Chestnut flowers (1 teaspoon, boiled for a quarter of an hour in a glass of water), the infusion of which is consumed in a glass before bed, is also considered a good blood thinner.

How to determine and check blood thickness?

Checking the state of the blood is a task that should be faced by every Russian. Unfortunately, it is precisely because of negligence towards their health that many people suffer from a number of diseases. And blood is not in last place here.

Usually people are afraid to come to the clinic even just to take basic tests to check their hemoglobin content, what can we say about other testing procedures.

But, nevertheless, progress does not stand still, and new ways are constantly emerging to check the state of the blood, without causing shock in the patient.

Experts provide several basic tests to check the condition of the blood:

Many older people face the problem of increased blood viscosity. This property of the circulatory system can play a bad joke on health, causing thrombosis or other unpleasant diseases. Therefore, in order to prevent the development of dangerous diseases in time, you need to be able to determine the level of red blood cells in the blood and the patency of blood vessels.
A coagulogram will show the level of coagulation, that is, the thickness of the blood. There is another good analysis called Dimer.
An analysis of blood clotting time shows good and accurate results; from it one can draw conclusions whether the blood takes a long time to clot or whether everything is within normal limits.
How to determine blood thickness? You need to go through Omacor. It shows how much triglycerides in the blood have decreased. The doctor will be able to better explain the results of all these tests using information about the patient: weight, blood pressure, etc. Omacor today is easier than booking hotels.
What can you do to reduce blood viscosity? You need to drink more fluids. Juices, water, green tea, mate - all this will help keep your blood fluid. After all, sometimes problems begin precisely from this, when a person drinks little during the day.
It is also very useful to eat grapes or red grape juice, which contain special flavonoid substances.
How to check blood density? The doctor will do this at the clinic, offering one of the test options listed above and prescribing the one you need. But you can find out the level of blood clotting and thickness from the result of general biochemistry.
What needs to be done to reduce density? You need to eat more walnuts, red fish, grapes, eat less flour, sweets, and fatty foods. Move more - because movement accelerates blood through the vessels. And, of course, drink more fluids so that the blood does not thicken.

Thick blood: symptoms, causes and treatment, what to do and how to thin it

Symptoms of thick blood

Drowsiness, general malaise and rapid fatigue are the first and main symptoms of increased blood viscosity.

With further deterioration of health, shortness of breath, increased heart rate, and tingling in the heart area occur.

Frequent accompanying symptoms include blurred vision, memory, headaches and dizziness, irritability, temporary loss of coordination, and bloating.

Such conditions serve as an alarming signal for the disease PWS (hyperviscosity syndrome), which, when intensified and in a chronic form, has extremely serious consequences. If you have suspicions, it is better to immediately consult a doctor, undergo diagnostics, identify the causes and take health measures as early as possible.

Diagnostics

do a general blood test;

if there are medical indications, conduct clotting tests;

check blood viscosity in a laboratory (the normal range is 4.3–5.4 units in men and 3.9–4.9 units in women).

Causes and counteraction to SPV

Blood thickening is associated with various diseases, unhealthy habits, and side effects of medications. Common reasons:

temporary acute PWS occurs with intestinal infections such as dysentery as a result of diarrhea and vomiting, dehydrating the body; The main remedy against acute dehydration: drink a lot of water with a small addition of salt ("coarse sulfur", without harmful additives);

also, temporary acute PWS occurs with extensive burns - the body produces a lot of leukocytes and platelets, suffers from an excess of damaged protein dissolving in the blood, the person feels feverish, he sweats; We also recommend lightly salted water;

chronic overeating of sweets, potatoes, noodles and the resulting acidification and slagging of the body, diabetes; recovery consists of changing the menu with the abandonment of “refined” and easily digestible carbohydrates, replacing them with natural and incompletely digestible carbohydrates that have cleansing properties (for example, vegetables and fruits with pulp, seaweed, krill paste);

various diseases that cause disturbances in the functioning of the adrenal glands and kidneys; diagnosis and treatment of these diseases eliminate the cause of blood thickening;

diseases accompanied by an increase in protein in the blood, as well as erythremia (excessive production of red blood cells and other blood elements);

hepatitis of various nature; we treat “jaundice” - we get rid of the problem;

pancreatitis of the pancreas; We often eat in moderation and undergo treatment;

diuretics, contraceptives, hormones, Viagra and other drugs - reconsider, are they really necessary?

Occasionally, thrombophilia and varicose veins are indicated among the causes of PWS; we believe that these are effects, not causes.

A person with increasingly thick and sticky blood naturally increases the risk of strokes, heart attacks, heart attacks and high blood pressure, blood clots, and sometimes varicose veins (more often in women).

Treatment and prevention

When treating thick blood, you should not rely only on medications and procedures. Lifestyle and proper nutrition are very important.

So, in severe forms of PWS, when there are already problems with the heart, blood vessels, after a stroke, intense physical activity is contraindicated, but small ones are mandatory and very useful. Just try to do at least a few regular activities and exercises, and your blood will naturally become more fluid, adding many good quality years to your life!

It is useful to drink 8–10 glasses of liquids daily (unsweetened teas, water, preferably infused with shungite or silicon, spring water). Avoiding fine white salt with harmful additives, consume rock or other salt in moderation.

exclude or limit in the diet chokeberry, leafy and green vegetables, bananas, as well as buckwheat, soy products, products with trans fats (margarine, mayonnaise, chips), marinades;

It is better to replace white bread and loaf, pasta with gray and black bread, cereals;

avoid salty foods and smoked foods, overcooked fatty foods;

give up smoking and alcohol;

Sugar and sweets literally thicken and make the blood sticky - they are avoided.

What to do? Taking aspirin?

The problem can strike when you are quite young, in your forties and fifties. This is a known fact that has led to the widespread use of daily aspirin to thin the blood. However, after publication in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) 2012; 307:This practice is increasingly being criticized.

Then a study of more patients found that people taking low-dose aspirin daily had a 55% increased risk of serious brain or intestinal bleeding (hemorrhage). The actual risk of aspirin-induced bleeding was 5 times greater than previously estimated. Serious risks even when taking small doses of aspirin force many, if not to abandon aspirin-containing drugs, then to reduce the doses taken and turn to “natural treatment.”

In modern medical practice, the leadership of aspirin in the universal treatment of thick blood is challenged by at least two drugs - Nattokinase-Serrapeptase and Warfarin or Coumadin (a herbal preparation from sweet clover that blocks the action of vitamin K, which promotes blood clotting). Aspirin-containing “Agrenox”, “Heparin”, “Enoxaparin”, “Plavix” continue to be used.

The course of taking medications based on aspirin and sweet clover is supposed to be accompanied by a certain diet; All of them are quite effective, but are dangerous due to intestinal bleeding.

Black stool indicates bleeding in the intestines.

There are also more “gentle” ways of recovery and treatment. Among the specialized drugs: “Aspercard”, “Curantil” and “Eskuzan” are recommended to improve the condition of veins, and “Cardiomagnyl” is recommended for regular use by elderly patients to prevent heart attacks.

Diets consisting of natural products, with a constantly updated assortment, are still popular.

Previously, bloodletting was widely used to thin the blood; now it is usually avoided or replaced by donation. By the way, normally a white person wears rouge; usually the absence of blush indicates either anemia and anemia, or, on the contrary, thick and viscous blood. After donating blood, donors prone to anemia turn pale, and donors prone to thick blood turn pink (this is where doctors prefer to take blood).

The fashion for hirudotherapy is returning - treatment with medicinal leeches. Hirudin (a group of biologically active substances injected into the wound with a leech), in addition to thinning the blood, has a number of other useful properties:

the hypotensive effect facilitates the functioning of the kidneys, promotes the outflow of lymph, and relieves swelling;

anti-sclerotic effect allows you to get rid of stagnation of venous blood, prevents ischemia and cancer;

bacteriostatic, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory effect improves general condition and well-being, promotes the disposal of toxins, and relieves neuralgia.

Thinning the blood at home

At the everyday level, we pay special attention to nutrition and the “natural pharmacy”.

Garlic, onions (regular onions, leeks, shallots and green onions) contain antioxidants that reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

A regular menu with wild fatty fish (trout, salmon, herring, sardines and mackerel) saturates the body with Omega-3 polyunsaturated fats.

Unclarified vegetable oil, sprouted wheat sprouts, and nuts thin the blood not only with Omega-3 fats, but also with the presence of an active agent against the formation of blood clots - vitamin E.

Seafood and ginger contain taurine, which is an excellent blood thinner.

Nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants) are an excellent thinning agent.

Mint, honey, various berries and fruits, fruit vinegar and cider are sources of salicylates, which thin the blood.

The absence of overeating, therapeutic fasting, and physical exercise help thin the blood in terms of proteins.

Taking vitamin C or foods rich in it, such as citrus fruits, peppers, kiwi, berries. The benefits of this vitamin are not limited to simply preventing colds - it also includes ensuring the removal of excess proteins from the blood and creating high-quality collagen and elastin. They help you look good, strengthen blood vessels and reduce the risk of high blood pressure and strokes.

It is better to replace meat with poultry, eggs, and white fish.

Raspberries in any form, wheat sprouts, and tincture of horse chestnut peel with vodka are excellent blood thinners.

Surely you are familiar with the concept of blood viscosity. Is it good or bad? Why does the blood begin to thicken and what consequences can occur in the body due to this? Today we will talk about the problem of thick blood. About the reasons and ways to combat this violation.

Blood is a very important medium for the body, the quality and condition of which determine the processes occurring in the organs and in every cell, and therefore our health and life. If the composition of the blood is disturbed, with an increase in the level of cholesterol, glucose, thickening, acidification (and even with a change in many other indicators), its transportation through the vessels becomes difficult. This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients and oxygen to the organs, which leads to a deterioration in their functions, and also forces the heart to work harder.

Blood viscosity. Norm

I’m more than sure that few of us will immediately answer the question of what kind of blood he has: thick or, on the contrary, with low viscosity. Moreover, we do not know the indicators of viscosity standards and those critical numbers when it is worth urgently paying attention to your health.

Blood consists of two parts: liquid - plasma, and the cells themselves, which directly perform all the functions of blood. If there are more formed elements (blood cells) than plasma, then we can talk about increased blood viscosity.

To determine blood viscosity, many data are taken into account: the number of red blood cells (3.9 - 5.1), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (the lower the ESR, the higher the blood viscosity), prothrombin level (minimum 70, maximum 120) and fibrinogen volume (2 - 4 g /l).

In medicine, there is such a concept as “hematocrit” or hematocrit number, which shows what part of the blood volume is occupied by formed elements. The normal balance is 4:6, where 4 are formed elements and 6 are plasma.

In general, blood viscosity in men is slightly higher than in women. This is due to physiology and different hormonal systems.

Symptoms of thick blood

How can we feel thick blood on our condition? When should you do a blood test and pay attention to your health? First of all this:

Feeling of loss of strength, weakness, fatigue
Headaches, dizziness
Increased blood pressure
Drowsiness
High hemoglomin levels
Decreased mood
Absent-mindedness, memory impairment
Heavy legs
Dry mouth
Cold hands and feet, feeling of numbness in the extremities, sensitivity disorder, burning, tingling, “crawling”
Decreased visual acuity
Noise in ears

What are the causes of blood “thickening”? After all, its increased viscosity is a direct path to many diseases, especially cardiovascular diseases. With such a violation of the quality of blood, its transportation becomes difficult, that is, it becomes more difficult for the heart to push it through the vessels, which leads to a deterioration in the supply of organs and tissues with nutrition and oxygen, and to disruption of redox processes in the body. The heart itself has to spend more energy to transport thick blood, which means it wears out faster. Another danger that thick blood carries is the high likelihood of blood clots.

In any case, this is something we should definitely strive for. Thick blood is not a separate disease. Most likely this occurs as a result of disruption of the activity of certain organs and systems of the human body. Therefore, first of all, you need to do an extensive blood test, according to which the doctor will determine whether there are any problems with the functioning of the body or whether the reason lies in your lifestyle and poor diet.

If the patient has serious diseases (most often these are diseases of the cardiovascular system), the doctor will definitely prescribe blood thinning medications. For diabetes, hepatitis, kidney failure, etc. All efforts will be aimed at treating these diseases. But in any case, it is very important for every person who already has any diseases, and for prevention, to follow a certain diet. This diet will not make you suffer from hunger, you will just need to monitor the set of foods that you eat daily. Of course, it’s easier to take an aspirin tablet to thin the blood, but every medicine has contraindications and slowly harms other organs. Therefore, taking medications must be under the supervision of a doctor, who will prescribe a treatment regimen for you depending on your disease.

For prevention, each person can independently simply exclude harmful foods from their diet and consume something that will not only fill our stomach, but also be beneficial. So, let's look at which foods are worth eating and which ones are better to forget about.

But I’ll start first of all with giving up bad habits. In my opinion, every literate person has already understood how harmful all these poisons are. And those who continue to smoke and abuse alcohol because of their weakness are only ruining their lives to please those who get rich in the production and sale of cigarettes and vodka.

Be sure to drink water. Ordinary, clean. Not less than 1 - 1.5 liters per day. Of course, if you do not have any diseases in which the amount of fluid consumed is reduced. This is the simplest and most natural way to maintain normal blood viscosity. You can brew herbal teas (just check with your doctor which herbs to use), green tea, weak black tea with lemon and honey, fruit drinks, compotes, vegetable and fruit juices. It is better to dilute fruit juices with water to reduce the sugar concentration. The most beneficial juice is made from dark grape varieties.

Nutrition should be balanced in proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals.

In order for blood cells and vascular wall cells to be renewed correctly and regularly, the body must receive complete proteins with a full set of essential amino acids. Of the meat products, it is best to use poultry (chicken, turkey). Try to eat red meat infrequently. Dairy products and eggs are also sources of protein. Be sure to eat fish, preferably sea fish, as well as seafood (squid, shrimp, shellfish and seaweed). By the way, ground dry seaweed can be an excellent alternative to our usual salt. Its use will have a double positive effect.

The use of vegetable oils is very important: olive, flaxseed, sea buckthorn. All of them are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which have an antiatherogenic effect. Give preference to flax oil. A dessert spoon a day (on an empty stomach or at night) will help you reduce blood viscosity and protect against the development of atherosclerosis. You can use fish oil, but only in courses and infrequently.

Acidic foods thin the blood. Therefore, include sauerkraut, natural cranberry juice (it can be diluted with water), and apple juice in your diet. Raspberry juice is very useful, as is tea made from brewed raspberry leaves. Use vinegar or lemon juice when preparing dishes, do not forget about lactic acid products.

Vegetables and greens should be on your menu daily. These are tomatoes, beets, cabbage, bell peppers, carrots, cucumbers, parsley, dill, celery, green peas, lettuce, green beans, onion lek and, of course, garlic, which acts as a natural aspirin.

Fruits and berries. Apples, grapefruit, lemons, oranges, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, black and red currants, blackberries, strawberries, wild strawberries, sea buckthorn. But if you have high blood viscosity, bananas should be excluded from your diet.

Many vegetables and fruits contain vitamins A and E, which are simply necessary for normal metabolism in the body, strengthening and cleansing blood vessels and reducing the risk of blood clots.

A little about spices. Pepper, cinnamon, mint and especially ginger will have undoubted benefits in thinning the blood. And in small quantities (half a teaspoon of ginger per day is enough) they should be present in your dishes, but you must remember that all spices can cause side effects.

Cereals and nuts. Include buckwheat, oatmeal, barley, millet, whole grain bread, legumes, and wheat sprouts in your diet. Nuts are also very healthy, like seeds, but their quantity should be very small due to their high calorie content, no more than 30 g per day.

Movement is life. This truth should not be forgotten for a minute. A sedentary lifestyle will not get your blood pumping. Therefore, more movement means less blood viscosity.

By the way, according to scientists 100 years ago, people’s blood was much less viscous compared to today. This is due to a better environment, a different lifestyle (more physical activity) and naturally healthier food.

Of course, all of the above tips can be used as preventive measures or as an adjunct to treatment. If you have any acute disease, then you should only follow the doctor’s recommendations.

It is blood that is the real “river of life” in the human body, and almost all processes occurring in the body depend on its normal composition. The main problem that arises when the composition of this fluid environment of the body is disturbed is blood thickening, which leads to the work of many organs and systems in emergency mode. The most life-threatening consequences in such cases are those resulting from increased thrombus formation.

A little about the main functions of blood

The main function of red blood cells is to transport oxygen to the cells of the whole body.

All the tasks that the body sets for the blood are carried out thanks to the coordinated work of its following components:

plasma – the liquid non-cellular part of blood;
erythrocytes, platelets, represented by various elements leukocytes - cell mass (or suspended formed elements of blood);
ions of various micro- and macroelements, enzymes, hormones and other substances entering the blood.

All of the above components perform the following functions:

transport substances necessary for life (hormones, enzymes, nutrients and “fuel” elements) and remove “waste” materials accumulated in the blood (carbon dioxide, etc.);
regulate the flow of water and electrolytes into the tissue;
ensure the functioning of the immune system when pathogenic objects (microorganisms, own mutated cells) enter the blood.

A parameter such as blood thickness is determined by the balance between the liquid (plasma) and cellular (formed elements) part of the blood. It is this property that allows it to penetrate the smallest vessels and capillaries. This ensures the necessary delivery of blood to all tissues of the body.

(or anemia) is accompanied by a decrease in those blood parameters that relate to red blood cells. It is these red cells that carry oxygen, and if their production is disrupted, hypoxia of the tissues of all body systems develops.

Hyperthickness syndrome

Thickening (or hyperviscosity of the blood) worsens the rheological properties of this part of the body. This means that blood begins to move (flow) more slowly through the blood vessels. The following parameters can cause such violations:

A joint increase in the density of both plasma and blood.
An increase in hematocrit due to a violation of the ratio of formed elements to the volume of blood as a whole. Normally, the hematocrit is 4:6 (4 – formed part, 6 – plasma). For men, this figure is always slightly higher.
Increased hemoglobin levels.
Reduced elasticity and ability to deform red blood cells.
Increasing the level of a protein responsible for blood clotting, fibrinogen.
Increased sticking of red blood cells (or aggregation).
Increased levels of paraproteins - pathological proteins released into the blood during diseases such as myeloma.

Blood density indicators are measured using a viscometer, which compares the speed of movement of this medium in relation to the same indicator of distilled water. Measurements are performed under the same conditions (i.e., same volume and temperature). Normally, blood flows 4-5 times slower than water, and blood viscosity is 1.050-1.064 g/ml.

Blood thickens due to the following factors:

fermentopathy – conditions leading to incomplete breakdown of food, contamination of the blood with under-oxidized substances that provoke its acidification;
disorders in the functioning of the liver, which are provoked by an insufficient supply of vitamins, minerals, decreased levels of enzymes and hormones, consumption of large amounts of salty, sweet, smoked, meat and canned foods;
imbalance between blood cell mass and plasma in tumors of hematopoietic tissue (for example);
dehydration is the loss of the liquid part of plasma due to excessive loads, temperature exposure, intake, and poor absorption of water.

What are the signs that indicate that the blood is thick?

Headache and dizziness may be manifestations of blood thickening.

When the blood thickens, the following changes in well-being are felt:

aching character;
with loss of coordination of movement;
muscle weakness;
noise in ears;
fainting conditions;
dry skin;
paresthesia in the legs and arms: crawling, tingling, burning, numbness;
blue discoloration (cyanosis) of the mucous membranes of the mouth, eyes and areas of the skin;
increased sensitivity to low temperatures;
drowsiness;
frequent yawning;
heaviness and pain in the legs;
anxiety;
depression;
sleep disorders;
absent-mindedness;
slow bleeding after cuts;
and sometimes).

When the blood is thick, women tend to have repeated miscarriages. In addition, blood tests often reveal elevated hemoglobin levels. Patients with blood hyperviscosity syndrome often exhibit one of the following syndromes:

Why does blood thicken?

Hyperviscosity of the blood can be caused by hereditary or genetic reasons:

there is a history of predisposition to the formation of blood clots;
the history reveals cases of unjustified miscarriages.

Excessive blood thickening can be caused not only by hereditary causes, but also by external or internal factors:

Which doctor should I contact?

Some medications can cause blood to thicken.

If you experience frequent dizziness, aching headaches, dry skin and other signs of blood thickening, you need to contact a therapist who will prescribe the necessary tests reflecting the state of its composition - coagulogram and

Thick blood (high viscosity syndrome): prerequisites, signs, connection with diseases, how to treat?

Noticing a high level of hemoglobin, many people explain it simply - thick blood. However, when wondering how to liquefy it to a normal state, it would be useful to find out what all this means, why the blood thickens, what the consequences are and how to deal with it.

The concept of “thick blood” implies:

Increased number of red blood cells (erythrocytes);
Increase, consisting of heme, which contains iron, and the protein globin;
, that is, the relationship between red blood and plasma.

It should be noted that these indicators change in different age groups, so it is impossible to put the blood of a newborn, a teenager and an elderly person under one standard.

The condition when the blood becomes viscous is scientifically called hyperviscosity syndrome or hyperviscose syndrome.

Hematocrit and viscosity

Before describing why blood is very thick, I would like to dwell a little on its normal indicators, which are decisive in changing its physicochemical properties.

Blood viscosity becomes less than the permissible limit when drinking a large amount of fluid and retaining it in the body, which happens with renal pathology, as well as with a decrease in protein, slow blood clotting, during pregnancy accompanied by anemia, or the introduction and use of certain medications (heparin, aspirin). A decrease in blood viscosity leads to accelerated movement of blood through the vessels. Thick blood, on the contrary, impedes blood flow, which becomes the cause of many cardiovascular diseases.

Viscosity is determined using a special device - a viscometer, specific proteins are identified by immunoelectrophoresis, and immunochemical methods are used to clarify their quantitative content.

Why does the blood become thick?

Foodborne illnesses and other diseases accompanied by profuse diarrhea or uncontrollable vomiting and leading to dehydration;
associated with the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the blood;
Antiphospholipid syndrome;
, which is characterized by an increase in the number of formed elements (erythrocytes);
Some forms;
Waldenström's macroglobulinemia and other types of diseases characterized by an increase in protein concentration;
sugar and non-sugar (hyperosmolar coma);
Decreased functional capacity of the adrenal glands;
and other monoclonal gammopathies;
Amyloidosis and heavy chain disease;
Cirrhosis of the liver;
Hepatitis, pancreatitis;
Pregnancy;
, helping to reduce the speed of blood flow through the vessels;
Thermal burns in the acute phase.

The viscous, too thick blood resulting from these diseases changes the hydrodynamic peripheral resistance in the vessels towards an increase, which complicates the work of the heart muscle and slows down the movement of the blood itself.

Increase in viscosity as a manifestation of adaptation

Preparing for childbirth

In some cases, blood thickening occurs as a result of processes that are compensatory in nature. For example, thick blood during pregnancy, when nature itself tries to prevent miscarriage and prepare a woman for childbirth, where some always occurs. To prevent it from becoming unnecessary, blood viscosity increases. Control over the course of this process is carried out using a general blood test with calculation of the concentration of red blood cells, hemoglobin level and hematocrit. Changes in the amount of individual proteins, in particular, and other indicators of the coagulation system are monitored, also prescribed to pregnant women at different times.

However, if the viscosity increases above the permissible limits, as the doctor will say, then, depending on how much the values exceed normal values during pregnancy and what causes this condition, the woman will be prescribed treatment. Perhaps everything can be managed by following a diet using folk remedies (only in consultation with your doctor!), and you may have to use medications, but V In any case, the approach will be strictly individual, where an important role will be given to the life history of a pregnant woman. After all, she may have some kind of congenital or acquired pathology, but she takes risks for the sole purpose of experiencing the happiness of motherhood. Thrombophilia, leukemia, varicose veins and other diseases associated with blood thickening during pregnancy can threaten not only the microvascular bed, but also affect large vessels, which is very dangerous for both the mother and the fetus.

New breath

A newborn baby’s blood is thick and dark, and its indicators differ significantly from those of adults or even children who have passed the age of one year. This is a physiological phenomenon that occurs approximately 12 hours after birth and goes away after some time, so mommy should not panic when she sees the frightening numbers. The concentration of erythrocytes in a child in the first day of life exceeds 5.5 x 10 12 / l, and hemoglobin varies between the level of 160 - 200 G / l, after a few days the indicators change towards a decrease.

Therefore, such fluctuations are not associated with pathology. Everything is explained very simply: a newborn baby’s blood is thick, because the baby is in an unfamiliar environment to which he still needs to adapt, for example, adapt to a new way of breathing.

Symptoms and signs

Now it's obvious that Thick blood is a syndrome, but not an independent disease, since a similar phenomenon is formed due to many circumstances accompanying the list of diseases that significantly affect homeostasis. Therefore, identifying increased viscosity through laboratory tests always involves searching for the main cause that led to such disorders, that is, we can say that a person’s blood is thick because he has a serious diagnosis. In this regard, it is also fair to say that the symptoms of hyperviscose syndrome will depend on the clinical manifestations of the underlying disease.

Headache;
Impaired microcirculation (numbness, tingling);
State of chronic fatigue (weakness, malaise).

By the way, these signs can be temporary (hypoxia, dehydration) and disappear when the cause of their appearance is eliminated.

Serious reasons - serious consequences

In the presence of other, more serious diseases, the dangerous consequences of blood thickening are:

In short, the symptoms of blood thickening and the degree of their manifestation are directly proportional to the disease that gave rise to hyperviscose syndrome.

Treatment of hyperviscose syndrome

Treat thick blood? It is unlikely that this can be done by following any specific plan. Perhaps for prophylactic purposes, use aspirin and aspirin-containing drugs (cardiomagnyl, magnecard) for and other diseases, which, having anti-aggregation properties, will thin the blood and, thus, participate in the prevention of heart attacks.

Correction of metabolic processes;
Combating blood clots in order to prevent thrombosis and the ensuing consequences;
Treatment of tumors of hematopoietic tissue.

In a word, there is no specific treatment regimen for thick blood. For example, at, which, in general, in most cases is a consequence of the process of thickening and increased coagulation, drugs with anticoagulant properties are prescribed. These include medications such as heparin, fragmin, warfarin, etc.

How to thin the blood without drugs?

Thinning the blood without drugs offered by the pharmaceutical industry is truly it is possible if its thickening is caused by a not very serious reason. For older people, when the number of red blood cells and hemoglobin levels become higher due to age-related changes, drugs containing aspirin are prescribed. At the same time, some try to correct these indicators with nutrition, the use of herbs, or other folk remedies.

And many simply say that “the benefits of red wine are obvious and visible.” This fact is often taken into account by people for whom such medicine has always “warmed their souls.” However, I would like to somewhat disappoint fans. Without doubting the benefits of red wine in very small doses (up to 50 grams per day), you need to warn against excessive consumption, since it is still an alcoholic drink. In addition, it should be noted that high-quality grape wine has medicinal properties, and not a cheap intoxicating “swill” called “ink” or other words that clearly express the essence.

As for diet, there is one. In the hospital they call it -, which is prescribed for atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease, after a heart attack and other cardiovascular pathologies. At home, the diet can be significantly expanded and diversified by including in the diet:

Grapes, cranberries, gooseberries, red and white currants, cherries and cherries, strawberries and blueberries;
Apples, peaches, lemons and oranges;
Beets, tomatoes, cucumbers;
Cinnamon, ginger, chili pepper, garlic and celery;
Seafood (seaweed, fish);
Coffee, cocoa, dark chocolate.

As always, you can try to thin the blood using the healing properties of plants. They say that yellow clover, collected during the flowering period and then dried, can replace the widely used aspirin.. And if you mix it with other herbs that thin the blood, the result can exceed all expectations. Thus, in equal parts we can take:

Red clover flowers;
Meadowsweet herb;
Red hawthorn fruit;
Rhizome of valerian officinalis.

Willow bark has a beneficial effect on blood vessels and the speed of blood movement (1 tablespoon of crushed branches and bark is infused in 500 ml of boiling water in a thermos), which is taken in the morning and evening, 200 - 250 ml. Chestnut flowers (1 teaspoon, boiled for a quarter of an hour in a glass of water), the infusion of which is consumed in a glass before bed, is also considered a good blood thinner.

Causes and treatment of thick blood. Thick blood, what tests to take?

Causes and symptoms

How to thin thick blood

Folk remedies

Medications

Brief functions of blood:

Hyperviscosity syndrome

Blood viscosity is normal

Why does the blood become thick?

Signs of thick blood

Causes of increased blood viscosity. Risk factors

Thick blood (high viscosity syndrome): prerequisites, signs, connection with diseases, how to treat?

Hematocrit and viscosity

Why does the blood become thick?

Increase in viscosity as a manifestation of adaptation

Preparing for childbirth

New breath

Symptoms and signs

Serious reasons - serious consequences

Treatment of hyperviscose syndrome

How to thin the blood without drugs?

How to determine and check blood thickness?

Thick blood: symptoms, causes and treatment, what to do and how to thin it

Symptoms of thick blood

Diagnostics

Causes and counteraction to SPV

Treatment and prevention

What to do? Taking aspirin?

Thinning the blood at home

Blood viscosity. Norm

Symptoms of thick blood

A little about the main functions of blood

Hyperthickness syndrome

What are the signs that indicate that the blood is thick?

Why does blood thicken?

Which doctor should I contact?

Thick blood (high viscosity syndrome): prerequisites, signs, connection with diseases, how to treat?

Hematocrit and viscosity

Why does the blood become thick?

Increase in viscosity as a manifestation of adaptation

Preparing for childbirth

New breath

Symptoms and signs

Serious reasons - serious consequences

Treatment of hyperviscose syndrome

How to thin the blood without drugs?

Video: thick blood in the program “About the Most Important Thing”