blood clot question. (cold, ears, cause, condition)

[westcoastvp]

This may be a silly question but has anyone heard if there's any connection between blood clots and extreme heat. A few years ago, we moved to Arizona and after 10 months my wife started getting blood clots out of nowhere. Any advice?

[rayneinspain]

Originally Posted by westcoastvp

This may be a silly question but has anyone heard if there's any connection between blood clots and extreme heat. A few years ago, we moved to Arizona and after 10 months my wife started getting blood clots out of nowhere. Any advice?

Not silly at all.

Extreme heat conditions put people at risk for dehydration, and it appears that dehydration can be a contributing factor of DVT (blood clots), as it thickens the blood:

Blood Clots: Deep Vein Thrombosis

[westcoastvp]

Thanks. Never thought of that. Anyone other clues?

[bluedevilz]

Originally Posted by westcoastvp

Thanks. Never thought of that. Anyone other clues?

Never heard of a correlation between hot weather and DVT formation.

Its likely unrelated to your wife's condition.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

But dehydration, as noted above, can contribute to blood clots forming. It's easier to get dehydrated in hot weather.

[bluedevilz]

Originally Posted by SouthernBelleInUtah

But dehydration, as noted above, can contribute to blood clots forming. It's easier to get dehydrated in hot weather.

Its actually just as easy to get dehydrated (maybe even more so ) in extreme cold weather.

Cold Weather Increases Risk Of Dehydration

I have never seen data to suggest that DVT's are more prevalent in either extreme hot or cold climates.

The "classic" risk factors for clot formation are encompassed by Virchow's Triad which include stasis (slowing of blood flow), vascular wall injury and hypercoagulable states.

Virchow Triad | Image - Thrombosis Adviser

Dehydration probably does influence clot formation although there has only been one or two studies looking directly at this phenomenon.

Just because someone lives in a hotter climate does not necessarily correlate with dehydration any more than living in a cold climate.

There is no data to suggest people are suffering DVT's at a higher rate in warmer climes than more temperate climes.


This table shows that DVT incidence pretty well mirrors population trends not climate

http://www.stoptheclot.org/documents/dvt_statistics.pdf