Too Hot to Sleep: Causes, Including Cancer, Solutions
Feeling too hot to sleep can be caused by cancer, but there’s no need to panic.
Being so hot at night that sleep is troublesome has an assortment of potential causes.
Do you do rigorous exercise close to bedtime or even a few hours preceding bedtime?
If the exercise was intense enough, it “revs up the metabolism and a faster metabolism means a hotter body,” says Kathryn Boling, MD, a board certified family medicine practitioner with Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, MD.
Hot Flashes Can Make You too Hot to Sleep
“Drinking alcohol can cause hot flashes at night,” says Dr. Boling. Cut back on the booze.
“Hormonal changes like menstruation, ovulation and menopause can cause hot flashes at night.”
You may be going through menopause and not know it. Even periomenopause and pregnancy can cause hot flashes.
So can low blood sugar, even though you may not feel other classic symptoms of this, such as jitteriness and extreme hunger.
Can cancer make you feel hot at night?
Unfortunately, yes—a type of cancer called lymphoma, says Dr. Boling.
But if this cancer is already causing your body to be hot and sweaty, chances are pretty high that it’s causing other symptoms as well.
In other words, it’s unlikely you’re feeling as healthy as a thoroughbred while lymphoma is causing you soaking night sweats—and yes, the lymphoma night sweat is more than just perspiration; it’s enough to soak your clothes, even bedsheets.
Other symptoms of this cancer: unintentional weight loss, unexplained fatigue, fever, abdominal itching, stomach pain, unexplained cough, shortness of breath, swollen but painless lymph nodes.
The American Cancer Society projects that in 2016, 72,580 U.S. people will be diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Half will be over age 66.
Other conditions that can make you too hot to sleep are hyperthyroidism, Cushing’s syndrome and tuberculosis, says Dr. Boling.
“Certain medications (Vicodin and some antidepressants) and even some vitamins (niacin) can cause you to feel hot.”
So can binge eating close to bedtime, and sleeping with a pillow across your chest.
Dr. Boling diagnoses and treats a wide range of conditions from acute illnesses to chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, and has 20 years’ experience with Mercy Medical Center-Baltimore.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/Supawadee56
Source: cancer.org/cancer/non-hodgkinlymphoma/detailedguide/non-hodgkin-lymphoma-key-statistics
Burping: The Noise, Odor, Frequency, Sick of It All?
Are you a burping machine?
- Do your burps smell?
- Scared that your new-onset burping is a sign of cancer?
- What about acid reflux? Can this cause belching?
- Is there ANY solution to all the embarrassing belching? Especially if it’s noisy?
“The average person burps about three to six times after a meal or drink,” says J. Mark Anderson, MD, DABFM, of Executive Medicine of Texas and who is board certified in family medicine.
Smelly Burps
“Burps usually smell like the food that was recently consumed,” continues Dr. Anderson.
Ever burp after eating sausage? Better make sure you’re not around anybody.
Sausage can cause smelly burps due to its high fat and protein content, which slow digestion.
Added spices, preservatives and sulfur-containing compounds also contribute to strong, unpleasant gas odors.
Dr. Anderson explains, “Some burps are excessively stinky. These are known as sulfur burps.
“Sulfur burps smell similar to rotten eggs because they contain hydrogen sulfide gas.
“This smell can be caused by something a person ate, like boiled eggs, or by other health issues such as GERD or IBS.
“Pregnancy, anxiety, prescription drugs and stress have been linked to sulfur burps as well.
“Keep in mind that some medications and supplements can change the smell of burps.
“This is often a complaint of people who take a fish oil supplement for omega-3 supplementation.”
Noisy Burps
Loud belching is often done on purpose. It’s easy to make your burps roar.
It’s also easy to quiet them down when you’re in the presence of others.
Sure, a big burp after gulping down soda may seem difficult to contain, but it’s possible — and safe — to make an effort to keep the volume down.
Burps do not need to be heard across a room. So if you’re guilty of this, be considerate of nearby people!
More Information about Burping including Link to Cancer, Stress and Angina
Below are links to articles for which I interviewed doctors for responses to specific questions.
- What kind of cancer can cause burping?
- How does stress cause burping?
- Can angina (chest pain) cause burping?
- What if you constantly need to burp? What’s going on?
Dr. Anderson is coauthor of the award-winning book, “Stay Young: 10 Proven Steps to Ultimate Health,” and host of the nationally syndicated Staying Young Show which goes to podcast as Staying Young Show 2.0.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/9nong
Why Do People Repeat a Question Someone Asks Them?
Does it drive you nuts when someone keeps repeating questions asked of them?
I was inspired to write this article after proofreading a deposition transcript in which the plaintiff kept repeating—with upward inflection—the simple questions asked of her by the defense attorney. This happens a lot.
• Some people repeat the question to make sure it’s what they heard; they’re hearing impaired or perhaps the room was noisy.
• A person will repeat the question as a way to stall while they try to come up with a lie.
• A question will be repeated because the individual wants to feel in control of the verbal transaction.
• Some people need time to think of the answer, and repeating the question—with that upward inflection—helps them along.
• The individual simply does not comprehend the simple question and needs to hear it twice in order to understand it—so they repeat it.
Let’s assume the following:
- The listener heard the question perfectly.
- The listener is not autistic.
- The listener is not trying to stall to figure out a lie. In depositions, the answer that typically follows the echo is obviously the truth, and often, the nature of the question doesn’t lend itself to a lie.
- The listener is not trying to feel in control.
This leaves two explanations:
First, the listener doesn’t understand the question and needs to hear it again in order for their brain to process it, and rather than ask, “Can you repeat that?” they simply echo the question with an upward inflection.
Second, deposition witness deliberately does this to trip up the examination. This theory was offered to me by my brother, a chemist.
I don’t buy into it because 1) Repeating the question prolongs the deposition, and the witness would rather be anywhere but in the examination room.
And 2, it seems that someone who’d be conniving like this would have a high education, yet in almost every case, the individual has no more than a high school diploma (often in GED form) or is a dropout—though very occasionally, such a person has college education.
Besides, this theory bombs when the repeating is done in a social situation.
Usually, the question that’s repeated is simple, rather than a complex, long question with several sub-questions built into it.
For instance, the question might be, “Where were you headed at the time of the car accident?” or, “What parts of your body were injured?” or, “Why did you decide to move?”
Sometimes the question is simpler yet:
“What did you tell him?”
“Where were you that night?”
“When were you born?”
When echoing, the listener will of course replace “you” with “I,” as in:
“Why did I decide to move?”
“What did I tell him?”
“When was I born?”
Sometimes the echo will be one word, such as “How many?” for “How many grandkids do you have?” or “Why?” for “Why did you move?” Why not just flat-out give the answer?
Sometimes these individuals will hear the question twice from the examiner, yet still repeat it!
“As a psychiatric expert witness, I read a lot of depositions,” says Carole Lieberman, MD, a forensic psychiatrist and author of Lions and Tigers and Terrorists, Oh My! How to Protect Your Child in a Time of Terror.
“Many times the person being deposed repeats the question, as do people giving interviews on TV.
“In stressful situations, especially where a person is afraid of giving the ‘wrong’ answer, they – consciously or unconsciously – buy time to mull it over by repeating the question.
“They are having an inner dialogue, in which they are asking themselves whether they should tell the truth or whether this could hurt them in some way.”
With simple questions, there’d be no benefit to lying. There’s a difference between being asked, “Why did you leave your last job?” (not wanting to admit being fired) and, “How many children do you have?”
Dr. Lieberman says, “Sometimes, people have trouble understanding the question and are trying to process it, but most of the time they’re trying to decide whether to make up an answer or tell the truth.”
What about a social setting? Why are people, who hear just fine, repeating easy questions to which lying would be of no benefit?
Dr. Lieberman analyzes the psychological impact of world events, as a guest and/or host on all major media outlets. Her appearances include “Larry King Live,” “The Today Show,” “Good Morning America,” “Entertainment Tonight,” CNN and Fox News.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: ©Lorra Garrick
Have Diabetes and Love Chocolate Cake? The Best Time to Eat It
If you’re diabetic and love chocolate cake, there’s a best time for this.
There are a few studies showing that the best time to eat chocolate cake is soon after you awaken in the morning.
The body at this time is ready to burn energy (carbohydrates) because it fasted overnight.
The studies focus on weight loss, however, rather than glucose metabolism.
“I’m familiar with the studies as well, but in all honesty the way that individuals eat is not like nutrition lab studies,” says Alison Massey, MS, RD, LDN, registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator with over 10 years of experience in various community and clinical settings.
“Although there are likely better times to incorporate sweets, starting the day with dessert is not the best fuel choice even if you are going to incorporate a great workout mid-morning.
“I also think incorporating a good morning routine sets the day up for success, and for many people dessert may set the tone for other not-so-great food habits/choices.”
It’s vital to point out that, as a former certified personal trainer, I would never endorse the idea of eating chocolate cake or any full meal prior to a hard workout.
A diabetic should eat a carb-rich snack right before a workout, but a whole entire meal (e.g., scrambled eggs, toast, juice and yogurt) is not necessary.
If you must have chocolate cake, then what IS the best time — or shall I put it this way: When is the least detrimental time for a diabetic to indulge?
Massey explains, “I would say, incorporating small portions of dessert after a light meal or before taking an evening walk might be a good time for individuals with diabetes to incorporate dessert.
“Physical activity can be utilized to help lower blood glucose, so walking before or after eating that dessert can help better manage blood glucose levels.”
If you’re into strenuous workouts at the gym, or hard interval training in an empty parking lot, save the chocolate cake for right after your workout, when your body will be in a glucose-starved state.
The carbs from the cake will be put to good use for muscle recovery.
And there’s one more thing that many people just don’t realize:
Traditional breakfast foods, or foods that have always been heavily marketed as part of a breakfast, are just as sugar-loaded and processed as chocolate cake.
Freepik.com, sergeycauselove
For instance, you’ll get a whopping hit of white sugar from any of the following “breakfast foods”:
Pop tarts, pancakes, waffles, donuts, muffins, eclairs, sticky buns and cinnamon rolls (especially with icing!).
Alison Massey has been working in the field of nutrition since 2010 helping individuals make sustainable changes to improve their health.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/Gts
Why Some Kids Won’t Report the Babysitter Molested Them
Would YOUR child ever tell you if their babysitter molested them?
Do you have enough trust built with your child that he or she would immediately report to you that the babysitter “touched” them “funny”?
Many children who are molested by a babysitter don’t report this crime until years later, and still many others—you can be sure—bring this secret to their grave.
Why don’t some children tell their parents the babysitter molested them?
Let’s assume that the victim is old enough to tell Mom or Dad that something bad happened, that a touch on their body made them feel uncomfortable.
“Some kids who get molested by a babysitter are afraid to report this to their parents because they blame themselves for what happened,” says Carole Lieberman, MD, a forensic psychiatrist, expert on bullying and author of Lions and Tigers and Terrorists, Oh My! How to Protect Your Child in a Time of Terror.
Why would a young child blame themselves for such an awful thing?
This is rooted in the parent-child dynamic, the environment the victim has been growing up in.
Certainly, a 15-year-old babysitter who’s new to the family can’t possibly wield more influence than the woman who’s been raising the victim since infancy.
Perhaps in the home environment, the victim is often getting blamed for mishaps or made to feel responsible for bad things that happen, or is made to feel defective by a bullying parent.
So when the babysitter commits the crime—it’s second nature for the victim to stay silent.
Dr. Lieberman adds that the molestation victim can “also feel humiliated and ashamed, even though it’s not their fault. And they are afraid that the babysitter will deny it and the parents won’t believe them.”
How disturbing that a child could actually think their parents would never believe them—that their parents would take the side of a babysitter whom they may have just met the week before! Whose fault is it that the victim thinks this way? Not the victim’s!
When my niece was five, she was fondled by her 14-year-old first cousin once-removed.
He had just pulled down her pants when she bolted and reported this to her parents, who were in another room of the house. She believed her parents would believe her. And they did.
There are five-year-olds out there who get violated more seriously than my niece did—violated by a babysitter, maybe a cousin, a neighbor—who would be fearful of reporting this to the very people who are supposed to protect them: their parents.
This reflects the parents’ failure to be trustworthy to their child, to present themselves as strong and heroic.
A young girl should see her mother as her hero, someone who will always go to bat for her yet also teach her how to pound a home run.
A young boy should worship his dad and see him as a powerhouse who will protect him while also empower him.
Sadly, some molestation victims fear their parents more than their assailant!
Yes, there really ARE parents who will blame their child! Or they’ll just shove everything under the rug and pretend nothing happened—and the victim knows this ahead of time, and hence, will never report that the babysitter molested them.
Dr. Lieberman analyzes the psychological impact of world events, as a guest and/or host on all major media outlets. Her appearances include “Larry King Live,” “The Today Show,” “Good Morning America,” “Entertainment Tonight,” CNN and Fox News.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Freepik.com
Why Do People Walk Directly in the Path of Cars?
Have you seen those online videos of people walking smack in the path of an oncoming motor vehicle? HOW could they not see the vehicle coming at them?
Oddly, these “caught on video” pedestrians typically don’t appear drunk or suicidal.
In one of these videos, the camera is on a busy street. A bus is still. People are crossing the street.
A woman is walking in front of the bus, so close, she could easily touch it with her hand. The bus begins moving. She’s bumped and looks surprised, but a second later is under the bus…
In another video, a woman proceeds to slowly walk across a road on which a few motorcycles have passed.
The next oncoming bike is not visible yet, but her head is turned in its direction.
She clearly sees it, and instead of stepping back to let it pass, she begins trotting towards the other side of the street…and you can tell her eyes are on the oncoming motorcycle (the surveillance camera is fairly close to the scene).
One second after she begins trotting…BOOM! A blur smashes into her, and the aftermath appears fatal, including for the motorcyclist.
Why is it so difficult for pedestrians to judge that a vehicle will strike them if they proceed to cross the street?
“There are many reasons why people walk smack into the path of a motor vehicle and get hit,” says Carole Lieberman, MD, a forensic psychiatrist and author of Lions and Tigers and Terrorists, Oh My! How to Protect Your Child in a Time of Terror.
“Some might convince themselves that the motor vehicle will stop, and some dare it to stop.
“Others might be looking at the motor vehicle, but be totally distracted and not really seeing it.”
Feedback from a “human factors” expert would be more analytical.
The human factors specialist will tell you why some pedestrians or motorists will know where a moving car will be in 1.5 seconds and hence, make adjustments to avoid a collision, while other people will grossly underestimate where a moving car will be in 1.5 seconds and end up getting creamed.
It seems to boil down to an impairment in the ability to efficiently process environmental stimuli.
“Some might be under the influence of drugs or alcohol,” adds Dr. Lieberman. In a very small number of these videos (I’ve viewed MANY), the victim appears intoxicated.
But in most cases, the person who walks smack in the path of a moving vehicle appears sober and alert.
However, unlike the woman who got struck by the motorcycle, most victims — in “caught on video” films — are not looking in the direction of the oncoming vehicle.
Below is a video showing a woman sauntering right into the path of a vehicle.
She is clearly not paying attention and seems oblivious to the vehicle’s bright lights as they slowly close in on her. It’s as though this woman, who survived, actually wanted to be mowed over. Fast forward to 0.37.
It’s just so vexing that pedestrians can literally walk smack in the path of a moving motor vehicle!
Dr. Lieberman analyzes the psychological impact of world events, as a guest and/or host on all major media outlets. Her appearances include “Larry King Live,” “The Today Show,” “Good Morning America,” “Entertainment Tonight,” CNN and Fox News.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Freepik.com, rawpixel.com
How to Tell if Your New Boyfriend Might Abuse You
How can you tell if your new boyfriend is capable of abusing your children from another relationship or your future children with him?
Are you sick and tired of reading about a toddler or baby dying at the hands of the boyfriend, whom the mother left in charge of the victim while she was at work?
Do you wonder: How could she not have known that he was capable of murdering a two-year-old?
Heaven forbid if she DID know he was capable of harming a baby, but decided to leave the child in his care anyways… but that’s a whole new topic.
The topic here is how a woman can tell if her new boyfriend is capable of child abuse, even if she has no kids.
How a Woman Can Screen a Boyfriend for Child Abuse
“A woman can screen out boyfriends who are potential child abusers by getting to know them well, and not jumping into marriage out of desperation or because she is prioritizing superficial traits, such as wealth or attractiveness,” says Carole Lieberman, MD, a forensic psychiatrist and author of Lions and Tigers and Terrorists, Oh My! How to Protect Your Child in a Time of Terror.
A woman also shouldn’t jump into arranging for the new boyfriend to babysit the toddler or baby while she’s at work until after she’s really gotten to know him over a period of time … though time passage alone may not be good enough.
- Who’d be babysitting if she had never met the boyfriend?
- Who WAS babysitting before she met the boyfriend?
- Maybe she thought the previous babysitter — perhaps her sister or her own mother — was being mean to the child and decided to hand the child over to the new man in her life?
- And then he ends up killing the child or causing brain damage via “shaken baby syndrome.” How could she have missed the warning signs?
Additional Ways to Screen the Boyfriend for Child Abuse
Dr. Lieberman adds, “Women should look for red flags such as his having been severely punished or abused as a child, having a dysfunctional relationship with his parents or siblings, or his abusing alcohol or drugs.”
Wow, can’t get bigger, redder flags than these! Let’s also not forget how he treats her.
If a man lays a hand on you out of anger, you can count on him beating your child.
Freepik.com, cookie_studio
“A woman should also carefully observe how her boyfriend interacts with her children. Is he cold, neglectful and easily annoyed, or is he sensitive, empathic and truly interested in doing fun things together?” adds Dr. Lieberman.
She can even straight-out ask him how he’d respond in a certain situation involving a crying toddler, or preschooler who won’t put away a toy or eat their lunch.
Don’t ask a close-ended question such as, “Would you ever shake my baby?” Otherwise he may end up telling you what you want to hear: “Of course not, never!”
Instead, set a trap for him with an open-ended question: “By the way, how would you manage a baby who won’t stop crying?”
This unique wording is stealthy and more apt to draw an honest response out of him: “I’d go f—cking bananas and do everything possible to shut him up.” Hmmm…a very unsettling response to hear.
Another effective way to screen a boyfriend for potential child abuse is to nonchalantly ask his parents “how was he disciplined” (though if you sense they’re lying, they probably are), as well as to flat-out ask him how his parents “showed their anger towards you.”
He may respond, “Oh, I got lectures and groundings.” Or, he may say, “I got my ass whooped.” Buyer beware.
Dr. Lieberman analyzes the psychological impact of world events, as a guest and/or host on all major media outlets. Her appearances include “Larry King Live,” “The Today Show,” “Good Morning America,” “Entertainment Tonight,” CNN and Fox News.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Top 5 Drug Treatments for Microscopic Colitis
A gastroenterologist names the top five drug treatments for microscopic colitis.
There are five drugs that can be effective treatments.
“Budesonide is a steroid and is the best available medicine,” says Matilda N. Hagan, MD, an inflammatory bowel disease specialist at The Center for Inflammatory Bowel and Colorectal Diseases, part of The Melissa L. Posner Institute for Digestive Health and Liver Disease at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore.
“It costs a lot even with insurance coverage; therefore some patients cannot get it.
“We typically treat daily for 2-3 months, then wean dosage if we achieve remission.”
Dr. Hagan then recommends anti-diarrheals such as Imodium; “Lomotil can work to slow the gut and decrease the diarrhea.”
Another drug treatment option is Pepto Bismol, which can decrease the diarrhea.
Dr. Hagan also recommends prednisone if the patient can’t get the budesonide. Prednisone may have fewer side effects.
Finally there is Mesalamine, which is an anti-inflammatory drug that’s used in the treatment of mild to moderate ulcerative colitis.
Now keep in mind that like microscopic colitis, ulcerative colitis is an inflammatory bowel disease—but just a more severe type of IBD.
If you are not comfortable taking a drug for treatment of microscopic colitis, you can experiment with your diet to see if any particular foods are triggers of flare-ups.
For instance, you may find that certain fruits seem to cause diarrhea.
Fruits like apples and pears have high fiber content, which can lead to diarrhea if consumed in large quantities.
Certain fruits contain sugar alcohols (like sorbitol in apples and pears), which can have a laxative effect on some people.
Fructose: Some people have difficulty digesting fructose, a sugar found in many fruits. This can cause gastrointestinal symptoms including diarrhea.
Fruits with high acidity, such as oranges or lemons, might irritate the digestive system in some individuals.
Eliminate the suspect specific food (not food group) from your diet and see what happens.
Dr. Hagan is dedicated to collaborating with IBD specialists to discuss and explore advanced treatment options for the most complex inflammatory bowel disease cases.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/ sasha2109
Is Microscopic Colitis Related To Gluten Sensitivity?
Do gluten sensitivity and microscopic colitis go hand in hand?
“There is an association between microscopic colitis and celiac disease for reasons that are not clear,” says Matilda N. Hagan, MD, an inflammatory bowel disease specialist at The Center for Inflammatory Bowel and Colorectal Diseases, part of The Melissa L. Posner Institute for Digestive Health and Liver Disease at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore.
“Microscopic colitis tends to affect older women in their sixth decade or older.
“However, younger patients with celiac disease can have microscopic colitis at the same time.
“In fact, if you have celiac disease and have persistent symptoms despite a gluten free diet we test for MC.
“Also if someone with MC is not responding to our best treatment we test for celiac disease.”
Microscopic colitis is believed (though not proven) to be an autoimmune disease.
Celiac disease is definitely an autoimmune condition, in which the body’s immune system “thinks” that gluten — a type of protein in certain grains — is a foreign invader of some sort.
Thus, even one crumb of gluten triggers an immune response, and this response, over time, damages the small intestine and causes other problems throughout the body, unless the patient ceases gluten ingestion completely.
There is a higher percentage of diagnosed microscopic colitis in celiac patients and vice versa, so yes, there is an association, but the details have yet to be discovered.
A person with microscopic colitis (which is confirmed via large-colon biopsy) can always undergo genetic testing to see if they have the gene/s for celiac disease.
If you do not have one of these genes, you cannot develop celiac disease.
However, this doesn’t mean that you cannot ever develop gluten sensitivity (which is not the same as celiac and is far less damaging).
The verdict is not out whether or not those with microscopic colitis should avoid gluten, even though doing this may relieve symptoms in some patients.
Dr. Hagan is dedicated to collaborating with IBD specialists to discuss and explore advanced treatment options for the most complex inflammatory bowel disease cases.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Does Microscopic Colitis Increase Risk of a DVT ?
Do you have microscopic colitis and fear getting a deep vein thrombosis (DVT)?
A deep vein thrombosis (blood clot in a deep vein) is a serious situation — because the blood clot in your leg or hip area can break loose and travel to your lungs, which is a major deal.
If this happens, it’s called a pulmonary embolism and can block airflow to your lungs.
This is a medical emergency that can be life-threatening, so it’s important to act fast if you think you have a DVT.
It takes only seconds for the clot substance, once it breaks loose, to reach your lungs.
Symptoms to watch for include swelling, pain, unusual warmth or redness in your leg.
However, the first symptom of a pulmonary embolism (depending on its size and precise location) could be the inability to inhale air, quickly followed by death.
If you have microscopic colitis, you may have wondered if this inflammatory bowel disease might actually raise the risk of developing a DVT.
“Some inflammatory conditions such as inflammatory bowel diseases, specifically Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, are associated with increase in clotting state,” says Matilda N. Hagan, MD, an inflammatory bowel disease specialist at The Center for Inflammatory Bowel and Colorectal Diseases, part of The Melissa L. Posner Institute for Digestive Health and Liver Disease at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore.
“Therefore, there is an increased risk of DVT,” continues Dr. Hagan.
“Microscopic colitis, although is also due to inflammation of the lining, you can argue is less inflammation than the classic inflammatory bowel diseases; therefore [there is] no clear evidence that it is associated with an increased risk of DVT.”
So even though that’s a popular question, “Can microscopic colitis increase the risk of a deep vein thrombosis?” this is not something you should worry about.
In fact, ask yourself if you have other risk factors for a DVT – some you may not even be aware of that are risk factors.
You may already know that smoking, obesity and extended air travel are risk factors for a deep vein thrombosis.
If you’re an obese smoker who has microscopic colitis, the microscopic colitis does not bump up your risk of developing a blood clot.
But you should definitely lose weight and quit smoking.
Though the risk of a DVT is significantly higher in the few months following a knee or hip replacement surgery, there are other risk factors that can be ongoing, such as excessive sitting throughout the day if you have a desk job.
So rather than worry about microscopic colitis causing a DVT, focus on decreasing your sitting time and commit to a structured exercise regimen.
Dr. Hagan is dedicated to collaborating with IBD specialists to discuss and explore advanced treatment options for the most complex inflammatory bowel disease cases.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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