Dr. Bhavna Gupta

A blood clot in the leg is termed as Deep Vein Thrombosis or DVT. This blood clot can be fatal, because it usually blocks the passage of blood to the heart by damaging the one way valves of the veins. This can also reach other organs like the lungs, in which situation the case becomes complicated and may also lead to death. There are various ways of preventing the onset of these clots. Follow these points to know more.

1. Blood thinners: Prolonged hospital stay and a major surgery like joint replacement can lead to blood clots in the legs or DVT. Therefore, it is imperative to ask your doctor about a prescription for blood thinners, which can help in better blood flow despite minimal motion in the legs or stiffness. 
2. Compressions stockings: If you have been in the hospital for a prolonged period or suffering from leg paralysis, then the risk of blood clots is greater than most others. You can make use of compression stockings, which will help in preventing clots by holding the area tight so that the blood is forced to pump and flow. These should be used every time you are admitted to the hospital. 
3. Exercise: It is important to keep moving in case you are travelling in a long flight that is over four hours long. Also, you can try certain mild exercises, in case you have a long standing condition of pain or cramping in the leg muscles and joints. From simple toe flexes to muscle strengthening exercises like the heel or towel hook, you can ensure that the tightening action makes your muscle firm so that the blood clots do not have a chance to form. You may also need to lose weight in case you are overweight so that you can alleviate the risk of these clots.
4. Water: Staying hydrated is something that we all need to follow in any case, but it is especially important if you are risk of developing blood clots in the legs. Drinking plenty of fluids is a natural way of thinning the blood, especially if you have been in bed or travelling for prolonged periods. 
5. Loose fitting clothing: You may want to wear loose fitting clothing when you are travelling or in the hospital so that you do not end up unnecessarily compressing an area in a way that will be detrimental for the blood flow there. Wearing loose clothing ensures that the blood flow carries on as per its normal routine without any blockages.

It is important to remember the above points so that you keep blood clots in the legs at bay.

Every woman likes to look into the mirror and find not an extra strand of hair on her face, be it the upper lip or near the ears. While it is not uncommon for women to have hair on these and other areas, most women resort to multiple ways to get rid of this. The pattern of this unnecessary hair growth is very similar to the pattern seen in males normally.

This condition of excessive hair growth is known as hirsutism and can be caused by multiple causes, as listed below.

1. Genetic or racial: While the European women have a more clean face that is free of hair, the Mediterranean and Indian women are highly likely to have more facial hair growth. There is also a strong family history relation, and it is hereditary.
2. Androgens (testosterone): This is a male hormone, essential for the development of male sexual characters. Though it is present in very minute amounts in all women, in some, there could be higher than these minimal levels, leading to minor masculine characters, facial hair being one of them.
3. Hormonal imbalances: There are multiple hormonal issues which can manifest as increased facial hair growth. The two most common ones include polycystic ovarian syndrome ((PCOS)) and adrenal conditions including tumours, Cushing's syndrome, and hyperplasia. In all these cases, there is increased amount of androgens, leading to excessive facial hair.
4. Medication side effect: Some medications like testosterone, cyclosporine, anabolic steroids, and Minoxidil also lead to increased amounts of facial hair in women. Some other medications used to treat migraines, seizures, schizophrenia, and hypertension can also cause hirsutism. This is indirectly due to increased levels of male hormones in the system, producing these effects.
5. Birth control pills: These also affect the hormone levels and lead to increased facial hair.
6. Obesity: Most women with facial hair are also on the heavier side, and most people have a reduction in hair once weight is managed.

Treatment: The underlying cause should be treated for controlling hair growth. If there is an inducing medication, an alternative should be looked at. While hormone levels can be altered, in most cases, not much can be done. These need to be dealt with using one of the following methods - depilatory creams, waxing, plucking, shaving, laser reduction, electrolysis, and weight loss.

When reading through the above, it is obvious that a lot of causes for hirsutism point towards hormones. This also helps identify hormonal abnormalities in the earlier stages. This helps to identify hormonal disorders in their earlier stages, which are managed with lesser complications. The next time you feel there is more hair on your chin or cheeks, get your hormone levels checked. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an endocrinologist.