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Blood Clotting: Why Self-testing with INR Machine is Ideal

Our bodies are created to be the perfect machines, down to the smallest of bits, working in perfect harmony. All of this happens without us even being aware of it. Take the example of the Blood flowing continuously throughout the entire life of a person.

And yet, to disrupt this harmonious state, all it takes is a blood clot. While Blood Clots are lifesaving in certain situations when sustaining injuries and they help stop the bleeding, they can be life-threatening too. This is the case when they are caused unnecessarily in the blood vessels without any apparent injury as they easily lead to serious health problems, and may cause heart attacks and strokes.

Source: Vascular Health Clinics

Some people are more prone to forming blood clots than others and require suitable medications and regular coagulation checkups with an Inr Machine for home use or outside on the go. This machine allows them to monitor whether or not the treatment is successful and in the target therapeutic range, or there’s a need to adjust the dosage. Regular observation is recommended for everyone taking blood-thinning medication, no matter how long, be it weeks, months, or years.

Issues and Treatments

Some of the most common issues that lead to clots are pulmonary embolus (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT). However, other problems and conditions such as irregular heartbeat (AF), endocarditis, mitral stenosis, mechanical heart valve, blood disorders like antiphospholipid syndrome, and having gone through surgeries (knee, hip, vertebra) could result in the formation of blood clots as well.

Source: IRHTO

Dealing with any of them requires changes in the lifestyle by making better nutrition choices, implementing foods known as natural blood thinners (e.g. garlic, flax and chia seeds, turmeric), exercising, and maintaining healthy sleeping habits as prevention.

Yet most often this isn’t enough and people with blood clots and those in the risk of getting them need anticoagulation treatments like warfarin, phenindione, heparin, edoxaban, enoxaparin among others. These medications prevent the factors that lead to clots, in the example of excessive levels of vitamin K (essential for proteins that result in blood clotting).

INR Self-testing at Home

Though they’re recommended as treatments, it doesn’t mean they come without their own side-effects. Some of them are severe bruising, heavy bleeding during periods for women, nosebleeds, blood in cough and vomit and they indicate you’re taking more anticoagulant than you need.

This is what makes an inr machine for home use so crucial in ensuring your safety and the efficacy of the therapy. Thanks to the advancement in technology, such machines can be found in compact sizes and competitive prices, equipped with useful features, from Bluetooth for wireless transmission, and USB connectivity, to comparison with recent results.

Source: Newswire Association

Convenience – One of the first and most considerable benefits to monitoring your PT/INR range yourself is the convenience to do so whenever and wherever you are without needing to go to the doctor’s or a lab.

Control – When changing your diet and daily habits, or getting new medications and dealing with new health issues, the use of coaguchek allows you to get quick results and see whether your PT and INR are negatively affected or are in the needed range.

Less Invasive – If you don’t like giving a full blood sample just to get the results, then consider getting the INR machine because same as with monitoring glucose levels, all you require is a finger stick.

Responsibility – When you’re more engaged in regular monitoring, you become more responsible for your health. This helps motivate you to take the therapy seriously, as well as find the best lifestyle habits that improve your well-being.

How Often Should You Check Your INR?

Basically, it depends on what your doctor tells you, and how stable your therapeutic range is. In the beginning, when you start with the anticoagulation treatment, you’d probably have to use the inr machine daily or twice a week until you reach stability which requires a test once every six weeks, or even up to twelve.

Source: Thrombophiliac

Self-testing Tips and Considerations:

  • Before you start with the test, it’s important to wash your hands with warm water, focusing on cleaning the fingers well and drying them.
  • If your hands are cold, make sure you warm them up first so there’s enough blood flow.
  • In case you can’t get enough blood, try another area or another finger.
  • Seek medical help if you experience any severe bleeding, sudden and severe headaches, confusion, numbness, dizziness, weakness and shortness of breath.
  • Don’t alter the dose by yourself and don’t forget to take your medications correctly, trying not to miss out on what you are prescribed. If it’s difficult for you to remember, use a dosing calendar or install an app to remind you on your phone.
  • Since there are certain health conditions like antiphospholipid syndrome that might interfere with your self-testing, check with your doctor first whether or not you’re suitable for home testing.


This post first appeared on The Ideal - Just Ideal Website, please read the originial post: here

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Blood Clotting: Why Self-testing with INR Machine is Ideal

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