Yaz Pulmonary Embolism

What is a Pulmonary Embolism?

A pulmonary embolism is a sudden blockage in a lung artery. The cause is usually a blood clot in the leg called a deep vein thrombosis that breaks loose and travels through the bloodstream to the lung. Pulmonary embolism is a serious condition that can cause:

• Permanent damage to the affected lung
• Low oxygen levels in your blood
• Damage to other organs in your body from not getting enough oxygen

What are the Symptoms of Pulmonary Embolism?

Around half of the people who have a PE lung blood clot have no symptoms at all. Symptoms of a blood clot include warmth, swelling, pain, tenderness and redness of the leg. The goal of PE treatment is to break up clots and help keep other clots from forming.

Common physical symptoms of pulmonary embolism include:

• Pain in the chest, neck, jaw, shoulder, or arm
• Shortness of breath, either while at rest or active
• Persistent cough with bloody sputum (coughing up blood)
• Rapid heartbeat
• Excessive sweating
• Fever
• Lightheadedness or fainting spells
• Weak pulse and/or rapid heartbeat

Am I At Increased Risk of Pulmonary Embolism?

The use of Yaz birth control and other combined-hormone contraceptives has been shown to increase the risk of developing pulmonary embolism. Also, your risk of developing a pulmonary embolism as a result of Yas or Yasmin use can increase due to smoking, being over age 55, and having a personal or family history of pulmonary embolism.

Pulmonary embolism, sometimes also referred to as “PE”, is a serious Yaz side effect reported by women using this fourth-generation contraceptive. Venous thrombosis events have been linked to the hormones in Yaz.

What Causes a Pulmonary Embolism?

In most cases, PE is caused by a blood clot in the leg that breaks loose and travels to the lungs. A blood clot in a vein close to the skin is not likely to cause problems, but having deep vein thrombosis can lead to pulmonary embolism, called venous thromboembolism (having both pulmonary embolism and DVT). Other, rarer, conditions can block an artery, such as tumors, air bubbles, amniotic fluid, or fat that is released into the blood vessels when a bone is broken. If a clot is large, or if there are many clots, pulmonary embolism can cause death.

How is Pulmonary Embolism Treated?

The main goals of treating Yaz pulmonary embolism symptoms (PE) are to prevent the blood clot in your lungs from getting larger and to stop new blood clots from forming.

Treatment may include medications such as anticoagulants to thin the blood and slow its ability to clot. If the symptoms are life threatening, the doctor may prescribe medicines such as thrombolytics to dissolve the clot more quickly. The most common side effect of blood thinner drugs is bleeding. This happens if the medicine thins your blood too much, and can be life-threatening.

Depending on the severity of the blood clots, your doctor may use surgery or another procedure to remove the clot. In some cases, the doctor may use a catheter to reach the blood clot. The catheter is inserted into the upper thigh or arm and threaded through a vein to the clot in the lung to either extract the clot or deliver medicine to dissolve it. Depending on the severity and number of clots, surgery may be required to remove the blood clot.

Aside from the treatments referenced above for your Yaz pulmonary embolism, a doctor mayuse a device called a vena cava filter to keep clots from traveling to your lungs. The filter is inserted inside a large vein called the inferior vena cava. The filter catches clots before they travel to the lungs. This prevents PE, but it doesn’t stop other blood clots from forming.

We represent women who suffered from Yaz pulmonary embolism side effects. For a free confidential review please call toll free at 1-866-901-5031, or fill out our short online contact form and a Yaz PE attorney will contact you to answer any of your questions.