Blood conditions that are too dilute can be fatal for patients who will undergo the surgery process, especially because blood that is difficult to clot will increase the patient's potential for bleeding during the operation. If you are a person with thin blood consistency but will soon have to undergo surgery, try to thicken it by changing your diet, lifestyle, and not taking drugs that have the potential to thin the blood.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Adjusting Your Diet and Lifestyle
Step 1. Change your diet one to two weeks before surgery
Sometimes, the human body takes days or even weeks to thicken the blood (depending on their diet and lifestyle). Therefore, start making dietary and lifestyle changes as soon as you can to maximize their impact on your blood consistency.
- Consult any changes to the doctor. Your doctor can give you specific instructions about the changes that need to be made prior to surgery.
- Generally, before surgery the doctor will ask you to stop consuming garlic, cayenne, flaxseed, green tea, tomatoes, eggplant, and potatoes; these foods can affect blood viscosity and the body's reaction to anesthetics.
- You may also be asked to avoid potentially allergenic foods such as nuts, eggs, fish, wheat, and soy.
Step 2. Eat a healthy and balanced diet so that your body gets enough vitamin K
Remember, vitamin K plays a very important role in maintaining the thickness of your blood. As long as you eat a healthy and balanced diet, your body should also get an adequate intake of vitamin K. Make sure your diet always includes:
- Green vegetable
- Meat
- Dairy products
Step 3. Stop drinking alcohol
Alcohol has the potential to thin the blood and increase the potential for bleeding. Therefore, make sure you avoid (or reduce) the potency of alcohol one week before the operation.
For those of you whose blood consistency tends to be normal, the occasional glass of alcohol will likely not cause a problem. However, big problems can arise if the consistency of your blood is more runny than it should be. Therefore, it's best to make sure you completely avoid alcohol until the entire operation is complete
Step 4. Keep yourself hydrated
This step is mandatory to maintain the health of your blood. If the body is dehydrated, the amount of blood pumped throughout the circulatory system will decrease; As a result, the consistency of the blood will be thinner and harder to clot.
- Consuming too much fluid has the potential to make your blood too thin. Simply put, fluids that enter the body will also enter the blood and thin the consistency.
- We recommend that you consume 8 glasses of water every day (one glass contains 250 ml of water) to keep the body hydrated and avoid the risk of complications.
Step 5. Avoid salicylic acid
Salicylic acid prevents the absorption of vitamin K in the body so it will not thicken your blood. Therefore, avoid foods that contain salicylic acid so that your body can receive the benefits of vitamin K more effectively and maximally.
- Most likely, your doctor will ask you to stop taking aspirin one week before the surgery.
- Many herbs and spices are naturally high in salicylic acid. Some of these include ginger, cinnamon, dill, oregano, turmeric, licorice, and peppermint.
- Some types of fruit also contain high levels of salicylic acid such as raisins, cherries, cranberries, grapes, tangerines, and oranges.
- Other foods that are rich in salicylic acid are chewing gum, honey, peppermint, vinegar, and cider.
- Some foods rich in salicylic acid are also high in vitamin K; Fortunately, the two substances are able to balance each other. These foods are curry powder, peppers, thyme, blueberries, prunes, and strawberries.
Step 6. Control your vitamin E intake
In fact, vitamin E is also a type of substance that prevents the absorption of vitamin K in the body. However, you don't need to completely avoid taking vitamin E because it's not as bad as salicylic acid.
- It's best not to take too much vitamin E before surgery. In other words, don't take vitamin E or vitamin E supplements of any kind.
- Sometimes, some health and beauty products such as hand sanitizer contain vitamin E as a preservative. Therefore, make sure you check the details of the content before buying it.
- Generally, foods rich in vitamin E also contain as much or more vitamin K (such as spinach and broccoli). Therefore, vegetables such as spinach and broccoli will not thin the blood so they do not need to be avoided before surgery.
Step 7. Avoid omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids have the potential to thin the blood and prevent blood clots. If during this time your blood consistency is healthy and thick enough, chances are your doctor will allow you to consume omega-3 in reasonable portions; however, make sure you don't overdo it!
- Also avoid omega-3 fatty acids if your blood consistency is thinner than it should be.
- Fatty fish have the highest levels of omega-3s; therefore, make sure you avoid salmon, trout, tuna, anchovies, mackerel and herring before surgery.
- Do not take fish oil capsules rich in omega-3 before surgery.
Step 8. Do not take any supplements that are not approved by your doctor
Because many supplements have the potential to thin the blood, make sure you consult with your doctor about taking any supplements prior to surgery. Some types of supplements that you should avoid are:
- Ginkgo biloba
- Coenzyme Q-10
- St. John's wort (a medicinal yellow flower)
- Fish oil
- Glucosamine
- Chondroitin
- Vitamins C and E
- Garlic
- Ginger
Step 9. Limit the intensity of the exercise
Generally, you can still do light to moderate intensity exercise before surgery, but you should avoid strenuous exercise for at least a week before the surgery.
- Strenuous exercise can increase the potential for bleeding, reduce vitamin K levels in the body, and thin your blood.
- On the other hand, not exercising at all will also be bad for you. People who rarely move have the potential to develop blood clots due to having too thick blood consistency.
- Therefore, you should do light exercise several times a week. For example, you can jog for 30 minutes, at least three to five times a week.
Part 2 of 2: Doing Medical Considerations
Step 1. Consult any changes to the doctor
Before undergoing surgery, make sure you discuss any changes to your diet and medication consumption patterns (including medications prescribed by your doctor) with your doctor.
- Bring all the medications you are taking when you go to the doctor. Supposedly, the doctor will know what medicines you should not take (or should reduce the dose) before the operation takes place.
- Remember, your blood can be too thick or too thin; both are equally not good for patients who will undergo surgery. Blood that is too thin will be difficult to thicken; As a result, you will experience heavy bleeding during the operation. Conversely, blood that is too thick is at risk of causing blood clots; as a result, it is more likely that your blood vessels will become blocked or similar complications occur which you certainly don't want.
Step 2. Don't take over-the-counter blood-thinning medications
Some over-the-counter and/or herbal medicines can act as anticoagulants or blood thinners. Stop using these drugs at least one week before surgery.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen are examples of over-the-counter medications that you should avoid.
- Herbal medicines that can produce similar effects include vitamin E supplements, garlic supplements, ginger supplements, and ginkgo biloba.
Step 3. Temporarily stop taking blood-thinning medications
If you are currently taking anticoagulant (blood thinning) medications, your doctor will likely ask you to stop taking them a few days before the surgery. Generally, doctors will still ask you to do it even if these drugs are prescribed by a doctor to thin the consistency of your blood.
- The best time to stop taking the drug will depend on your situation. Therefore, make sure you consult your doctor before stopping the use of any medications.
- Blood-thinning medications prescribed by a doctor include warfarin, enoxaparin, clopidogrel, ticlopidine, dipyridamole, and alendronate. In addition, aspirin in certain doses and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are also included in it.
Warning
- Always discuss changes in diet, lifestyle, and/or medications you are taking with your doctor, especially before surgery. For surgery to be safer and more effective, your doctor must know all the details regarding your medical history to understand your body's needs comprehensively.
- Avoid all foods and drinks eight hours before surgery (including foods and drinks that can help thicken your blood). Remember, complications can occur if fluid or food is still found in your digestive tract during the operation. To avoid these risks, the doctor will most likely postpone your surgery schedule unilaterally.
- In some cases, doctors will allow their patients to take certain medications before surgery. However, make sure you don't take drugs carelessly or insist on taking drugs that are prohibited by the doctor at least eight hours before the operation takes place. This rule also applies to drugs that don't affect the thickness of your blood!
