Your brain needs a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients in order to survive. Under normal circumstances, both are delivered to your brain through your bloodstream. However, if the flow of blood becomes restricted or is interrupted, your brain cells will begin to starve. This is called a stroke. Within a few minutes of the initial deprivation, the starving brain cells will begin to die.
There is increasing concern that women who are taking Yasmin and Yaz birth control pills are exposing themselves to an increased risk of stroke. The reason is due to clotting. Below, I’ll explain how these oral contraceptives increase the likelihood of suffering a potentially life-threatening Yaz stroke. I’ll also describe how the condition is treated as well as the possible aftereffects.
Overview Of Two Types Of Yaz Stroke
Strokes occur in two forms: hemorrhagic and ischemic. A hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel ruptures. The rupture causes bleeding within the brain, which compresses the brain tissue near the site. This type of stroke, while serious, accounts for only 15% of reported cases.
An ischemic stroke is far more common and occurs when the blood flow to your brain becomes restricted. The condition is especially noteworthy because the blockage within the blood vessel can be caused by blood clots. The clot can form directly within the artery (called cerebral thrombosis) or arrive from another site (called cerebral embolism). This is significant because Yasmin, Yaz, and their generic version, Ocella have been linked to a marked increase in the risk of clotting.
It is widely known that estrogen – which is contained in all birth control pills – increases the risk of blood clots. However, Yaz and Yasmin combine estrogen with a progestin called drospirenone. Research has revealed that the combination of both hormones dramatically increases the risk of clotting, exposing women to the possibility of suffering an ischemic stroke.
Treating A Yasmin Stroke
Treatment must be administered quickly following an ischemic stroke. Doctors will usually give the patient aspirin to help thin their blood and prevent a subsequent stroke. In many cases, a tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is administered through injection. A tPA is a drug that can break apart blood clots, but it must be given to the patient within three hours of the stroke’s onset. Otherwise, it is useless.
Yaz Strokes: Possible Long-term effects
The side effects suffered by women who experience a Yaz or Yasmin stroke will vary based on two factors: the area that is starved of blood and the level of deprivation. If an ischemic stroke starves the back area of the brain, the patient will usually develop issues with her vision. If the stroke affects the right side of the patient’s brain, she may suffer memory loss and paralysis on her left side. In contrast, a stroke that starves the left side of the brain will typically cause speech problems and paralysis on the right.
Because Yaz, Yasmin, and Ocella contain both estrogen and drospirenone, women who take them are more susceptible to developing an ischemic stroke. The increased risk of blood clots can lead to an embolus that travels to an artery which feeds the brain.
The effects of a Yaz stroke are often permanent, if not deadly. If you have taken these birth control pills and developed blood clots, deep vein thrombosis, or experienced an ischemic stroke, contact a Yasmin stroke lawyer today.
