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.
The serious side effects of Yasmin and Yaz birth control include problems with blood clots, stroke heart attacks, pancreatitis and gallbladder disease. Blood clots associated with Yaz stroke side effects are life-threatening medical emergencies that occurs when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel or artery in the brain. This is referred to as an ischemic stroke. During a stroke blood flow to the brain is interrupted and brain cells immediately start to die because they are prevented from receiving the oxygen and nutrients they need.
There are two types of Yaz blood clots that cause an ischemic stroke:
• Cerebral thrombus – clot that stays in place in the brain
• Cerebral embolism – clot that breaks loose and moves through the blood to the brain
Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain breaks and bleeds into the brain. This bleeding irritates the brain tissue which causes swelling. Around 20 percent of strokes are hemorrhagic. There are two main types of hemorrhagic strokes: intracerebral (bleeding in the brain) and subarachnoid (bleeding in the area between the brain and the tissues that cover the brain).
What are the symptoms of Yaz and strokes?
• Sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg — especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion or trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause
What problems can result after a stroke?
The types and degrees of disability and problems that follow Yaz strokes depend upon which area of the brain is damaged. Generally, stroke can cause five types of disabilities: paralysis or problems controlling movement; sensory disturbances including pain; problems using or understanding language; problems with thinking and memory; and emotional disturbances.
There are generally two stages of treatment for a stroke. Emergency or acute stroke treatment involves trying to stop a stroke while it is happening by quickly dissolving the blood clot that’s causing an ischemic stroke or by stopping the bleeding of a hemorrhagic stroke. Post-stroke or long-term treatment involves overcoming any disabilities and damage caused by the stroke.
Long-term treatment
Following receiving emergency care after a stroke, the goal of long-term treatment is to help the patient recover as much function as possible and to try and prevent a future stroke. Each person is different as to the length of recovery time and types of rehabilitation and therapy required. Depending on the symptoms, rehabilitation may include:
• Occupational therapy
• Physical therapy
• Speech therapy
If you suffered from Yaz causing stroke side effects or a family member has died from complications from a stroke you may have important legal rights. There are limited times to file a claim. If you have any questions please contact us for a free no-obligation consultation.
We are currently representing individuals and families throughout the United States in filing a Yaz stroke lawsuit for ongoing disability, unpaid medical bills and time lost from working.
