A YOUNG mum has shared a terrifying photo of a red mark tracking up her leg, after doctors warned it was 1cm away from potentially killing her.
Hanah Thornton revealed that her doctor initially dismissed the mark as a skin infection, but it was later identified as a 60cm blood clot.
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“It was very close to being life or death,” the 22-year-old dental assistant said.
Hanah from Missouri, US, claimed doctors have since told her the clot had been caused by her contraceptive pill.
Before the red mark emerged, Hanah started experiencing leg pain, which she brushed off as a minor sports injury.
“I’m a pretty active person and I do a lot of walking and go to the gym so I thought it was just muscle pain so I didn’t think too much into it,” she said.
However, over the next few days, the pain intensified, and the mum-of-one suddenly noticed a red, “hot” patch on her right thigh that began to spread up her leg.
“It was very hot to touch and very tender to the point that I could barely walk on it,” she said.
She went to see her hospital, where a doctor diagnosed her with cellulitis, a skin infection, and sent her home with antibiotics.
Still in pain, Hanah visited another hospital the next day, where she received an ultrasound which revealed she had a blood clot in her leg.
The clot travelled 60cm from the bottom of her knee and scaled all the way up to her groin area.
“I was pretty scared and upset at this point as I had gone to the hospital the night before,” she said.
“What if I had died because of it [the blood clot] last night. A lot of emotions were going through my head.
“It was one centimetre from being away from a big vein that could have travelled into my lung.”
Hanah was told it was likley that blood clot had been caused by her combined contraceptive pill.
According to the NHS website, the risk of developing a blood clot after taking the combined pill is very small and affects up to one in 1,000 people.
On the combined pill there is a risk of developing a blood clot in your leg or lung and developing a blood clot that can cause a stroke or heart attack.
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EDUCATE YOURSELF
Hanah went on birth control for the first time three years ago after becoming a mum and giving birth to her daughter Henslee in September 2021.
Originally she was prescribed the mini contraceptive pill, but when this caused her to have irregular periods she switched to the combined pill a year ago.
A doctor, nurse or pharmacist should carry out a risk assessment on the patient before prescribing them birth control and should make them aware of the potential side effects.
Hanah will now have to take blood thinner tablets four times a day for three months and says she will never go on the Pill again.
The mother stated that while she would never advise others to stop using the Pill, it’s essential for people to educate themselves about the potential side effects of birth control.
Hanah said: “It is a scary thing to go through. Knowing that it was a life or death situation.
“If I hadn’t treated it in time or stood my ground to say something was wrong, how much longer would this have gone on and how much longer would I have been here for it?
“I would tell other women to educate themselves. As a mum, I understand that someone might go on the pill so they don’t have another baby.”
How does the pill cause blood clots?
Birth control pills contain hormones like oestrogen and progesterone, which can affect blood clotting.
Oestrogen, in particular, can increase the levels of certain proteins in your blood that promote clotting.
This means that while the pill is great for preventing pregnancy, it can also raise your risk of clots—especially in women who smoke, are over 35, or have other health conditions.
It’s always a good idea to chat with your GP about your options and any concerns you might have.
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