Antiphospholipid syndrome, aka Hughes or sticky blood syndrome, is an autoimmune disorder that causes blood clots to form in your arteries and veins. This thrombosis results from the over production of antibodies that derange the complex process of coagulation.
Normally, antibodies are crafted by your immune system to combat invaders, like bacteria and viruses. However with antiphospholipid syndrome, antibodies are released which compel blood clot formation in your blood vessels via an unhealthy attack on phospholipids or phospholipid binding proteins.
The range of symptoms and the health demoting outcomes for sticky blood syndrome largely depend on the extent and location of your blood clots, some of which may include:
- stroke
- chorea
- seizures
- dementia
- petechiae
- hematuria
- nosebleeds
- kidney failure
- bleeding gums
- cognitive issues
- optic neuropathy
- chronic headache
- thrombocytopenia
- migraine headaches
- sudden hearing loss
- pulmonary embolism
- deep vein thrombosis
- neurological problems
- depression, psychosis
- pulmonary hypertension
- heart valve abnormalities
- lacy red rash on wrists, knees
- repeated miscarriages, stillbirths
- venous insufficiency causing chronic edema & discoloration of lower legs
Many of these antiphospholipid syndrome symptoms develop because a blood clot can form in an organ, block the flow of blood to an organ, break off and travel elsewhere or a result of thrombocytopenia caused bleeding.
Antiphospholipid antibodies can flourish in an otherwise healthy individual. Also, the mere presence of these antibodies does not necessarily cause Hughes syndrome’s thrombosis.
What causes sticky blood syndrome is undiscovered. Yet, a couple associated factors that have been identified with antiphospholipid antibody presence involve:
- autoimmune disorders ~ lupus, Sjogren’s syndrome
- infections ~ syphilis, HIV infection, hepatitis C, malaria
- meds ~ hydralazine for high blood pressure, phenytoin for seizures, amoxicillin antibiotics
There’s no cure for antiphospholipid syndrome. Yet, thinning your blood is effective for reducing your incidence of sticky blood clots. Anticoagulant drugs that are typically the prescribed treatment are:
Hughes syndrome significantly improves with this form treatment.
Recommended in conjunction is smoking cessation, not take oral contraceptives or hormone replacements, exercise regularly and consume a healthy diet. These healthy lifestyle adjustments help minimize additional causes for a sticky possibility.
