Blood clot greatest threat to one’s life

It’s become known as the “monster of all diseases” as it hides its ugly head under many masks.

Robert Robinson and his siblings know this all too well. They felt pain and anger growing up as they watched their father use alcohol to numb his pain and hide his symptoms of Huntington’s disease.

“Dad (Jack) turned to alcohol to self-medicate. We all thought he was an alcoholic because of his walk, mobility and mood swings because he was undiagnosed,” remembered Robinson, with tears in his eyes. “There was a lot of resentment growing up, but forgiveness is huge,” he said.

Years later, Robinson and his siblings would unmask the root of their father’s distress that Joan Bettles and her grandson, Asher Smith, race to find a cure for Huntington’s disease at the annual P.E.I. Indy Go-Cart Challenge held at the Burlington Amusement Park.

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“My sister, Marie, who was in her early 40s at the time, thought she was going through menopause with mood swings, so she booked an appointment to see a physician in London, Ont. They confirmed she had Huntington’s disease (HD). With her diagnosis, we all knew the genetic disorder stemmed from Dad.”

Symptoms of Huntington’s disease include personality changes such as mood swings, depression, impaired judgement, involuntary movements, inability to walk, slurred speech and, in the advanced stages of the fatal, hereditary brain disorder, difficulty in swallowing.

According to the Huntington Society of Canada, P.E.I. chapter, “It’s like having Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS at the same time.”

For every child born to a parent with the disease, there’s a 50 per cent chance of sharing the same fate.

Ask anyone, “What’s the greatest medical risk of dying?”, and they’ll answer heart attack.

The correct answer is a blood clot (thrombosis) that occurs in the heart, brain or legs. Now, a shocking report in the health publication, “LifeExtension”, shows what can happen to our legs when we’re flying at 35,000 feet.

So with an aging population, and increased air travel, what can be done to decrease the risk of a blood clot?

Thrombosis can happen anytime and anywhere. But the greatest risk is a long air flight. This is when venous blood pools in the lower leg due to inactivity. The extent of this threat has surprised researchers. Using ultrasound imaging they detected venous thrombosis in the lower legs in five to seven per cent of passengers, whose flights lasted seven to eight hours. But, without symptoms, passengers were totally unaware of the presence of the thrombosis or that it could kill them.

Later, another study was done on a similar group of passengers. But they had been advised to use two natural remedies, nattokinase and pcynogenol, prior to and during the flight. In this case, ultrasound studies showed no evidence of thrombosis and less swelling of the lower legs.

Nattokinase is an enzyme made from the Japanese food, natto, prepared from fermented soybeans. It helps to thin the blood and prevent blood clots. Pcynogenol is extracted from the bark of a pine tree and helps to improve circulation.

Patients who develop a thrombosis in the lower leg complain of pain in the calf, swelling, increased warmth and possibly redness of the skin. If the clot travels to the lungs or if there’s coronary thrombosis, there will