Antiphospholipid Syndrome Treatment in Riverside, CA

Overview of Antiphospholipid Syndrome

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disease. It makes harmful blood clots form. In an autoimmune disease, the immune system makes antibodies that attack and harm your own tissues or cells.

Understanding Antiphospholipid Syndrome

Antibodies normally protect your body from viruses and bacteria. In APS, they attack the body’s healthy cells. High levels of APS antibodies raise the risk of blood clots. These antibodies are called “antiphospholipids.” That is because they attack parts of cells called phospholipids. The damage makes blood clots more likely to form in both veins and arteries.

Symptoms of Antiphospholipid Syndrome

High levels of APS antibodies in the blood raise the risk of health problems. But some people with them never get blood clots.

Signs of a harmful blood clot include:

• Chest pain and shortness of breath.
• Nausea, or feeling sick to your stomach.
• Pain, redness, warmth and swelling in the arms or legs.
• Changes in how you speak.
• Pain or pressure in the upper body, such as the arms, back, neck and jaw.

Less common symptoms of APS include:

• A red rash that looks like lace on the wrists and knees.
• Headaches that keep coming back.
• Heart valve problems.
• Memory loss.

Who Gets Antiphospholipid Syndrome?

APS can affect people of any age. Some things may raise your risk. These include your family history and genes, other health problems, medicines and procedures, and your daily habits. Common risk factors include:

• Sex: APS is more common in women than in men.
• Family history: APS sometimes runs in families.
• Having another autoimmune disease: APS is most common in people who have lupus. In fact, 20% to 30% of people with lupus have antiphospholipid antibodies. About 1 in 3 of them get blood clots in their arteries or veins.
• Infections: HIV, hepatitis C and the bacteria that cause Lyme disease can raise your risk of making APS antibodies. They can also set off APS.

Diagnosis of Antiphospholipid Syndrome

Your doctor will ask about your health history and may order blood tests. The tests look for the three APS antibodies in your blood. They are anticardiolipin, beta-2 glycoprotein I (β2GPI) and lupus anticoagulant. To be diagnosed with APS, you must have APS antibodies. You must also have had health problems linked to the disease.

Treatment of Antiphospholipid Syndrome

APS has no cure yet. But medicines can help prevent the health problems it causes. The goals of treatment are to stop new blood clots from forming and to keep clots you already have from getting bigger. Your doctor may prescribe a blood thinner. They will know which medicine is best for you.

It is important for people with APS to see a doctor and get treatment. Without treatment, APS can cause blood clots that threaten your life. These clots can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Untreated APS during pregnancy raises the risk of miscarriage. It also raises the risk of preeclampsia, which is high blood pressure during pregnancy.

Living With Antiphospholipid Syndrome

• Take blood thinners just as your doctor prescribed. Go to all your check-up visits.
• Tell every doctor and dentist you see that you have APS. Tell them which medicines you take.
• If you plan to get pregnant, talk with your care team first.
• Call 911 if you have signs of a stroke, a heart attack or a clot in the lungs. These include sudden chest pain, shortness of breath or changes in how you speak.