How to Clear Blood Clots: Natural Home Remedies

Besides staying active, you can also reduce your risk for clots with a few more lifestyle changes. These tips can all help improve the circulation in your body, stimulating blood flow and making clots less likely.

1. 1
   Lose weight if you have to. Being overweight or obese puts you at a higher risk for developing blood clots. If you’re overweight, talk to your doctor and determine an ideal bodyweight for yourself. Then design an exercise and diet regimen to reach that goal. ^[5]

   • Losing weight can also lower your blood pressure, which reduces your risk of blood clots further.
   • Avoid crash or extreme dieting. This is bad for your health and people often regain weight after they stop an extreme diet. ^[6]
2. 2
   Wear compression stockings if you’ve had clots in your legs. These stockings help maintain circulation in your legs. Doctors usually recommend them for people at a higher risk of clots or who have had leg clots in the past. If your doctor suggests these, then follow their recommendations on wearing them correctly. ^[7]

   • People often wear compression stockings if they’ll be seated for a long time, like on a plane. Even if you don’t wear them all the time, your doctor might tell you to wear them during flights.
   • Compression stockings are only meant to prevent clots from forming, not treat active ones. Wait until your initial clot clears to use them. ^[8]
3. 3
   Avoid sitting with your legs crossed. Keeping your legs crossed cuts off circulation in your lower body and puts you at a higher risk for leg clots. Only sit with your legs crossed for a few minute at a time, then uncross them to keep your circulation up.

   • After you uncross your legs, try wiggling your feet around a bit to stimulate blood flow again.
4. 4
   Elevate your legs above your heart to stimulate blood flow. Elevating your legs keeps your circulation up and prevents your blood from pooling in your legs. If you’re sitting on a couch, try laying back and propping your feet up on the armrest or a pillow. ^[9]

   • You can also elevate the end of your bed to keep your legs up while you sleep. However, don’t place a pillow under your knees to do this. This could cut off circulation.
5. 5
   Quit smoking to reduce your risk of clotting. Smoking increases your risk of developing clots, along with numerous other health problems. If you smoke, it’s best to quit as soon as possible. If you don’t smoke, then don’t start in the first place. ^[10]

   • Secondhand smoke could also cause health problems, so don’t let anyone smoke in your home.
Advertisement

There is no single dietary change that will prevent blood clots. In general, however, a healthy diet helps keep you in good shape and maintains your cardiovascular health. This is all good for reducing your risk of clots.

1. 1
   Practice a healthy, balanced diet . A healthy diet helps you maintain a healthy bodyweight, lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, and improve your cardiovascular health. This all helps prevent clotting, so if you have to, make some healthy dietary changes to improve your diet. ^[11]

   • Include plenty of produce in your diet for vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Have at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.
   • Get your proteins from lean sources like fish, poultry, beans, or nuts.
   • Switch to whole-wheat products to reduce your intake of simple carbohydrates.
   • Avoid fatty, fried, salty, or processed foods as much as possible. These can all raise your weight and blood pressure.
2. 2
   Drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. Dehydration prevents your blood from flowing well, which could increase your risk for clots. Drink plenty of water every day to keep yourself hydrated and lower your risk of clotting. ^[12]

   • The common recommendation is for everyone to drink 6-8 glasses of water per day, which should keep most people hydrated. However, if you feel thirsty or your urine is dark yellow, then drink some more water.
3. 3
   Eat at least 1 g of omega-3s each day. Omega-3s improve your cardiovascular health and could help prevent clots. The main sources for these nutrients are oily fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines, and herrings. You can also get it from nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils. ^[13]

   • If you’re unable to get enough omega-3s from your regular diet, you can also take a fish oil or algae supplement for a higher dose. Talk to your doctor and follow their recommendations for the right supplement.
4. 4
   Follow a low-salt diet. Salt constricts your blood vessels and raises your blood pressure, all of which could put you at a higher risk for clots. Try to avoid very salty foods like fried or processed meals, and don’t add more salt to your food to keep your intake under control. ^[14]

   • The official recommendation for general health is to keep your sodium intake below 2,300 mg per day. If you’ve had clots in the past, your doctor may restrict your sodium intake further.
5. 5
   Limit your vitamin K intake to 90-120 mcg per day. While your body needs vitamin K, this nutrient helps your blood coagulate. If you’ve had blood clots in the past, then excessive vitamin K could put you at a higher risk for clotting. You’re your vitamin K intake within the recommended 90-120 mcg per day to avoid any problems. ^[15]

   • Leafy green vegetables are very high in vitamin K, so only have 1 serving per day. Then switch to vegetables with less vitamin K like beans or carrots.
   • High vitamin K levels could interact with blood thinners like warfarin. Talk to your doctor if you’re on this medication to determine a safe vitamin K level.
6. 6
   Drink alcohol in moderation. Alcohol can cause dehydration, which puts you at a higher risk for clotting. If you drink, limit yourself to 1-2 alcoholic drinks per day to avoid problems. ^[16]

   • Binge drinking is harmful as well. Even if you only have 6 drinks in a week, having them all on the same day will dehydrate you.
   • If you’ve had clots in the past, your doctor might recommend that you cut alcohol out of your diet entirely. Follow these instructions if your doctor suggests this.
Advertisement