Blood Thickness / Thinness Question for Al.

[RobThatsMe]

Hi Al,

We have all heard about our blood being Thick or Thin. My question is this. Is our blood really thicker or thinner, or is this just a way of expressing how fast or slow our blood will coagulate?

I thought that the answer was, Our blood is really not thinker or thinner, it just is a term used to express the coagulating action. I am asking this because I just read on another web site that the blood really is thicker or thinner, and I am not sure this is true.

Thanks,

Rob

 

[Guest]

You have it correct.

To be technically correct diuretics such as furosemide (Lasix) and Bumex etc are the only drugs that affect the thickness of the blood. They get rid of water so the blood volume shrinks but the blood cells and plasma remain in the same quantity. Thus, the blood is truly thicker.

Water is a blood thinner, because when you take on water it is drawn into the blood and it becomes thinner.