10 Things That Might Have Caused Goldie's Death

The Nigerian entertainment industry was again jolted by the sudden, unexpected news of the demise of another popular female singer and former Big Brother Africa Housemate, Susan Oluwabimpe Harvey, popularly known as “Goldie”.

The 31-year-old was said to have complained of severe headache shortly after returning to Nigeria from the United States where she had attended the music industry’s Grammy Awards.

Though the cause of her death remains prone to speculations, the only authenticated information from anybody that got close to her before or shortly after her passing is the one gotten from the hospital where she was confirmed dead. According to an official statement by the Reddington Hospital, where she was rushed to, she died of pulmonary embolism.

I know you’ll be saying, “I have heard that before, what does that mean?” or asking “why her?”, if you’ve asked any of these questions, heard somebody asked them or you are thinking of them now, you are in the right place; as I am writing this post to explain what pulmonary embolism means and what the risk factors are.

A pulmonary embolism (PE) is a blood clot that develops in a blood vessel elsewhere in the body (most commonly from the leg), travels to an artery in the lung, and forms an occlusion (blockage) of the artery.

A blood clot (thrombus) that forms in a blood vessel in one area of the body, breaks off, and travels to another area of the body through the bloodstream is called an embolus. An embolus can lodge itself in a blood vessel, blocking the blood supply to a particular organ. This blockage of a blood vessel by an embolus is called an embolism.

An embolism to the lung may cause serious life-threatening consequences and, potentially, death. Most commonly, a PE is the result of a condition called deep vein thrombosis (blood clot in the deep veins of the leg).

Although anyone can develop blood clots leading to pulmonary embolism, certain factors can increase your risk. These are some that may have precipitated pulmonary embolism in her:

Prolonged immobility – Sitting in a cramped position during lengthy plane or car trips slows the current of blood flow in your veins, which contributes to the formation of clots in your legs. She was to have had recently arrived from the United States, though we don’t know if she sat in a cramped position or not, but there is a possibility this might have precipitated pulmonary embolism in her.

Family history – Though we are not opportune to know her detailed family history, this might be a possibility too. You're at higher risk of experiencing future clots if any of your family members have had blood clots in the past. This may be due to inherited disorders of your clotting system and these are usually inherited disorders.

Previous history of clot – If you've experienced DVT or VTE in the past — for any reason — you're at increased risk of developing the condition again.

Smoking – Though I cannot ascertain if or not she smokes, but this is a common practice among musicians and other entertainment industry players, so it won’t be out of place to entertain such possibility. For reasons that aren't well understood, tobacco use predisposes some people to blood clot formation, especially when combined with other risk factors.

Supplemental estrogen – This is a common cause of pulmonary embolism in ladies of this age group, especially when you are a star musician like Goldie who may have wanted more industry exposure without being restrained by pregnancy which can come later. The estrogen in birth control pills can increase clotting factors in the blood making the blood to clot more easily.

Valve malfunction – Tiny valves located every few inches within your larger veins keep your blood moving in the right direction. However, these valves tend to degrade with age, though it may occur earlier in patients with congenital cardiovascular diseases. When they don't work properly, blood pools and sometimes forms clots.

Dehydration – Though this is more common in older people, it can occur at any age. Dehydration may thicken the blood and make clots formation more likely.

Intravenous drug use – Though her involvement in drug abuse has never been confirmed, but it’s one of the early causes attributed to her death before Reddington Hospital came up with a diagnosis. Besides, just like smoking, intravenous drug abuse, have been implicated as the cause of death of numerous popular artists in the recent past.

Blood clotting disorder – Though we are unable to verify this in her case, it’s a possibility. Certain blood clotting disorders make the blood clot faster, and thus increase the risk of pulmonary embolism.

Unknown – For a number of cases of pulmonary embolism, the causes are unknown. The patient just become breathless starts having chest pains, become sweaty, and start having chest pains and palpitations; and after thorough investigation, no cause will be found.

The multi-talented Goldie is gone, and we sympathize with her family, friends and fans, but more importantly, you should realize that pulmonary embolism can happen to anybody and it can be so sudden and fatal, so prevention is key.

You can prevent pulmonary embolism with the following tips:

Take anti-clotting medication. A risk factor for developing a pulmonary embolism is having surgery especially operations to the legs and hip. Medications such as heparin may be given after surgery if your physician feels you are at risk.

Wear compression or pneumatic stockings if on bed rest. People who have prolonged bed rest due to an illness or recovery from surgery may develop blood clots which can lead to a pulmonary embolism. Compression and pneumatic stockings squeeze the legs to help blood flow remain efficient.

Move around when on a long flight. Inactivity such as sitting on an airplane for long periods of time can lead to a pulmonary embolism. Get up and move around every hour, even a short walk up the aisle will help. Rotate your ankles while you are sitting. The same things are true for driving long distances. Stop and go for a short walk to get the blood flowing.

Stay well hydrated when traveling. Dehydration makes it easier for blood clots to form. Dehydration combined with lack of movement makes a pulmonary embolism more likely to occur. Drink plenty of water and limit caffeinated beverages and alcohol which can contribute to dehydration.

Know your risk factors. People who are overweight tend to develop pulmonary embolisms more easily. Other risk factors include smoking, pregnancy and family history. Some risk factors you cannot control. However you can quit smoking and maintain a healthy weight.

Be aware taking birth control pills and some hormone replacement therapies can increase the clotting factor in your blood. Speak with your doctor about other risk factor you have for developing a pulmonary embolism to determine if you should continue taking the pills.