Treatment includes medicines to ease pain and inflammation, break up clots and keep new clots from forming. Keeping the affected area raised and applying moist heat can also help.
To help reduce the pain and swelling that can occur with DVT, patients are often told to elevate their leg(s), use a heating pad, take walks and wear compression stockings.
USING HEAT OR ICE FOR BLOOD CLOT IN LEG
In combination with pneumatic compression or medication, some suggest icing a blood clot. According to a study from PubMed, ice is commonly recommended as a treatment to decrease bleeding thus could be used to help dissolve blood clots.
If you use ice immediately, you will reduce the amount of swelling. Ice decreases all of these: swelling, tissue damage, blood clot formation, inflammation, muscle spasms, and pain.
Cold therapy works the best in such cases to reduce the blood supply to the area and bring down the redness and swelling.
Treatment includes medicines to ease pain and inflammation, break up clots and keep new clots from forming. Keeping the affected area raised and applying moist heat can also help.
DON'T stand or sit in one spot for a long time. DON'T wear clothing that restricts blood flow in your legs. DON'T smoke. DON'T participate in contact sports when taking blood thinners because you're at risk of bleeding from trauma.
Exercises like walking or swimming can help you heal after a clot. They boost your blood flow and may make you feel better. If you had a pulmonary embolism, activities that get your heart pumping, like running or dancing, can make your lungs stronger. But talk to your doctor first about how much is right for you.
Elevate your legs above the level of your heart.
Elevate your legs when you sit or lie down, as often as you can. This will help decrease swelling and pain. Prop your legs on pillows or blankets to keep them elevated comfortably.
Elevation: Elevating the legs can help to instantly relieve pain. A doctor may also instruct a patient to elevate the legs above the heart three or four time a day for about 15 minutes at a time. This can help to reduce swelling.
If you have had a blood clot in the leg, your doctor may suggest you wear a compression stocking to reduce swelling.
Stay Hydrated
Dehydration contributes to the development of sluggish blood flow and blood clots. NYU Langone doctors advise drinking 8 to 10 8-ounce glasses of water each day for optimal blood flow. It's especially important to do this when your mobility is limited for long periods, such as while traveling.
Anticoagulants. Anticoagulants, such as heparin, warfarin, dabigatran, apixaban, and rivaroxaban, are medications that thin the blood and help to dissolve blood clots.
It takes about 3 to 6 months for a blood clot to go away. During this time, there are things you can do to relieve symptoms. Elevate your leg to reduce swelling. Talk to your doctor about using compression stockings.
Drinking plenty of water can help dissolve blood clots as it helps keep the blood thin and flowing smoothly. Drinking at least eight glasses of water a day is recommended to help prevent blood clots from forming.
Being on long-term bed rest. Sitting for long periods, such as in a plane or car. During and after pregnancy. Taking birth control pills or estrogen hormones (especially in women who smoke)
Signs that you may have a blood clot
leg pain or discomfort that may feel like a pulled muscle, tightness, cramping or soreness. swelling in the affected leg. redness or discoloration of the sore spot. the affected area feeling warm to the touch.
lie on their sides with a pillow between the knees if desirable.
“Fortunately, you can do several things to reduce your risk of blood clots during long trips, such as moving your legs frequently or taking a break to stretch your legs,” says Ankur Chandra, MD, a vascular surgeon at Scripps Clinic Torrey Pines. “Activities like this help to improve the flow of blood in your legs.”
Thrombolytic therapy or catheter-directed thrombolysis
This clot busting treatment can be done by various methods: The clot-busting drug can be slowly infused into the blood clot, or it can be quickly delivered into the blood clot by a catheter-based device.
Thrombolytics are drugs that dissolve blood clots. A doctor may give a thrombolytic intravenously, or they may use a catheter in the vein, which will allow them to deliver the drug directly to the site of the clot.
throbbing or cramping pain, swelling, redness and warmth in a leg or arm. sudden breathlessness, sharp chest pain (may be worse when you breathe in) and a cough or coughing up blood.