What You Can Do. First, check with your doctor to find out which exercises you can do and when you should do them. For most people, walking or taking care of some housework are fine right after you find out you have DVT. It's also OK right after a pulmonary embolism.
The reason this walking regimen can help with DVT is that light exercise helps to improve circulation. As long as you don't overwork yourself, exercising with DVT can actually lessen the risk of health complications associated with the condition.
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.
3) Leg Pain
The pain can range from a dull ache to intense throbbing pain. Pain in one leg or arm and not the other is a warning sign of DVT. Discomfort often increases with walking or standing for an extended period.
As keeping blood moving to all areas of the body helps prevent blood clot formation, simple movements and stretches can help reduce the risk for deep vein thrombosis, allowing for healthy habits during work from home periods.
The Importance of Exercise if You Have DVT
Studies show that exercise also can improve symptoms of DVT, including swelling, discomfort, and redness. Physical activity can also make you feel more energized. If you have DVT, being active is especially important for your legs. That's where blood clots usually form.
Sitting for a long time without getting up and walking around can cause blood to pool in the veins of your legs. This can lead to blood clots.
As the clot gets worse, you may feel a sensation ranging from a dull ache to intense pain. The pain may throb in your leg, belly, or even arm.
Important! If you think you have a blood clot, call your doctor or go to the emergency room right away! Blood clots can be dangerous.
For most people with a DVT, it takes a few weeks or months to recover completely without long-term effects. But in some cases, if you're recovering from a blood clot in the leg, you may feel swelling and some discomfort.
Bed rest is sometimes recommended as part of the treatment for an existing DVT, in an effort to prevent a pulmonary embolism.
Clues of a Clot
swelling of the leg or along a vein in the leg. pain or tenderness in the leg, which you may feel only when standing or walking. increased warmth in the area of the leg that's swollen or painful. red or discolored skin on the leg.
As we mentioned, sitting or even standing for too long can make your blood pool. And that can raise your risk for clotting. Now, when they form on your surface veins, blood clots aren't typically dangerous. Actually, when you have varicose veins, you probably already have blood clots.
Shortness of breath, coughing up blood and feeling faint or dizzy, or passing out are also common symptoms.
It is important to start treatment right away for DVT. It takes about 3 to 6 months for a blood clot to go away.
You should go to your nearest ER if you experience any of these symptoms or have chest, leg or back pain that does not subside with over-the-counter remedies or home treatment. Or, if any of the following symptoms are present: Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. Loss of consciousness or feeling light-headed.
Anything that slows the flow of blood through the deep veins in the legs can cause DVT. This includes an injury, surgery or long periods of sitting or lying.
Fluid that collects in the lungs (pulmonary edema) can cause shortness of breath that mirrors the symptoms of a pulmonary embolism that can happen with DVT. Symptoms typically worsen when you lie down.
Thrombosis is extremely common and is the underlying cause of 1 in 4 deaths worldwide. That's because thrombosis can lead to dangerous conditions like a heart attack, stroke or pulmonary embolism. Thrombosis is more common among people with certain medical conditions, including: Atrial fibrillation.
Blood thinners are medicines that prevent blood clots from forming. They do not break up clots that you already have. But they can stop those clots from getting bigger. It's important to treat blood clots, because clots in your blood vessels and heart can cause heart attacks, strokes, and blockages.
While many blood clots dissolve with the help of blood thinners, some dangerous clots require fast-acting clot-busting medications called thrombolytics. Because thrombolytics can cause severe bleeding, doctors usually give them only to people with large, severe clots that increase risk of pulmonary embolism.
5. Can I drive after a DVT or PE? As long as you didn't suffer a loss of consciousness, and you can move your leg freely, then there are no restrictions on driving.