If you think you have a blood clot, call your doctor or go to the emergency room right away! Blood clots can be dangerous. Blood clots that form in the veins in your legs, arms, and groin can break loose and move to other parts of your body, including your lungs.
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.
Blood clots usually dissolve on their own. If not, the clots can potentially lead to life-threatening situations. There are two main types of blood clots: thrombus (clot does not move) and embolus (clot breaks loose and moves). If the clot is immobile, it generally won't harm you.
A large clot can cause the lungs to collapse, resulting in heart failure, which can be fatal. About one in 10 people with an untreated DVT develops a severe pulmonary embolism.
It's not something you feel instantly. A DVT or pulmonary embolism can take weeks or months to totally dissolve. Even a surface clot, which is a very minor issue, can take weeks to go away. If you have a DVT or pulmonary embolism, you typically get more and more relief as the clot gets smaller.
If you visit a vein clinic or hospital for a blood clot and blood thinners are suggested to you, taking aspirin may be an option, instead. It is not for everyone, and will not be enough in all cases, but it does have a similar effect and may work well to reduce the chances of another blood clot in the future.
This evaluation, known as Homan's Test, consists of laying flat on your back and extending the knee in the suspected leg. Have a friend or family member raise the extended leg to 10 degrees, then have them squeeze the calf. If there's deep pain in the calf, it may be indicative of DVT.
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.
“But about 30–40% of cases go unnoticed, since they don't have typical symptoms.” In fact, some people don't realize they have a deep vein clot until it causes a more serious condition. Deep vein clots—especially those in the thigh—can break off and travel through the bloodstream.
Blood clots most often start in the legs and travel up through the right side of the heart and into the lungs. This is called deep vein thrombosis (DVT). If you develop symptoms of DVT , contact your health care provider.
DVT may not cause any symptoms, but if symptoms do occur, they can include: warmth at the site of the clot. tenderness or pain in the affected leg or arm. swelling in the affected leg and foot or arm and hand.
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.
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.
Yes—The cramping sensations and pain that occur with DVT will persist and even worsen with time. Stretching or “walking it off” like an ordinary charley horse will not ease DVT pain or clear it up.
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.
Does blood clot pain come and go? Unlike the pain from a charley horse that usually goes away after stretching or with rest, the pain from a blood clot does not go away and usually gets worse with time.
throbbing pain in 1 leg (rarely both legs), usually in the calf or thigh, when walking or standing up. swelling in 1 leg (rarely both legs) warm skin around the painful area. red or darkened skin around the painful area – this may be harder to see on brown or black skin.
Don't: Sit Too Long
Try not to stay seated for more than 2 hours at a time -- get up and walk around regularly. If you had a DVT in one of your legs, don't cross your legs when you sit down.
Varicose Veins
When they don't work right, blood pools inside your veins. They swell and become large and rope-like. That's another difference from DVT -- the surface-level clots that come with varicose veins are uncommon and don't usually break free and travel to your lungs.
Following a DVT, your leg may be swollen, tender, red, or hot to the touch. These symptoms should improve over time, and exercise often helps. Walking and exercise are safe to do, but be sure to listen to your body to avoid overexertion.
You should never ignore DVT. As with any medical condition, complications can develop when you have DVT. One in 10 develop a pulmonary embolism (PE), which happens when a clot in the leg works loose, moving through the bloodstream to the arteries in the lungs.
1) Constriction of the blood vessel. 2) Formation of a temporary “platelet plug." 3) Activation of the coagulation cascade.
If you think you have a blood clot, call your doctor or go to the emergency room right away! Blood clots can be dangerous. Blood clots that form in the veins in your legs, arms, and groin can break loose and move to other parts of your body, including your lungs.