Health - Blood Clots

Blood Clots Facts 

A blood clot is a gel-like mass formed by platelets and fibrin in the blood to stop bleeding.
The blood clot forms to try to repair damage to a blood vessel, either an artery or vein. When blood clots form inappropriately inside an artery or vein, they may cause significant problems because blood flow past the clot is decreased.

There are many risk factors and illnesses that can lead to blood clot formation.

Risk Factors of Blood Clots Forming in A Vein may include:

• Prolonged immobility (such as long car or plane rides)
• Smoking
• Certain medications, including birth control pills
• Surgery, especially orthopedic procedures when casts or splints are placed and the patient is immobile
• Inherited blood-clotting disorders

Risk factors of blood clots forming in arteries include:

• Heart conditions, including atrial fibrillation, a heart rhythm disturbance
• Smoking
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Trauma or local injury (including surgery or intra-vascular instruments)

Symptoms of blood clots depend on their location in the body. Some blood clots produce no symptoms until they rupture or become dislodged and travel through the circulatory system to other sites. 

Symptoms of blood clots in specific body locations inclulde:

• Symptoms of blood clots in legs (deep vein thrombosis, or DVT) are pain, redness, and swelling.
• Symptoms of an arterial blood clot in a limb (leg or arm) include pain, pale color, numbness, loss of feeling, and coolness to the touch.
• Symptoms of blood clots in the lung (pulmonary embolus, or PE) include chest pain, shortness of breath, fainting, and rapid pulse and breathing.
• Symptoms of a stroke (blood clot in an artery of the brain) include possible loss of speech, vision, profound dizziness, and weakness on one side of the body.
• Symptoms of a heart attack (blood clot in a coronary artery) are chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, indigestion, and sweating. Women, people with diabetes, and the elderly may experience other non-specific symptoms.
• Symptoms of mesenteric ischemia (blood clot to an artery that supplies the intestine) include abdominal pain, nausea, bloating, and blood in the stool.

The diagnosis of a blood clot is suggested by the history and physical examination and is often confirmed with an imaging test. Depending upon the location of the blood clot and its cause, treatment may require surgery, anti-coagulation medications, or a combination of the two.

Prevention of blood clots involves attention to the risk factors for vascular disease and includes avoiding smoking and lifelong control of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

Serious and even life-threatening complications may arise from blood clots, and individuals should seek emergency medical care if they believe they may have a blood clot, especially if signs and symptoms of a heart attack or stroke occur.

source: medicinenet