Blood clots serve a vital purpose as they control bleeding in our bodies, but they can be life threatening if not urgently treated.
Clots that form in the body when they're not needed can lead to heart attack and stroke. Their severity depends on where they form in the body and move - for example, ischemic stroke happens when blood clots block the flow of oxygen to the brain and kill cells.
There are everyday factors that can increase your chance of developing blood clots. According to the NHS, staying in or recently left hospital, smoking, and being overweight mean you are more likely to get them.
Medication can increase the chances — people taking hormonal contraception such as the pill, contraceptive patch or vaginal ring are also at risk.
The seriousness of clots increase as they start moving through the bloodstream. For instance, Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot in a vein that's usually in the leg and can be very dangerous.
Clots require urgent medical attention and, for that reason, it's critical to spot the condition in its early stages. dissolved with an injection. require urgent medical attention.
Here are four symptoms of blood clots you should never ignore, as reported by the Mirror.
Blood clot symptoms
The NHS says there are two key signs of a blood 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
And according to WebMD, four symptoms warning of a blood clot include:
- Trouble breathing
- Colour changes
- Pain
- Swelling
Trouble breathing
This occurs as blood flow through the lungs is dramatically decreased, which in turn reduces the amount of blood flowing to the neighbouring organs.
Patients may occasionally cough up blood or may experience pain in the chest and dizziness, all of which warrant going to A&E.
Swelling
When a clot slows or stops the flow of blood, it can build up in the vessel and make it swell.
"If it happens in your lower leg or calf, it’s often a sign of DVT," explains WebMD.
That's not all though as the health site added: "But you also can have a clot in your arms or belly. Even after it goes away, one in three people still have swelling and sometimes pain and sores from damage to the blood vessel."
Skin colour change
There have also been cases where a person’s skin gives off a discoloured white tone warning something is not right. The health platform Blood Clot Recovery explains that "changes in skin colour, such as turning pale, red or blue or purple", can be indicative of deep vein thrombosis.
Pain
Symptoms of a blood clot include a throbbing or cramping pain. The leg pain or discomfort may feel like a pulled muscle, tightness or general soreness.
The affected area where the blood clot may also feel warm to the touch.
How to prevent blood clots
The NHS advises people to do the following:
- Stay active – taking regular walks can help
- Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration – you're more likely to get a clot if you're dehydrated
- Try to lose weight if you're overweight
Wear flight stockings or flight socks to improve your blood flow on long flights – a pharmacist can advise you about this
Whereas these three actions are don'ts:
- Do not sit for long periods without moving, if you can avoid it
- Do not drink lots of alcohol – this can make you dehydrated
- Do not smoke
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