Blood clots, commonly known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), is a serious condition which could be life-threatening.
It is important to be aware of symptoms in order to make sure that you spot a potential blood clot as soon as possible. Often it is easy to treat if it has been spotted early enough, with a number of medications available.
With that in mind there are four telltale signs that you should be looking out for, particularly in the legs. Other symptoms may warn that your DVT has progressed, which will require immediate medical attention, reports the Echo.
According to Scotland's NHS Inform, symptoms can include the following.
- pain, swelling and tenderness in one of your legs
- a heavy ache in the affected area
- warm skin in the area of the clot
- red skin, particularly at the back of your leg below the knee
Further symptoms could include breathlessness which may warn of pulmonary embolism, a severe condition that occurs when a piece of blood clot breaks off into the bloodstream. Here is a look into some of the key blood clot symptoms which people should never ignore.
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.
Swelling
When a clot slows or stops the flow of blood, it can build up in the vessel and make it swell. NHS Inform say that the condition "usually occurs in a deep leg vein, a larger vein that runs through the muscles of the calf and the thigh. It can also occur in the pelvis or abdomen.
"It can cause pain and swelling in the leg and may lead to complications such as pulmonary embolism."
Skin colour change
A person’s leg, or the affected area, may start to turn a red or blue hue. 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.
Trouble breathing
As a clot leaves the legs and starts to move to the lungs, patients may experience difficulty breathing and a bad cough. This could warn of pulmonary embolism, a condition that about one in 10 people with DVT will develop.
NHS Inform say: "Seek immediate medical attention if you have pain, swelling and tenderness in your leg and develop breathlessness and chest pain."
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