You may even notice a slight reddish or bluish hue to your skin. Blood clots can also form in veins that are closer to the skin, known as superficial venous thrombosis, and cause a syndrome called superficial thrombophlebitis. These can be caused by injury to the skin, including having an intravenous IV line placed, or other risk factors similar to those causing a DVT.
Your doctor will examine you and may use an ultrasound to differentiate between a superficial blood clot and a DVT. Blood clots may be more common in the lower legs, but they can happen in other parts of your body, too. Where clots form and where they end up influence which symptoms you have and the consequences. For example, when a blood clot forms in the arteries of the heart and blocks blood flow, it can cause a heart attack.
Or, a blood clot could travel to your lungs and cause a pulmonary embolism. Both can be life threatening and have similar symptoms. According to Maldonado, the chest pain that comes with a pulmonary embolism may feel like sharp pains that get worse with each breath. This pain may also be accompanied by:. A pain in your chest that feels more like an elephant is sitting on you may be a sign of a potential cardiac event, such as heart attack or angina. The pain that goes along with a potential heart attack may center on your chest.
It might also radiate to the left part of your jaw or your left shoulder and arm. Is your chest pain from congestion or wheezing? A blood clot here can stop blood circulation of the intestine and cause internal damage in that area. Catching a clot in the abdomen early may lead to a better outlook. Some people are more at risk for this type of clot than others, says Caroline Sullivan , nurse practitioner and assistant professor at Columbia University School of Nursing.
This includes anyone with a condition that causes swelling of the tissues surrounding the veins, such as:. In severe cases this can be fatal. If the clot is small, it might not cause any symptoms. If it's medium-sized, it can cause chest pain and breathing difficulties.
A large clot can cause the lungs to collapse, resulting in heart failure , which can be fatal. If you've had a DVT, you may develop long-term symptoms in your calf known as post-thrombotic syndrome.
If you have DVT, the blood clot in the vein of your calf can divert the flow of blood to other veins, causing an increase in pressure. This can affect the tissues of your calf and lead to symptoms, including:.
When a DVT develops in your thigh vein, there's an increased risk of post-thrombotic syndrome occurring. It's also more likely to occur if you're overweight or if you've had more than one DVT in the same leg. If you're admitted to hospital or planning to go into hospital for surgery, your risk of developing a blood clot while you're there will be assessed. Surgery and some medical treatments can increase your risk of developing DVT — see causes of DVT for more information.
If you're thought to be at risk of developing DVT, your healthcare team can take a number of measures to prevent a blood clot forming. If you're going into hospital to have an operation, and you're taking the combined contraceptive pill or hormone replacement therapy HRT , you'll be advised to temporarily stop taking your medication four weeks before your operation.
Similarly, if you're taking medication to prevent blood clots , such as aspirin , you may be advised to stop taking it one week before your operation. There's less risk of getting DVT when having a local anaesthetic compared with a general anaesthetic.
Your doctor will discuss whether it's possible for you to have a local anaesthetic. There are a number of things your healthcare team can do to help reduce your risk of getting DVT while you're in hospital. For example, they'll make sure you have enough to drink so you don't become dehydrated , and they'll also encourage you to move around as soon as you're able to. Depending on your risk factors and individual circumstances, a number of different medications can be used to help prevent DVT.
For example:. Compression stockings or compression devices are also commonly used to help keep the blood in your legs circulating. Compression stockings are worn around your feet, lower legs and thighs, and fit tightly to encourage your blood to flow more quickly around your body. Compression devices are inflatable and work in the same way as compression stockings, inflating at regular intervals to squeeze your legs and encourage blood flow.
Your healthcare team will usually advise you to walk regularly after you've been prescribed compression stockings.
Keeping mobile can help prevent the symptoms of DVT returning and may help prevent or improve complications of DVT , such as post-thrombotic syndrome. You may need to continue to take anticoagulant medicine and wear compression stockings when you leave hospital.
Before you leave, your healthcare team should advise you about how to use your treatment, how long to continue using it for, and who to contact if you experience any problems. If you're planning a long-distance plane, train or car journey journeys of six hours or more , make sure you:.
Read more about preventing DVT when you travel. If you're travelling abroad, it's very important to ensure you're prepared should you or a family member fall ill. Make sure you have full travel insurance to cover the cost of any healthcare you may need while abroad. This is particularly important if you have a pre-existing medical condition, such as cancer or heart disease , which may increase your risk of developing DVT.
DVT can be a very serious condition, and it's important you receive medical assistance as soon as possible. Treating DVT promptly will help minimise the risk of complications. Home Illnesses and conditions Blood and lymph Deep vein thrombosis. Deep vein thrombosis See all parts of this guide Hide guide parts 1.
About deep vein thrombosis 2. Deep vein thrombosis causes 3. Deep vein thrombosis treatment 4. Complications of deep vein thrombosis 5. Deep vein thrombosis prevention. About deep vein thrombosis Deep vein thrombosis DVT is a blood clot that develops within a deep vein in the body, usually in the leg. If symptoms do occur they can include: pain, swelling and tenderness in one of your legs usually your calf or thigh 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 DVT usually although not always affects one leg.
A pulmonary embolism is a very serious condition which causes: breathlessness — which may come on gradually or suddenly chest pain — which may become worse when you breathe in sudden collapse Both DVT and pulmonary embolism need urgent investigation and treatment.
As well as age, there are also some other risk factors, including: having a history of DVT or pulmonary embolism having a family history of blood clots being inactive for long periods — such as after an operation or during a long journey blood vessel damage — a damaged blood vessel wall can result in the formation of a blood clot having certain conditions or treatments that cause your blood to clot more easily than normal — such as cancer including chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment , heart and lung disease, thrombophilia and Hughes syndrome being pregnant — your blood also clots more easily during pregnancy being overweight or obese The combined contraceptive pill and hormone replacement therapy HRT both contain the female hormone oestrogen, which causes the blood to clot more easily.
D-dimer test It can be difficult to diagnose DVT from symptoms alone. Ultrasound scan An ultrasound scan can be used to detect clots in your veins. Venogram A venogram may be used if the results of a D-dimer test and ultrasound scan can't confirm a diagnosis of DVT. Read more about treating DVT DVT prevention If you need to go into hospital for surgery, a member of your care team will assess your risk of developing a blood clot while you're there.
These may include: not smoking eating a healthy, balanced diet taking regular exercise maintaining a healthy weight or losing weight if you're obese There's no evidence to suggest that taking aspirin reduces your risk of developing DVT. Deep vein thrombosis causes Deep vein thrombosis DVT sometimes occurs for no apparent reason. However, the risk of developing DVT is increased in certain circumstances.
Inactivity When you're inactive your blood tends to collect in the lower parts of your body, often in your lower legs. In hospital If you have to go into hospital for an operation or procedure, your risk of getting a blood clot increases.
You may be at increased risk of DVT if any of the following apply: you're having an operation that takes longer than 90 minutes, or 60 minutes if the operation is on your leg, hip or abdomen you're having an operation for an inflammatory or abdominal condition, such as appendicitis you're confined to a bed, unable to walk, or spending a large part of the day in a bed or chair for at least three days You may also be at increased risk of DVT if you're much less active than usual because of an operation or serious injury and have other DVT risk factors, such as a family history of the condition.
Blood vessel damage If the wall of a blood vessel is damaged, it may become narrowed or blocked, which can cause a blood clot to form. Medical and genetic conditions Your risk of getting DVT is increased if you have a condition that causes your blood to clot more easily than normal. Some DVTs cause no symptoms; others hurt, or make the leg swell. There are two big worries with a DVT:. Pulmonary embolism. A piece of a clot can break away, travel through the bloodstream, and become lodged in the lungs.
This is called a pulmonary embolism. Almost all DVT-related deaths are due to a pulmonary embolism. It's important to get immediate medical help if you have signs and symptoms of PE. Sudden shortness of breath, chest pain while inhaling or coughing, rapid breathing, rapid pulse, feeling faint or fainting, and coughing up blood may occur with a PE. If you're on a plane, stand or walk occasionally.
If you can't do that, exercise your lower legs. Try raising and lowering your heels while keeping your toes on the floor, then raising your toes with your heels on the floor. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Blood clot in leg vein Open pop-up dialog box Close.
Blood clot in leg vein A blood clot in a leg vein may cause pain, warmth and tenderness in the affected area. Pulmonary embolism Open pop-up dialog box Close. Pulmonary embolism Pulmonary embolism PE occurs when a blood clot gets lodged in an artery in the lung, blocking blood flow to part of the lung. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter.
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