A blood clot in the leg is known as ‘Deep vein thrombosis’ or DVT. Sometimes when you are shaving or cutting anything with a knife or scissor, you get yourself a nick & cut. Again children during playing get themselves a bruise. In all these situations, in the nick/ injured area to stop the bleeding body immediately forms a blood clot. This blood clot then saves us from too much bleeding then breaks up on its own. But things can lead to dangerous & harmful medical conditions when they remain on your body & don’t go away. Same case for blood clot in leg.
What is ‘Deep vein thrombosis’ or we know as DVT:
When a ‘blood clot’ develops in more than one of the veins in our body, then DVT occurs. ‘Deep vein thrombosis’ or blood clot in leg can cause swelling plus leg pain. DVT usually occurs in the legs or in the hip region. But remember that blood clot in leg or DVT can develop with symptoms or without symptoms. This thrombosis problem leads to severe conditions because of the breakup of the blood clot in veins. After being broken up or loose, it can travel through our bloodstream. Not only that but also it can develop a blockage in Pulmonary embolism or simply in blood flow. Plus, it can build a lodge in the patient’s lungs. For this reason, patients can suffer respiration problems. Though it normally occurs in the lower leg or thigh, it can also form in other areas of the body.
We will discuss the blood clot in different regions in the below sections elaborately. When blood vessels face damage, then blood has a typical propensity to clot to minimize blood loss. With the help of the coagulation cascade, the blood clotting gets active. On the other hand, when the clot is no longer needed, then the clearing of the clumps is done by fibrinolysis. The increase or decrease of fibrinolysis or ‘fibrinolytic system’ can increase the risk of DVT. Sometimes the ‘Deep vein thrombosis’ can begin in the valves of veins. Thus, the valves’ flow pattern can create low oxygen concentrations in the blood or ‘Hypoxemia.’ Hypoxemia is of the valve sinus. So, a patient who is already suffering from ‘Deep vein thrombosis’ has to take precautions quickly. Then we will discuss the symptoms of blood clot in leg in the following section.
Some of the symptoms related to blood clot in leg :
If there was no blood clot during your injury, then the situation could have been more dangerous. Plus, we couldn’t take the risk of cutting anything or working and had a fear of being cut. So, now we don’t have fears or dangers. But the protection ability & characteristics of blood clots can also lead to risk if it remains in the body. If the body has blood clots for a long time, precautions can help patients quickly to eliminate the problem. We usually know that blood clots occur in the leg, developing ‘Deep vein thrombosis.’ One of the questions arises, ‘how can we know that the patient is suffering from blood clot in leg? ‘What are the symptoms of ‘blood clot in leg?’ The symptoms are the following:
- Usually, a cramping pain on one leg: The ‘Deep vein thrombosis’ occurs typically in one leg that the patient feels too much pain. But the ache in both of the legs can also occur but in rare cases. The problem will be in the thigh or calf.
- Feeling warm in the swelling area: The patient with a blood clot in the leg will feel warm in the affected place.
- The leg will turn to red color: The patient’s leg where the blood clot develops the leg will turn that leg into the red. A type of discoloration will occur in that area.
- Tenderness: Another symptom of blood clot in leg is tenderness. When someone touches the affected area in the patient’s leg, then it pains or feels discomfort.
- Swelling: This is one of the symptoms of the patient that will be visible easily. As too much coagulation results in a blockage; thus, there occurs a hindrance in the flow of blood flow.
The causes of blood clot in leg :
There are different causes of a blood clot in the leg. When blood vessels face damage, blood has a typical propensity to clot to minimize blood loss & we know that. Basically, damage in the lining of the blood vessel results in forming a blood clot. But, what are the causes of the blood clot in the leg? Now blood clots in the leg may happen because of fracture, surgery, leg injury during working & limited movements. Such problems in the leg can lead to creating a blockage, which then stops blood circulation. When a person’s body faces prevention in the circulation or normal clotting, then the ‘Deep vein thrombosis’ occurs. A severe complication occurs, which is related with the DVT and we call it ‘Pulmonary embolism.’ This type of problem develops in the lung when the blood vessel gets blocked by thrombus.
‘Thrombus’ is another name for a clot of blood. It can become a life-threatening problem if a PE occurs. It is essential to checkup for the symptoms & signs of ‘pulmonary embolism.’ Some of the sign of this will include an increase in pulse, blood coming out during coughing. Plus, pain in the chest. Other symptoms like dizziness or fainting plus respiratory problem or shortage in-breath occurs. DVT can lead to another. common complication. The name of another severe complication is ‘Postphlebitic syndrome.’ Such complication occurs when a reduction of blood flow occurs due to the damage in the veins. For this reason, the symptoms that will be visible in the patient are swelling in the leg or ‘edema.’ Then, pain in the leg, discoloration & sores on the skin. So, even after seeing such types of problems or complications, patients don’t take any actions, then the result may become fatal.
A blood clot in other regions of the body:
The most commonplace of ‘Deep vein thrombosis’ is in the portions of arms plus thigh or leg. But not only in legs, but a blood clot /thrombus can also develop in different parts of the body. Blood clots can happen in the organs like the lungs, heart, brain, and abdomen. A ‘blood clot’ in the brain or stroke can cause weakness in the arms, face, legs, etc. Also, the patient faces difficulties in visions, headaches, as well as dizziness. The ‘Ischemic stroke’ basically occurs when a blood clot narrows or creates a blockage in the artery. This artery leads to the brain from the heart. It can also happen or develop in the neck or the carotid artery. Again, blood clots in the abdomen can be traced or identified if the patient has the following problems.
These are swelling and serious abdominal pain, which are the symptoms of ‘blood clot in the abdomen.’ The causes of ‘blood clot in the abdomen’ can be food poisoning and virus in the stomach. We have told you about ‘blood clot in the lungs’ in earlier sections. This is also called ‘Pulmonary embolism’ or PE. Then comes the problem regarding ‘blood clot in the heart.’ a blood clot in the heart leads to a person’s heart attack. Though a heart is not a commonplace area for ‘blood clot,’ it can also occur there. Two problems are the potential symptoms of blood clots in the heart. One is lightheadedness, and another one is a shortage of breath. So, a person has to be careful whether he or she is suffering from any symptoms or not.
When to consult a doctor:
In the above sections, we have seen symptoms and causes of blood clots in the leg, arms, lungs, heart, and brain. Every type of blood clot is serious plus severe. But among these problems, the more severe is blood clots in the heart. The serious blood clot complication that occurs is in the brain, which is much riskier than other parts. It becomes risky for the doctor to treat the patient with a blood clot in the brain. Thus, every person must determine whether anyone is suffering from the above problems or not. If any of the issues occur in a person’s body, it is better to consult with a doctor as quickly as possible.
The patient may experience respiratory problems or a shortage of breath. Again may feel tenderness or pain in any part of the body. Swelling and feeling warm all these are common signs and symptoms that patient should be careful about them. If anyone experiences any of the above issues and complications, then doctor consultation is the only reasonable option. It is better not just to let them go and give priority to these symptoms. After consulting, a doctor may prescribe some tests or ‘noninvasive ultrasound.’ With the help of such tests, doctors will see the image of the patient’s arteries and veins. After that, they can prescribe some medication that will help you prevent or treat the problems.
Frequently asked questions:
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Can blood clot in leg can go away on its own?
Ans: Yes, generally, blood clot in leg goes away on its own. The reason behind this is, the clots loosen up and break down by itself. When the chunk is no longer needed, then the clearing of the clumps is done by fibrinolysis. They are retained or absorbed by the body, and it may take some days or a week or month.
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What are the causes of blood clots in the legs?
Ans: Now, blood clots in the leg may happen because of fracture, surgery, leg injury during working, etc. Such problems in the leg can lead to creating a blockage, which then stops blood circulation.
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Will there be any surgery necessary for blood clots?
Ans: Sometimes, it becomes necessary for surgery for blood clots. Such surgery to remove the blood clots from the area is ‘Thrombectomy.’ Thrombectomy is essential and a necessary surgery to remove the blockage from the body’s location.
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How does a blood clot in the leg feel like?
Ans: A blood clot in the leg feels like cramping or ache in the leg. When someone touches the patient’s affected area, then tenderness feeling happens. If the situation worsens, then the resulting will be the leg will turn that leg into red. A type of discoloration will occur in that area.
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How can we know that they are facing a blood clot in the leg?
Ans: ‘Deep vein thrombosis’ or ‘blood in leg’ occurs typically in one leg that the patient feels too much pain. A person with a blood clot in the leg will feel warm in the leg & the area swells up. The patient’s leg where the blood clot develops the leg will turn that leg into red. A type of discoloration will occur in that area.
Conclusion:
A blood clot is necessary for the body, and it’s a type of guard of stopping the bleeding. When you got a cut or bruise on your leg, a blood clot in leg is essential. But when ‘blood clot’ doesn’t break up or go away by itself, it is a risk for your body. Plus can show the above symptoms of blood clotting plus can lead to a severe medical issue. Thus, we just tried our best to provide you enough blood clot information in leg & other parts. Now our readers can be careful about this next time.
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