Thrombosis is a disease in which blood clots called thrombi form in the deep veins. The danger is that such a clot can break off at any moment and clog the vessel. Blockage of the pulmonary artery causes thromboembolism and can be fatal. What causes thrombosis of the lower extremities?
Under normal conditions, a person's blood clots when wounded. If there is no damage, but coagulation nevertheless occurs, a blood clot forms. Those who:
- over fifty years of age;
- leads a sedentary lifestyle (this especially applies to older people);
- suffers from overweight or obesity;
— recently had surgery on a large joint or in the abdominal cavity;
- takes combined oral contraceptives that contain estrogen;
- abuses alcohol, smokes.
Vein thrombosis of the lower extremities can occur in pregnant women. This is due to the fact that blood clotting during pregnancy is better than in the normal state. The uterus is constantly growing, thereby complicating blood circulation. The risk of thrombosis during caesarean section is very high.
Vein thrombosis is dangerous because it can initially occur without any visible manifestations. As the clot grows and travels up the leg, the lower leg becomes swollen and painful. If your leg suddenly becomes swollen without any physical damage or injury, seek medical attention immediately. He will conduct an ultrasound examination and prescribe a series of tests that will determine the problem. In addition, the doctor may send you for an angiography, which is a procedure in which a special dye is injected into the veins. This is done in order to trace the movement of the blood clot.
If symptoms of a blood clot in your leg are confirmed, your doctor will likely prescribe anti-clotting medications in the form of injections or tablets. Injections can be quite painful, so you should take pain medication in advance. If the blood clot is very large, special dissolving drugs are injected into it. This procedure is called thrombolysis. There is another effective treatment method: a vena cava filter is inserted into the internal vena cava. This is done in order to prevent the blood clot from reaching the lung. A vena cava filter is usually prescribed for those who are allergic to medications. If you experience all the symptoms of a blood clot in your leg listed above, your doctor will recommend wearing compression stockings, which can be purchased at a pharmacy, for two to three hours a day. Wearing stockings is also an excellent prevention of thrombosis.
It depends, first of all, on the degree of the disease. It is necessary not only to destroy the blood clot, but also to eliminate the risk of its reoccurrence. Be prepared for a long treatment process - most likely, it will last at least three months. In particularly difficult cases, maintenance therapy continues throughout life.
How to prevent thrombosis?
Are the symptoms of a blood clot in your leg bothering you? Wonderful. However, if you are at risk, it makes sense to consider prevention. If you have a long flight, don't wear tight clothing. Stop drinking alcohol, try not to sit still - periodically move your legs, change your position and self-massage your calves. If the flight lasts more than six hours, we advise you to wear compression stockings.
That's all. In this article, we described in detail the symptoms of a blood clot in the leg and ways to prevent thrombosis. We hope this information was useful to you.
Blood clots that occur in different parts of the body are a fairly common phenomenon. What is this pathology? A thrombus is a blood clot that has formed in the lumen of a vessel or cavity of the heart.
This pathological phenomenon occurs due to a violation of the coagulation and anticoagulation systems, when thickening and increased blood clotting occur. Clots usually form at sites of damage to the walls of blood vessels or at areas with atherosclerotic plaques. After this, microinflammation occurs and, as a result, fibrin threads are deposited.
In this way, a primary thrombus is formed. The growth of a clot occurs through the layering of thrombotic masses both along the blood flow and against it. At the next stage, separation and cessation of blood flow occurs. This phenomenon can be fatal.
Signs differ depending on what part of the bloodstream it is located on. For example, when a clot is in a deep vein, fever, chills, severe pain, and blue discoloration occur. However, the course may be asymptomatic.
When the pathology is located in the superficial vein, it is easily palpable, the vessel itself becomes more compacted, and painful sensations occur during palpation. The affected area swells, becomes hot and reddish. When located in the lower limb, the patient experiences pain in the calves, as well as cramps of the calf muscles.
If a vein is inflamed and a blood clot is detected in its lumen, then this phenomenon in medicine is called thrombophlebitis. In this case, the main symptoms are: pain in the affected area, fever, bruising, redness, swelling of the tissue.
At the next stage of the disease, the skin begins to peel off, change color, and bluish spots appear. Basically, these symptoms are a complication of varicose veins.
If a blood clot breaks loose on your leg, the consequences can be disastrous. A clot can get stuck in any part of the circulatory system. This phenomenon is very dangerous, as it often leads to death, for example, due to blockage of the pulmonary artery. When the pathology is localized in the head, cerebral vascular obstruction is possible and, as a result, a stroke.
The first signs of this are speech impairment, loss of balance and paralysis of the limbs. Blockage of intestinal vessels leads to mesenteric thrombosis and peritonitis. Damage to the vessel supplying the heart causes myocardial infarction.
For prevention purposes, you must follow some rules that will help protect yourself from thrombosis:
First, you need to carefully examine your legs, because clots most often occur in the extremities. We can talk about thrombophlebitis if compaction and redness of the vein area are detected, as well as pain upon palpation (pressure). In addition, the temperature in the affected area will increase significantly.
Homans' sign - pain in the calf muscles when dorsiflexing the feet indicates a blood clot. It is necessary to pay attention to the uniformity of the skin of the legs. In some cases, the disease is asymptomatic, but it can be detected by bluish areas on the skin and small swellings.
Secondary signs of the disease: general weakness, malaise, fever. It is worth noting that bedridden patients most often develop phlebothrombosis of the deep veins in the legs.
Seeing a doctor after this is mandatory. The doctor will also evaluate the signs of a blood clot that has formed in the leg, prescribe an examination (ultrasound scan), tests for blood clotting (coagulogram), etc.
The method of getting rid of pathology is chosen individually in each specific case. The method of treatment depends on the location of the clot, its type, and the presence of concomitant diseases (for example, anticoagulants are contraindicated for stomach ulcers).
To prevent clot growth, anticoagulants (eg heparin) are prescribed. After the first course, the next one should begin, which consists of taking direct-acting anticoagulants (eg. Warfarin).
These drugs make the blood more fluid and liquid, which prevents the formation of blood clots. However, taking such medications should be accompanied by regular testing, since drugs of this series can cause bleeding (intestinal, gastric, which is often observed with ulcers). Treatment with tablets is effective only at the early stage of the disease.
If blood clots in the legs cause complications, then in some cases it is necessary to resort to surgical intervention. During surgery, the abnormal blood clot is removed. In medicine, this event is called thrombectomy.
In the presence of a floating thrombus, the decision on the need to take antiplatelet drugs is made only by the attending physician, because the consequences of taking them can lead to detachment. If it is localized in the veins of the legs, then a filter can be installed and thrombolytic therapy can be performed. In this case, the clot that has come off will not be able to pass further.
Another method of elimination, minimally invasive, involves passing medications through a catheter directly to the clot. Special absorbable drugs are administered using a catheter: Alteptase, Streptokinase, Urokinase. For example, this method can resolve a blood clot in the pulmonary artery.
The most effective preventative measure is taking aspirin (Thrombo ACC). It is recommended to take this drug or its analogues for arrhythmia and hypertension. If the patient neglects such medications, then there is a high probability of thrombosis.
To correct blood flow in the veins, elastic bandages and bandages are used - elastic compression. There is often a need to apply bandages to all extremities. For two weeks, round-the-clock compression is required using elastic bandages of medium extensibility.
When the symptoms of inflammation have passed, compression is carried out only during the day, when intense physical activity occurs. For these purposes, special knitwear is used. However, elastic bandaging should be determined and prescribed only by the attending physician, since in some cases it may be contraindicated.
Hirudotherapy – treatment with leeches – is highly effective. It is worth noting that the course is best taken in a medical facility under the supervision of specialists. Hirudotherapy should not be used for purulent thrombophlebitis.
Nutrition should also be balanced. It is worth eating more foods that strengthen the walls of blood vessels (onion, garlic, cinnamon, melon, watermelon, ginger, pineapple), more fruits and vegetables. It is recommended to drink at least 2 liters of liquid per day. During the period of exacerbation of the disease, it is necessary to exclude from the menu: meat, fish, beans, peas, soybeans, rose hips, black currants and bananas.
Take care of yourself and your health, and seek help from specialists in time!
Thrombosis of the lower extremities is a disease in which blood clots form in the lumen of the vessels of the lower extremities. Thrombosis is divided into two types: venous and arterial. Deep vein thrombosis of the lower extremities is called phlebothrombosis, and superficial vein thrombosis is called thrombophlebitis.
Symptoms and causes of thrombosis.
The cause of thrombosis of the lower extremities can be:
Firstly: increased blood clotting, and the cause of increased blood clotting can be pregnancy, childbirth, surgery, excess fat in food, dehydration, diabetes, oral contraceptives, genetic factors and many others.
Secondly: injury to the inner wall of the vessel or endothelium. The vascular wall can be injured during the installation of a venous catheter, during chemotherapy or radiation therapy, trauma, during injections into the veins of the leg, and so on.
Third: slowing down the outflow of blood. This phenomenon can be observed during pregnancy, obesity, varicose veins, during immobilization of the limbs (wearing a cast), with heart failure, with compression of veins by tumors, sedentary body position and many other factors. Thrombosis of the lower extremities can develop due to a combination or the action of one factor.
How does thrombosis of the lower extremities manifest?
There are two types of thrombosis of the lower extremities - deep vein thrombosis and superficial vein thrombosis. The most dangerous thing is deep vein thrombosis, since in this disease a blood clot can break off and migrate to the pulmonary artery (this course of the disease is called pulmonary embolism), which leads to extremely serious consequences and even instant death.
Thrombosis of the superficial veins of the lower extremities most often occurs with varicose veins; inflammation of the surrounding tissues accompanies blockage of blood vessels. In the area of inflammation, redness and a feeling of pain occur. When palpated in the area of redness, the vein appears dense. The temperature may also rise. In general, thrombosis of the superficial veins of the lower extremities does not pose a serious danger, since the clot does not come off. With timely and correct treatment, inflammation is relieved, and the patency of the veins is fully or partially restored.
Diagnosis of thrombosis of the lower extremities.
Nowadays, thrombosis of the lower extremities can be detected by several methods - duplex scanning, Doppler ultrasound, CT - phlebography, phlebography, photoplethysmography, phlebomanometry. However, ultrasound angioscanning has the maximum information content. Today it is considered the best method for diagnosing venous pathology. This is a non-invasive diagnostic method that adequately assesses the condition of the vein and surrounding tissues, determines the location of the blood clot, the nature and extent of thrombosis, which is very important for prescribing further treatment. In cases where ultrasound methods are uninformative or unacceptable. For example, in pregnant or obese patients, radiocontrast diagnostic methods are used.
Treatment of thrombosis of the lower extremities.
Treatment of lower extremity thrombosis depends on its development, the patient's age, complications and many other factors. If the blood clot is well attached to the wall of the vein and there is no danger of it breaking off, then the patient is prescribed drug treatment. If the risk of complications and blood clot rupture is high, then the patient is prescribed drug treatment in combination with surgery (removal of the blood clot). Patients diagnosed with thrombosis of the veins of the lower extremities are prescribed strict bed rest.
The main goal of drug treatment of thrombosis is to prevent the formation of blood clots and reduce the development of complications. Direct anticoagulants are used in treatment: Fraxiparin, Heparin, Calciparin, Enoxaparin and other drugs that prevent the formation of blood clots. These drugs are prescribed to patients for the prevention and treatment of acute venous thrombosis, administered subcutaneously or as an intravenous drip. Anticoagulants can cause bleeding, so their use is contraindicated in case of duodenal and gastric ulcers, liver diseases, increased risk of cerebral hemorrhage and other diseases. The dosage and duration of treatment is determined by the flying doctor.
Indirect anticoagulants are also used in the treatment of vein thrombosis: Acenocoumarol (Sincumar), Warfarin and other drugs that are used for prevention. These medications are available in tablets and are prescribed over a long period of time. These medications, as well as direct anticoagulants, have contraindications and can cause bleeding, so you should consult a doctor before starting to take indirect anticoagulants.
To dissolve already formed blood clots, thrombolytics are used: Streptokinase, Urokinase, Alteplase and other agents. Their use is limited due to the risk of side effects such as intracerebral hemorrhage and others. These drugs are used only in a hospital under the supervision of a doctor.
Treatment of thrombosis of the veins of the lower extremities is also carried out using the endovascular method - this is intravascular treatment, which involves the removal or dissolution of a blood clot using a catheter from the lumen of the vessel, inserted through a small incision in the skin. An indication for this treatment may be an unsatisfactory result from drug treatment or gangrene (death of tissue of the lower extremities).
Also, in the treatment of thrombosis of the veins of the lower extremities, vena cava filters are used - these are devices that are installed in the lumen of the inferior vena cava and prevent blood clots from entering the lungs or other organs from the veins located in the lower extremities. These filters can be installed temporarily or for life. Their installation is carried out endovascularly, under local anesthesia, through an incision in the skin.
Vein thrombosis of the lower extremities is also treated with thrombectomy - this is the surgical removal of a blood clot used when other treatment methods have been ineffective and there is a risk of developing gangrene. The operation is performed under general anesthesia. To reduce the risk of recurrent thrombosis, the patient is prescribed a course of heparin treatment before the procedure and continues during and after the removal of the blood clot.
The use of folk remedies for the treatment of thrombosis.
When veins are blocked, a decoction of verbena leaves helps a lot. To prepare it, you need to pour 15 g into a glass of boiling water and take a tablespoon every hour. To relieve inflammation at night, you can cover your feet with fresh lilac leaves. Rubbing your feet with white acacia tincture helps a lot. Thrombosis of the limbs is treated with hot foot baths with the addition of chamomile flowers, horse sorrel and stinging nettle. Also used in the treatment of thrombosis are wormwood, silver wormwood, common hop cones, hazelnuts, Kalanchoe leaves, lingonberry leaves, yarrow grass, immortelle flowers, birch leaves, marshmallow leaves and root, chamomile flowers, elecampane root, buckthorn bark and many others. medicinal plants.
One of the most dangerous ailments is thrombosis, which develops as a result of blockage of veins and circulatory disorders. A blood clot in the leg, the symptoms of which are given in the article, if broken off, can cause the formation of a fatal disease - thromboembolism.
Thrombosis is a constantly evolving disease. At the very beginning, the formation does not exceed a millimeter. However, gradually the clot begins to grow, which interferes with normal blood flow. At this stage, the first signs of a blood clot in the leg begin to appear. The most pronounced are:
In some cases, the patient can feel the lump and visually detect its increase. Another main sign of a blood clot in the leg, which is very difficult to miss, is the redness of the affected area and its bluish appearance.
Thrombophlebitis of the deep veins of the leg is accompanied by high fever, muscle swelling, and severe pain when lowering the limb down. After two days, the skin begins to become covered with a network of superficial veins, and the skin takes on a bluish tint.
Symptoms of a developing blood clot in the femoral vein of the leg include swelling of the skin, swelling of the superficial veins, and pain in the inner thigh.
When the common femoral vein is affected, acute pain, blueness and swelling of the limb, and swelling of the saphenous veins in the groin are observed. Also, this case is characterized by high temperature and febrile condition.
Deep vein thrombosis or phlebothrombosis is a more dangerous disease. Vein thrombosis of the leg is more common in patients on bed rest. In this case, swelling and heaviness of the limb are observed. As a rule, the disease has little effect on the general condition of the patient, however, despite the weak signs, deep thrombosis more often leads to avulsion than thrombophlebitis.
What are the symptoms if a blood clot breaks loose in your leg? The danger of moving blood clots is that they can cause blockage of many other vessels. The most common event caused by a blood clot is pulmonary embolism. In this case, the following symptoms of a blood clot in the leg occur:
If signs of a detached blood clot are detected in the leg, it is necessary to urgently lyse the embolus. The process of normalizing blood flow will take no more than two hours. To combat the disease, the patient is prescribed thrombolytics, which help dissolve the blood clot, and anticoagulants, which help stabilize it.
Doctors call this phenomenon of blood clots in the veins thrombophlebitis. The disease is characterized not only by the formation of blood clots (thrombi), but also by inflammation. Defects can form in both deep and superficial vessels.
Clots form when negative changes occur in the inner lining of a blood vessel, which lead to aggregation of blood platelets. Fibrin, which is part of the blood clot, traps white blood cells, red blood cells and other blood cells. Pathological clots form quite quickly and cause inflammation in the inner lining of the vessel in which they are located.
The inflammatory process, in turn, leads to fibrosis. Blood clots that increase in size can block the vein either partially or completely. Sometimes they break off and move along with the blood throughout the body until they become hooked elsewhere.
Sometimes the cause of the pathology cannot be determined, but often these defects are formed as a result of the formation of the vessel lining. People with increased blood clotting and slow blood circulation are also susceptible to thrombosis.
Predisposing factors are: sedentary lifestyle, various infections, intravenous drug administration, irritation during frequent injections (during treatment or for diagnosis).
Symptoms of a blood clot in the leg can be quite varied. They mainly depend on the location and length of the affected area. Very often, a deep vein thrombus does not reveal itself, but some patients experience severe pain, chills, swelling, blue discoloration of the limb, and increased temperature of the affected area.
A clot in a superficial vein is usually identified by visual signs and palpation. This pathology is accompanied by redness, pain, and swelling. Often the entire affected area thickens. In this case, inflammation of the lymph glands may develop.
In most patients, the symptoms of the inflammatory process are pronounced. Homans' sign is observed - pain in the calves during flexion of the feet.
Basic laboratory research methods:
When a venous thrombus occurs, you need to make every effort to cure it in order to avoid not only such unpleasant phenomena as swelling and pain, but also more serious complications, for example, if a blood clot breaks off in the leg, the consequences can be very serious - blockage of the lungs or hearts.
It is recommended to keep your legs elevated more often. To improve blood circulation in the lower extremities, you need to raise them above the level of the heart. In this case, excess fluid will move from the legs to the torso.
In particular, such simple exercises should be done by people who spend a lot of time standing or sitting (salespeople, civil servants, drivers, etc.). When sitting, it is recommended to place a small bench under your feet.
You definitely need to watch your diet. It is recommended to eat more fresh foods, that is, vegetables and fruits, as well as seafood. It is necessary to limit the consumption of salt, or completely eliminate it from the diet. This also applies to products with a high content of this substance (corned beef, bacon, ham, smoked meats, pickles, biscuits, chips, etc.). When choosing food products, you should also consider their fat content.
The development of infection must not be allowed. Feet must be washed with soap every day to prevent bacteria on the skin that can cause infection. You should not use powders for powdering after water procedures, as they dry out the skin. You should definitely consult a doctor if the first signs of infection become noticeable - redness and swelling.
Regular physical exercise is included both in the complex of treatment and in a number of preventive measures. Swimming in the pool will be very useful. The doctor should also provide recommendations regarding gymnastics or exercise therapy.
People who have a blood clot in their leg should dress appropriately. You should avoid tight clothing, which significantly impedes blood circulation. Such things include various corsets, garters, knee socks, etc. During the day, if your doctor recommends, you should wear special stockings.
It is necessary to monitor the condition of the veins. Regularly, every morning, your feet should be examined. You should consult a doctor if the following signs of inflammation of a blood clot in the leg appear: skin color (brownish or red spots with a blue tint appear); bruising; peeling; increased pain; swelling.
A blood clot in a vein can lead to the formation of an ulcer. If such a defect already exists, then it is necessary not only to treat it, but also to take measures to prevent the formation of new ones.
Ulcers occur only in places where arteries become narrowed or blocked. The skin in such a situation does not receive enough blood for nutrition. As a result, the blood stagnates in the veins. This phenomenon can also occur with venous insufficiency.
In stagnant vessels, pressure increases, and nutrition deteriorates. Consequences – the skin becomes thinner and cracks appear. They get infected, which leads to the formation of ulcers.
What to do when treating an ulcer:
The course of therapy is comprehensive and includes a number of activities. First of all, it is necessary to eliminate the cause that led to this violation. The doctor will identify possible risks and give recommendations on how to eliminate them.
Efforts should be aimed at preventing complications, such as preventing the clot from coming loose. In addition, after completing the course, it is important to prevent relapse of the disease.
Patients are often prescribed bed rest, moist heat to the affected area, and painkillers. After the clot begins to dissolve, the patient begins to wear compression garments. Sometimes anticoagulants are prescribed.
First it is heparin, and then warfarin. Thus, the blood clotting process slows down. In case of severe pathology, in addition to symptomatic treatment, anti-inflammatory drugs, for example, indocin, are prescribed.
With venous thrombosis, a person must regularly have their blood tested so that the doctor can evaluate the effectiveness of therapy. Treatment with heparin involves injections, so you need to learn how to do them yourself or tell someone close to you. You need to avoid prolonged periods of standing and sitting, and also learn how to use elastic stockings correctly.
A person should watch closely for ulcers. Their formation is indicated by symptoms such as swelling, pain, changes in skin color, which most often becomes brownish or bluish.
It is necessary to wear special stockings, because they will not only prevent the formation of new foci of inflammation, but will also contribute to the healing of existing ones. It is necessary to protect your feet from injuries, as the latter can lead to infection.
You should avoid excessive physical activity, which can injure the limb. It is better to wear shoes with non-slip soles, without high heels.
Monitor your health and at the first symptoms, contact specialists for diagnosis, advice and treatment. I wish you health and longevity!
A blood clot on the leg is a fairly common and dangerous phenomenon that poses a threat to life. A blood clot formed as a result of pathological processes can break off and clog a blood vessel, causing thromboembolism. The thrombus provokes the development of cardiac ischemia and heart attack, its growth can lead to the development of gangrene.
Initially, blood clots prevent blood loss when the skin is damaged. For example, with a minor cut, the blood in a healthy person stops quickly because the damaged tissue is covered with small blood clots. Violation of the thrombus formation process threatens a person with significant blood loss, and death is possible. One of these pathologies is hemophilia. Active formation of blood clots also threatens with serious consequences for the patient.
The main causes of thrombus formation in blood vessels are as follows:
Thrombosis can also be caused by taking a number of medications, for example, oral contraceptives.
Signs of blood clots in the legs vary depending on the area in which they appear. If a deep vein is affected, the patient suffers from fever and severe pain. The limb turns blue. But this does not always happen; asymptomatic progression of the disease also happens.
If the disease develops in a superficial vein, then the blood clot can be felt, and upon palpation the person experiences pain. The temperature in the affected area rises, swelling and redness appear, the calves begin to ache, and cramps in the leg muscles are common.
When a blood clot is detected in the lumen of an inflamed vein, thrombophlebitis is diagnosed. With it, the patient experiences symptoms associated with pain in the affected area, bruising, and increased body temperature. Gradually, the skin begins to peel off and its color changes. All these are the consequences of varicose veins.
When blood clots form in the leg, symptoms may be accompanied by hardening of the lymph nodes. In this case, you cannot hesitate; you must immediately consult a doctor.
Typically, blood clots in the legs grow quite slowly. But under favorable factors, their increase per day is about 200 mm.
Treatment of blood clots is carried out strictly individually depending on several indicators:
The growth of blood clots can be prevented by taking anticoagulants. The doctor prescribes an individual course for the patient. These medications help thin the blood. But these drugs can cause side effects, such as stomach bleeding, so you need to get tested regularly so as not to miss the development of concomitant diseases.
If there is a floating thrombus in a leg vein (not attached to the wall), then the doctor prescribes antiplatelet drugs. But these drugs are prescribed with great caution, since their use often leads to undesirable consequences. Typically, these drugs are used as a filter in thrombolytic therapy.
Pathology can be treated with tablets only at an early stage of the disease. If thrombus formation leads to various complications, then surgical intervention is required. A thrombectomy is performed and the abnormal blood clot is removed.
Another treatment option is to deliver the drug directly to the clot. A catheter is used for this.
It is necessary to follow all doctor's recommendations. If a blood clot has formed, self-medication is unacceptable. Only a specialist can determine what to do if large blood clots are found in the vessels.
Prevention of this disease is especially important in case of varicose veins of the lower extremities, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle. It consists of the following:
You need to eat right. Blood thinning foods should be included in your diet. These include milk and dairy products, berries, cereals, melons, nuts, vegetable oil, fish. Anything fatty, fried, smoked, or pickled is excluded from consumption. You should not drink coffee or alcohol; it is advisable to exclude sweets and baked goods from your diet. Some vegetables will not benefit patients: green cabbage, broccoli, spinach. Doctors prohibit eating beef and pork liver.
Few people know what to do if a blood clot breaks loose, although this problem is becoming more widespread every year. People of different ages suffer from the disease. A detached blood clot poses a serious threat to the life and health of the patient, so you need to know the reasons for their occurrence and the symptoms of thrombosis.
Blood clots are blood clots that block arteries and veins. In most cases, blood clots form in the vessels of the legs. The causes of blockage of blood vessels are as follows:
Blood clots in the arteries appear due to the deposition of cholesterol on the walls of blood vessels, which causes the formation of plaques. Fibrins and platelets accumulate around the plaque, forming a clot that completely covers the lumen of the vessel. At the very beginning of its occurrence, the blood clot is soft, but gradually acquires a dense structure. Blood clots in the veins occur against the background of blood diseases such as thrombophlebitis and phlebothrombosis.
The most dangerous thing for a person’s life is if a blood clot breaks off in large blood vessels. The consequences of separation may be as follows:
Clots cannot break off in small blood vessels because the blood flowing through them is not moving at sufficient speed and pressure.
There are different types of blood clots, it all depends on where they are located:
The reasons for the rupture of blood clots may be as follows:
It should be understood that when a clot comes off, it can divide into many formations and clog several vessels at once.
Symptoms of a detached blood clot vary among patients, depending on which vessel the blockage occurred in. If a rupture occurs in the vessels of the brain, a stroke should be considered. The patient has speech, swallowing, and facial asymmetry. With serious damage to the blood vessels of the brain, tactile sensitivity and movements may be impaired.
Sometimes a blood clot clogs the vessels supplying blood to the brain, then the patient experiences severe pain in the neck and head, and vision is impaired.
The signs of a broken blood clot in a coronary artery, as well as its blockage and damage, will be slightly different. Pressing and acute painful sensations in the chest occur, and myocardial infarction is possible. Basically, such pain is localized in the area where the heart is located, which means damage to the heart vessels. Sometimes pain can radiate to the lower jaw, abdomen, neck, arms and interscapular area.
A blood clot that blocks a vessel in the intestine causes peritonitis and severe abdominal pain. When a blood clot in the leg can break off and clog the blood vessels, then blueness of the extremities, a decrease in temperature in the injured leg, redness, swelling and severe pain are observed. If not treated promptly, gangrene develops, which can lead to the leg being amputated. Blockage of the veins of the lower extremities occurs gradually, so usually it can be cured. Treatment is predominantly surgical.
Blockage of blood vessels in the lungs develops at lightning speed. The patient experiences oxygen deprivation, bluish skin, prolonged shortness of breath, cardiac arrest and respiration. In this case, you need to urgently call an ambulance. Only doctors know what to do and whether it is possible to save a person with a pulmonary embolism. If help is not provided on time, embolism leads to the death of the patient.
If a patient has symptoms of a blood clot, the following actions should be taken:
It is strictly forbidden to warm the place where the blood clot has broken off. Before the arrival of the cardiology team, the patient can be given analgesics and antispasmodics to relieve pain and spasms. Once thrombosis is diagnosed, the patient should keep these medications with him at all times. The predisposition to the formation of blood clots in blood vessels can be determined in advance. In this case, the doctor will be able to tell the patient and family how to act in case of a broken blood clot.
When thrombosis is detected in time, surgery and health problems can be avoided. If a person is included in one of the risk groups, it is necessary to undergo regular examinations aimed at identifying blood diseases. This can be done using the following methods:
The appearance of symptoms of a detached blood clot is the main sign of advanced disease. The risk group includes:
The risk group includes people with diseases that lead to increased blood clotting.
To avoid the formation of blood clots and their separation, it is necessary to follow preventive measures. This is especially necessary if a person is at risk. Preventive measures include:
The consequences of a blood clot breaking off in the heart and lungs can be very dire, so you need to regularly visit a doctor and treat the disease.