If you have a blood clot in your leg, your symptoms will tell you right away. But it’s worth understanding in order why this disease appears, how it progresses and what the treatment methods are.
A blood clot in the leg can pose a significant risk. Since it is often responsible for diseases such as cardiac ischemia and myocardial infarction. In addition, due to the growth of a blood clot, gangrene may develop, and if it is torn from the tissue, it can lead to a life-threatening condition such as pulmonary embolism.
A thrombus is a blood clot that appears in blood vessels or in the heart cavity. It contains proteins from the fibrin group. The thrombus can be located at the edge of the vessel wall (parietal) or completely fill the lumen of the vessel (obstructive). Obstructive blood clots are most often located in small vessels, and parietal blood clots are most often located in large veins in the legs or in the heart area.
Thrombophlebitis develops during an inflammatory process in the venous wall due to the appearance of a blood clot in the lumen of the vein. Often this condition occurs in the superficial saphenous veins. The cause of thrombophlebitis is varicose veins and venous insufficiency. With varicose veins, the affected areas can become inflamed and cause many problems.
Thrombophlebitis can be recognized by the following signs:
If thrombophlebitis is not treated, the following complications are possible:
Deep vein thrombosis is the most dangerous condition. It all depends on the location of the blood clot and its size. If a blood clot is in the leg, then swelling and a bluish formation occurs, but there is practically no pain. The general condition of the person is also almost unimpaired. In some cases, the temperature may rise slightly and slight weakness and fatigue may appear. Phlebothrombosis of the deep veins of the leg can develop in bedridden patients. They can determine something is wrong by the following signs:
Despite such erased symptoms, deep vein thrombosis is a very dangerous condition, since a blood clot can break off and penetrate the pulmonary artery, and this can lead to the death of the patient. Thromboembolism in the pulmonary artery is fatal if the thrombus fragment is large; with a small fragment, death does not occur, but the patient requires urgent resuscitation. If thromboembolism of small branches of the pulmonary artery is observed, conditions such as pneumonia and chronic heart failure develop.
Initially, the formation of blood clots is a protective reaction of the body to prevent bleeding. For example, if a person cuts himself slightly, the bleeding stops quickly. This is due to the fact that the lumen of the damaged tissue is closed by small blood clots. If the thrombus formation process is disrupted, the person faces blood loss and death. A clear example of this is the disease hemophilia, when the body does not have the process of blood clotting. But on the other hand, if the process of blood clot formation is very active, then this also poses a threat to life.
The main reasons for the formation of blood clots in blood vessels include:
Also, taking certain medications can contribute to the formation of blood clots, such as some oral contraceptives.
As mentioned above, if a clot has formed in a deep vein, then there are practically no symptoms, except that a bruise forms on the leg. Therefore, this condition can only be detected during examination.
Over time, some signs of a blood clot in the leg appear:
If these symptoms are accompanied by hardening of the lymph nodes, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Treatment of a blood clot in the leg can be surgical or conservative. Surgical treatment involves several types of surgery: bypass surgery, stenting, mechanical removal.
With bypass surgery, the doctor creates an additional path for blood flow to bypass the damaged area. The operation is performed under general anesthesia and is open. A modern type of operation includes stenting, when a stent in the form of a cylinder is inserted into the lumen of the vessel, which expands the narrowed area. All manipulations are carried out without incisions, a puncture is made in the artery, and no anesthesia is required. Before stenting, a blood clot is sometimes removed by suctioning it out with a special syringe. After the operation, the doctor will recommend wearing a special bandage for a certain time. Most often, surgery to remove a blood clot is prescribed if it has formed in the groin, since there is a possibility of it penetrating into the deep veins.
Conservative treatment is based on the intravenous administration of special medications to dissolve the blood clot. If blood clots on the legs are in the vein area, then there is a risk of them breaking off, so treatment tactics will depend on this factor.
If the thrombus is able to move freely through the vessels (floating thrombus), then the veins are ligated or special traps for it called vena cava filters are installed. To stabilize a blood clot, Heparin or its analogues are used.
If the lumen of the vein is completely blocked by a blood clot, then medications are used that can partially or completely destroy the formation (dissolve) so that blood can circulate in this place. In this case, Heparin or Warfarin is prescribed. In severe cases, surgery to remove it is prescribed.
If you adhere to the following rules in life, then you will not face problems with blood clots in your extremities and will not have to be treated subsequently. So, prevention includes the following measures:
A healthy diet involves eating foods that will lower blood cholesterol. To do this, limit your intake of fatty foods and increase your intake of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and fish. This will make the vessels elastic for a long time. Also, some foods can reduce blood clotting, these include: cherries, beets, green tea.
The next step in the prevention of blood clots and general maintenance of the body in good shape is physical exercise, which should be given at least 30 minutes daily. The load is determined independently depending on individual qualities. But priority should be given to walks and exercise in the fresh air rather than steaming indoors in the gym.
Constantly keeping the human body in one position contributes to the formation of blood clots, for example: during frequent flights on airplanes, after operations, when bed rest is recommended. In this case, you need to get up regularly and walk around, at least around the room.
To prevent the blood from being too viscous, your doctor may prescribe Aspirin or Warfarin. It is not recommended to take these medications on your own, as they have a number of contraindications. Reduce your intake of coffee and alcoholic drinks.
The appearance of blood clots in the legs is considered a rather dangerous disorder, which often initially has an asymptomatic course, but at the same time, if treatment for the disease is not started in time, there is a risk of dangerous consequences.
Thrombosis is often accompanied by the formation of blood clots in the vessels, which impairs blood circulation.
After some time, they may block the venous lumen or come off. This leads to tissue death and a blood clot entering the heart, lungs or other organs. This condition is fraught with the development of stroke, thromboembolism or heart attack. These diseases often cause paralysis and even death.
This pathology is a consequence of a violation of blood clotting and the functioning of the anticoagulant system. In this case, thickening is observed and blood clotting increases.
Clots, as a rule, appear in the area of damage to the vascular walls or in the area of localization of atherosclerotic plaques. Then microinflammation develops and fibrin threads are deposited. This causes the appearance of a primary blood clot.
The layering of thrombotic masses leads to the growth of the clot. Then the blood clot breaks off and blood flow stops. This situation can cause death.
The following factors lead to the formation of blood clots in the legs:
Blood clots in the legs can be of different types. Depending on the etiology of the disease, the following are identified:
Depending on the type of connection between the blood clot and the vessel wall, the following forms are distinguished:
Blood clots can form in the deep and superficial veins of the legs. At the initial stage of clot formation in the deep veins, there may be no manifestations.
As the disease progresses, the following symptoms appear that a blood clot has formed in a vein in the leg:
The photo shows blood clots located in the lower legs
The progression of the disease often leads to the development of thrombophlebitis - in this case, inflammation appears in the affected vein. In such a situation, the temperature increases significantly. If treatment is not started on time, there is a risk of serious complications.
When superficial veins located in the subcutaneous tissue are damaged, symptoms of thrombosis immediately appear. These may include the following:
To detect blood clots in the lower extremities, a number of studies need to be performed. These include the following:
The doctor should select treatment depending on the severity of the disease, the location of the blood clot in a specific part of the leg and other important indicators of the condition of the veins. In this case, several treatment methods are used - it can be conservative or surgical.
The first category includes the following:
To achieve good results, experts advise combining several treatment methods at once. In difficult situations, surgical intervention is indicated.
Drug therapy is based on the use of anticoagulants, anti-inflammatory drugs, hemorheological agents, and thrombolytics.
Direct anticoagulants include Heparin. Using this remedy, it is possible to reduce blood clotting, which helps prevent the formation of new blood clots. In addition, this drug stops the formation of blood clots. New generation products include Clexane, Fragmin and others.
After heparin, the patient is most often prescribed indirect anticoagulants - in particular, Warfarin or Dicumarin. They suppress the formation of blood clots and have a long shelf life.
To remove a blood clot therapeutically, thrombolytics are also prescribed. These include Streptokinase, Urokinase. These medications help dissolve blood clots because they act on fibrin fibers.
Hemorheological drugs have a positive effect on blood circulation and reduce its viscosity. This category includes drugs such as Refortan, Reosorbilact.
To cope with pain and eliminate the inflammatory process, the doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs - for example, Diclofenac or Ketoprofen.
To increase the effectiveness of drug therapy, additional treatment methods must be used. Minimally invasive procedures are often used to combat blood clots. In this case, therapeutic manipulations are performed through a puncture in the vessel. No anesthesia is required for the procedure.
When a floating thrombus is detected, which can move through a blood vessel, special traps are installed - vena cava filters. They help prevent the blood clot from reaching important organs - the heart, lungs, etc.
The following procedures can also be used to treat thrombosis:
In difficult cases, removal of a fragment of the affected vein is indicated. This intervention is performed under general anesthesia.
With any treatment method, the patient must adhere to a strict diet and doctor’s recommendations. A person in a hospital setting is provided with strict bed rest.
To improve blood circulation, the legs are kept on a special cushion. This must be done in an elevated state. Subsequently, the patient must constantly wrap the affected limb with an elastic bandage or wear compression garments.
To reduce blood viscosity and strengthen the walls of blood vessels, you need to adhere to a diet. It must be built on
Omega-3 acid is the first blood thinner
compliance with the following principles:
To speed up the recovery process, it is very important to exercise and do therapeutic massage of the lower extremities.
If thrombosis treatment is not started promptly, the disease can lead to serious consequences. In rare cases, the occlusive form of the disease provokes the appearance of venous gangrene.
There is also a risk of such complications:
Preventive measures are especially relevant for people who have varicose veins, are overweight, or lead an insufficiently active lifestyle.
In order to prevent the development of the disease, the following recommendations should be followed:
The appearance of blood clots in the legs is a very dangerous condition that poses a real threat to life, therefore the first symptoms of the pathology should be a reason for a visit to the doctor. The specialist will conduct a thorough diagnosis and select adequate therapy.
Thrombosis of the arteries of the lower extremities is characterized by blockage of the veins with blood clots. The disease is dangerous because in most cases it occurs without obvious symptoms. As a result, the pathology is detected too late, when the venous lumen has already been completely blocked by a thrombus, which prevents full blood circulation. An even more dangerous condition is when a blood clot breaks off in the lower extremity and travels through the bloodstream to the heart or lungs. The consequences for the body in this case can be catastrophic, that is, paralysis or death. To be able to resist this insidious pathology, you need to be attentive to your health, and if you have the slightest suspicion of a blood clot in your leg, your symptoms should be checked by consulting a doctor.
What is venous thrombosis of the lower extremities? Vascular thrombosis of the lower extremities occurs due to the formation of a blood clot in the cavity of the vessel. Gradually, the size of blood clots in the veins of the legs increases and so on until the lumen of the artery is completely blocked. Absolutely all vascular ducts of the circulatory system, namely veins, arteries, and capillaries, are at risk of forming blood clots.
What are the types of blood clots in veins?
The process of blood clot formation is not only natural for the body, but is also a necessary protective reaction against mechanical damage to blood vessels, soft tissues, organs and skin. If the body did not have platelets in the blood cells, a person could easily die from internal bleeding, for example, in the event of even a minor injury in a vein. But thanks to white anucleate blood cells, the same blood clot, consisting of platelets and collagen, instantly forms at the site of the rupture of the vessel. Such a blood clot reliably clogs the wound, stopping the bleeding.
After the damaged area heals, the blocking clot dissolves on its own.
If the coagulation system fails, self-dissolution does not occur; the blood clot remains attached to the former site of vascular injury. The lower extremities are at greatest risk of thrombophlebitis. The body perceives an unresolved blood clot as a foreign body. And, trying to get rid of it, the immune system provokes an inflammatory process in the area where the blockage is localized with the formation of fibrin fibers. This leads to the fact that the primary thrombus begins to grow due to the layering of thrombotic masses. This is how thrombosis of the arteries of the lower extremities develops gradually.
Infections, especially septic and pustular ones, often become the culprits of thrombosis. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that bacteria lead to the methodical destruction of the internal layers of blood vessels and also make the blood fluid more viscous.
During bacterial and viral infections, pathogenic substances are released that lead to blood clots in the legs:
The formation of blood clots in the legs is more common in older people, with the exception of secondary thrombosis, which is more often observed in childhood. Reactive thrombocytosis occurs in children against the background of iron deficiency anemia or with splenic atrophy. Such thrombosis is more common in women when it comes to hormonal disorders, taking contraceptive medications, or due to pathologies during pregnancy. Among men, those who abuse fatty foods of animal origin, alcohol and smoking are prone to thrombosis. Severe sports and physical overload, physical inactivity, and obesity also contribute to the appearance of blood clots in the legs.
Symptoms of thrombosis of the veins of the lower extremities are often not detected in the initial stages of the development of blood clots in the legs. Only over time, when leg vein clots reach critical sizes, does a person begin to notice signs of thrombosis. In the later stages of identifying leg thrombosis, the symptoms become very noticeable and tangible. At this stage of pathogenesis, urgent and drastic measures will most likely be required to eliminate the deadly threat. Therefore, it is better to monitor the condition of your body and, if you are prone to thrombosis, especially of the lower extremities, periodically take tests for the level of platelets in the bloodstream and other preventive measures.
With thrombosis of the veins of the lower extremities, the symptoms are very different.
Common signs of a blood clot in the leg:
The above symptoms of a blood clot in the leg may be accompanied by a strong increase in body temperature. In the presence of a blood clot in the leg, symptoms also occur in the form of bulging, engorged veins, and in addition, the leg, where the vascular passage is blocked, usually feels colder than the healthy limb. This is due to the lack of blood flow to certain areas, which can lead to tissue necrosis and gangrene.
The most terrible development of events can be seen in acute venous thrombosis of the lower extremities. If a blood clot breaks off in the leg, then moving along the bloodstream, it can enter any organ. Typically, death occurs when a blood clot enters the heart or lungs. In a situation where a blood clot can suddenly break away, then the consequences of deep vein thrombosis of the lower extremities, as a rule, are strokes, heart attacks, paralysis, and pulmonary embolism.
Only a doctor should diagnose the symptoms and treat thrombosis, after drawing up a complete clinical picture. The recommendations of the attending physician must be followed strictly. Because most often blood clots on the legs are discovered in the later stages, and in such a situation the well-known expression that delay is like death is most appropriate.
How to treat blood clots in the legs? When thrombosis of the lower extremities appears, it is better not to delay treatment. At the initial stage, it is always easier, faster and cheaper to get rid of the pathology, preventing the development of serious consequences. There are many ways to treat thrombosis, although the best of them are still preventive measures.
Treatment methods for thrombosis of the lower extremities are:
Surgical intervention for thrombosis in the leg is inevitable in advanced form. If the patient has no contraindications to surgery, then drastic measures can be taken to eliminate the blood clot from the vessel (thrombectomy), install a specialized filter, or fix the blood clot by piercing the venous trunk with metal clips or by installing a clamp.
Treatment of leg thrombosis with the help of pharmacological agents is effective in combination with non-drug methods using fixing bandages or compression garments. Reliable fixation of the affected areas of the legs during thrombophlebitis helps eliminate pain and swelling.
Special compression garments improve blood circulation in the legs.
Basically, the action of medications is aimed at reducing thrombin activity and the production of antithrombin, which helps maintain the bloodstream in a liquid consistency. Medicines prescribed for thrombosis of the lower extremities:
Alternative treatment of thrombocytosis can serve as an addition to the main therapy. Among the useful herbs, the most effective for thrombosis in the lower extremities can be identified:
A very effective folk remedy is to take courses of onions with honey. Natural anticoagulants that prevent blood clots in the lower extremities are found in abundance in onion juice and are significantly stronger than aspirin. To prepare such a drug, you will need to squeeze out a glass of onion juice and add the same amount of honey to it. Infuse the mixture in a closed glass container for about three days in the room, and then ten days in the refrigerator. Take one tablespoon up to three times daily. When the mixture runs out, take a week's break and you can repeat the course.
People prone to the formation of blood clots in the lower extremities must definitely monitor their diet and maintain a drinking regime. Products consumed as food are allowed mainly those that help reduce blood viscosity. Among them, the most effective are: garlic, ginger, onions, cherry and cranberry juice or fruit drink. The daily diet should be dominated by foods containing antioxidants, flavonoids, and plant fiber. This method of nutrition will help in the fight against blood clots in the lower extremities, as well as other congenital and acquired pathologies.
There are several reasons for the occurrence of blood clots in blood vessels. The development of thrombosis is facilitated by impaired blood clotting, long-term lack of motor activity in the legs, resulting in stagnation of blood in the vessels; in addition, injuries to the walls of blood vessels can lead to the formation of a blood clot. External signs of thrombosis may be completely absent, therefore, in order to prevent the consequences and identify the risk of the disease in time, it is necessary to periodically carry out diagnostic procedures. This is especially important for such categories of people as:
Symptoms of thrombophlebitis may be determined by the form of the disease and the location of the blood clot in the leg. Signs such as pain and swelling are characteristic of thrombophlebitis of both superficial and deep veins. Thrombosis of the great saphenous vein is considered a common pathology. The pain in this case is concentrated along the vein throughout the leg. The disease often occurs against the background of varicose veins. To identify blood clots in the legs, sometimes it is enough for a specialist to carefully palpate the inflamed area of the vein.
In cases where symptoms such as severe swelling, discoloration of the skin and pain in the legs are disturbing, deep thrombophlebitis may develop. With this disease, the symptoms depend on the location where the blood clots have formed on the legs. The symptoms of deep vein thrombosis of the leg are more pronounced. The lower leg swells and becomes bluish in color, and when trying to move left and right, sharp pain occurs. When blood clots form in the femoral vein, redness on the inside of the thigh and enlargement of the veins may be observed.
The most dangerous is the formation of a blood clot in the main vein along the iliofemoral segment. In such cases, the blood clot makes itself known when it breaks off and causes serious complications.
Symptoms also depend on the nature of the disease. There are acute and chronic thrombosis. It is rarely possible to identify signs of the disease at an early stage by external examination or palpation in the first case. Swelling may occur in the area where the blood clot has formed. Pain, limited movement and increased body temperature also indicate the development of acute thrombophlebitis. Acute thrombophlebitis should be distinguished from varicose veins; varicose veins do not cause an increase in body temperature. In the chronic form, the signs of the disease are similar to the acute form, but, as a rule, the symptoms do not arise suddenly, but are of an increasing nature, intensifying over time. In addition to the above signs, indirect symptoms may also indicate blood clots in the legs: heaviness in the legs, redness, periodic pain.
To diagnose blood clots in the legs, specialized medical care is needed. Modern methods for detecting blood clots are very effective and can prevent undesirable consequences. Among the methods for determining thrombosis, the two most common are:
The danger of thrombosis also lies in the fact that symptoms and signs of the disease may not appear until an attack occurs. Therefore, it is important to take all diagnostic measures in a timely manner.
A blood clot in the leg is a dangerous phenomenon, and often there are no symptoms at the initial stage. It is advisable to detect problems with blood circulation due to the formation of blood clots in time. If a person ignores the first signs of pathology, later blocking of the venous or arterial lumen is possible. Blood clots that break off and wander along with the bloodstream can cause instant death. Treatment involves an integrated approach.
Vascular thrombosis of the lower extremities is a disease accompanied by the formation of blood clots, due to which the blood flow is completely or partially blocked. The location of blood clots may vary.
Each type of pathology has its own symptoms and treatment.
Vein thrombosis occurs in the legs if three main conditions are combined:
In ten cases out of 100, doctors detect blood clots on the legs, which are called floating. We are talking about clots that are attached to the vascular wall on only one side. That is, a blood clot can break off at any moment. If this happens, you should be prepared for the appearance of pulmonary embolism (PE). If a blood clot that has formed in the leg breaks off, blockage of the vessel and sudden death can occur.
Thrombosis of the lower extremities, occurring in the veins, is provoked by:
At an early stage, venous thrombosis of the deep veins of the lower extremities may have no signs. Often its initial manifestation is pulmonary thrombosis.
Traditionally, venous thrombosis of the lower extremities has symptoms of deep vein damage in the form of:
Signs of thrombosis in the first two days are not very pronounced. The patient suffers from minor pain in the calves, which intensifies with palpation and movement. The lower part of the calf may swell slightly.
A blood clot forms in the leg in different places. And the higher the pathology is localized, the brighter the symptoms will be. At the same time, you should beware of the most severe consequence of deep vein thrombosis, which occurs when the lower extremities are affected - clot rupture and the occurrence of pulmonary embolism. The complication is characterized by a high mortality rate.
Thrombosis in the thigh area can be distinguished by:
If the vessels in the lower leg are thrombosed, the following signs of a blood clot in the leg are observed:
Leg thrombosis formed in the superficial veins will have the following symptoms:
Thrombophlebitis can have various forms, with characteristic manifestations noted:
How to distinguish varicose veins from saphenous vein thrombosis? With varicose veins there is no pain, redness or high temperature. If the patient lies down, the tension disappears, but with thrombosis the symptoms only intensify.
Thrombosis of the arteries of the lower extremities is formed when the arterial lumen is blocked.
The pathology is characterized by rapid development and acute condition, which is expressed as:
Arterial thrombosis can cause acute ischemia, resulting in a lack of oxygen in the affected area.
The stages of arterial pathology should be distinguished:
Treatment of deep vein thrombosis of the lower extremities involves the use of the following technique:
If the patient's condition allows, he can undergo therapy on an outpatient basis. In other cases, the patient is admitted to the hospital.
Treatment of a disease that was diagnosed for the first time usually lasts about six months. If relapses occur, it will take a year or more. In the acute form, the patient must stay in bed for ten days. The part of the bed where the legs are is slightly raised to improve blood flow.
To eliminate the symptoms of a blood clot in the leg, heparin therapy is first prescribed.
The medicine is necessary for:
Initially, a dose of heparin is injected into a vein once. Then the subcutaneous route of administration will be used in the abdominal area. Heparin therapy is designed for 10 days.
In this case, the patient also undergoes treatment:
Using rheological therapy:
Symptoms of thrombosis of the veins of the lower extremities are usually eliminated with Reopoliglucin, Pentoxifylline, Nicotinic acid.
If the inflammation is severe, treatment is carried out with antibiotics - Ciprofloxacin, Cefazolin, Lincomycin. The course lasts about a week.
For thrombosis in the veins of the legs, you should also use:
In general, drug therapy is used to:
Patients are advised to use compression stockings. When the pain subsides, exercises are prescribed to improve blood flow.
If there is a risk that the clot will come off or the vascular lumen will be completely blocked, the patient is prepared for surgery.
Thrombosis will be treated with:
For thrombosis of the superficial veins of the lower extremities, treatment involves applying ointments containing heparin to the affected area. In addition, physiotherapy is used.
The patient is referred to undergo:
To remove dangerous symptoms, the treatment course includes:
The most effective method to help cope with thrombophlebitis is surgery.
The operation is not performed if:
Based on the diagnostic data, the following will be prescribed:
The most effective drugs for arterial thrombosis are:
Drugs that dissolve existing blood clots may also be prescribed. Thrombolysis therapy is appropriate when fresh clots are present.
Often, conservative treatment is resorted to at an early stage of the disease. If it was not possible to achieve obvious results, including dissolving blood clots, then the only option is surgery.
The second degree of arterial thrombosis is an indication for surgical intervention. If the disease reaches the third stage, the patient faces tissue necrosis of the lower limb.
If the mobility of the leg is maintained with the manifestation of gangrene, losses during amputation will be minimal. But if the limb is completely paralyzed, it is amputated at the hip level.
The most severe complication of thrombosis of veins and arteries is pulmonary embolism, when a clot breaks off and clogs the vascular lumen. Due to blockage of the artery in the lungs, immediate deaths most often occur. In general, if treatment is adequate and timely, the disease can be stopped.
When the patient allows the pathology to progress, with deep vein thrombosis one can expect the development of:
PE occurs as a result of an untreated disease within 3 months in almost 50% of patients.
Unrestored blood flow of the saphenous veins threatens the appearance of:
To avoid blood clots, do not ignore preventive measures.
People with:
As doctors advise, it will be useful:
Thrombosis in the legs is a rather dangerous condition, which can end in disaster for the patient.
At the first manifestations, diagnosis should be carried out immediately. Treatment that is timely and correctly selected will protect against further progression of the pathology, which means that the person will be able to lead a full life.
If you have a blood clot in your leg, it means that there is a dangerous disorder in the body, which often does not show any signs at the very beginning of its occurrence. However, if the disease is not diagnosed in time, the risks of serious complications increase.
When adequate therapy is not carried out, clots begin to appear in the blood vessels, which leads to circulatory dysfunction. After a certain period, these clots are able to close the lumen in the vessels or break away from the vein wall. As a result of this, neighboring tissues begin to die, and a blood clot can affect the pulmonary system, heart, or other vessels.
With thrombosis (also called thrombophlebitis), unlike other diseases, there is no remission. Blood clots constantly increase, leading to a gradual deterioration of blood flow.
The tumors become larger and larger until they block the vein or break away from the walls. Then they will begin to circulate with the blood throughout the body.
Find out the most common symptoms of thrombosis, which can help you identify a blood clot in a vein:
It is rare that the presence of a blood clot in the lower extremities can be seen visually or felt with fingers. How to identify a blood clot in the leg - symptoms and treatment for it? Places where a large blood clot has accumulated look unusual, with a bluish tint to the skin.
As a rule, it is easier to detect the onset of a disease if you know its first signs. With phlebothrombosis of the deep veins of the leg, the patient's temperature quickly rises, muscle swelling and severe pain appear when trying to bend the knee. Red spots may appear, which look like fresh bruises.
In case of untimely medical care (if thrombosis is diagnosed late), the skin becomes pale with a bluish tint and the subcutaneous network of veins appears. If you are careful, you can identify pathology much earlier.
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During the formation of a blood clot in the deep veins of the thigh, swelling of the skin, swelling of the legs, and swelling of the saphenous veins appear, taking on the functions of the clogged ones.
There may be severe pain in the affected area, swelling of the inguinal veins, or blue discoloration of the affected limb where blood clots have formed on the legs. If the situation is neglected, the patient may develop a high temperature, which sometimes develops into fever.
Deep vein thrombosis can be classified as a disease that is especially dangerous to health. This disease appears in people who lead a sedentary lifestyle or remain in bed for a long time.
If the blood clot in the leg increases or breaks off, your health may not worsen. However, when such a clot breaks off, due to its large size, it is capable of blocking the pulmonary or hepatic arteries, and the rupture of a blood clot can cause a heart attack. This can be avoided if the disease is diagnosed in time.
Thrombophlebitis, unlike phlebothrombosis, develops close to the skin. The presence of symptoms of blood clots in the legs is easily determined by palpation. With varicose veins, due to inflammation and destruction of the walls, a large number of blockages often form.
To prevent problems associated with thrombophlebitis, regular diagnosis is necessary. Sometimes it is also possible to remove blood clots in the veins in the legs in time - most often immediately after they are identified.
If a vessel ruptures or bursts, any blood clots pose a danger, but thrombosis of the main veins poses a greater threat. A blood clot can break off at any time.
Its symptoms overlap with other diseases (fat inflammation, ruptured Baker's cyst, etc.), making it difficult to detect before the clot breaks off and travels through the bloodstream. It happens that a person does not even feel that a blood clot has broken off in his leg. In this case, only the attending physician can detect the problem.
The signs of blood clots in a person’s lower extremities largely depend on the development of thrombosis. In the early stages of the development of the disease, it is difficult to determine whether a person has a blood clot, because it may not manifest itself at all.
The same swelling or other external signs very rarely appear immediately after the appearance of thrombosis in the patient.
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In the acute form of thrombosis, it is sometimes also difficult to identify symptoms and signs of the disease in a blood clot in the leg. A fairly common misconception is that acute thrombophlebitis is no different from varicose veins.
A distinctive feature of acute thrombophlebitis is a sharp increase in the patient’s temperature, whereas this is not observed with varicose veins. Sometimes people don’t even realize that the detached blood clot has already begun to wander through the bloodstream.
A dangerous case is when the patient has been diagnosed with signs of chronic thrombophlebitis. Its difference from the acute form of this disease is expressed in the expression of symptoms.
With chronic thrombophlebitis, the patient constantly feels swelling, which intensifies over a certain period of time. Chronic thrombophlebitis is characterized by a feeling of heaviness in the legs, the appearance of red spots on the skin and frequent pain in the legs.
In order to independently identify a blood clot that forms in your leg, you need to carefully examine your legs. The presence of thrombophlebitis can be determined if thickening of the veins with characteristic redness is detected.
When pressing on the surface of the veins, a person feels pain. An increase in temperature is felt in the affected area of the extremities. These are the main signs of thrombosis, by which you can suspect that you have begun to form a blood clot.
If a person feels pain when dorsiflexing the feet, this also indicates the presence of a blood clot. This method of manifesting a problem in the human body got its name as Homans' sign. Using this principle, a person can estimate the likelihood that he may develop a blood clot.
Note! It is especially important to know what thrombosis is, how to detect a blood clot, what are the signs of a detached blood clot and how to remove it in time? In some cases, such knowledge helps save the patient's life.
And also the fact that a blood clot has formed is indicated by general fatigue, constant malaise of the body and an increase in body temperature. For lying patients, the development of phlebothrombosis of the veins in the lower leg is typical. In such cases, treatment of thrombosis will include lifestyle correction.
If a blood clot is detected or a patient has thrombosis, you should visit a medical facility, where the doctor will examine the affected area, prescribe the necessary examination and refer you for tests.
In this way, you can find out why blood clots form in a patient. After this, a therapeutic plan for treating the patient will be drawn up.
Even at home, you can identify acute thrombosis, as well as signs of a blood clot in the leg. Leg thrombosis can be determined by knowing the following symptoms:
These symptoms are specific, but can help in identifying the disease. However, it is better to ask your doctor what to do if a blood clot breaks loose in your leg and what the consequences of this may be.
If the veins in your legs hurt, this could mean that the blood clot is about to break off. However, the possibility cannot be ruled out that the clot will resolve on its own. Before treating thrombosis, it is necessary to confirm or refute the diagnosis. A comprehensive examination to determine a blood clot in a leg artery includes:
Comprehensive research results will show whether the clot can resolve on its own. And it is also possible to recognize particularly advanced clots that are no longer able to dissolve even with drug therapy.
If you belong to the category of people prone to varicose veins, excess weight or a passive lifestyle, preventive measures will help relieve swelling and prevent the formation of blood clots.
Proper prevention will also eliminate dissolving clots several times faster. You just need to follow these recommendations:
Inflammation of blood vessels and blood clots are quite dangerous processes. If a blood clot breaks loose, the patient also faces a real threat to life. Therefore, as soon as you suspect that you are developing clots, you should not wait until the clot that has formed comes off.
It is better to immediately seek help from a doctor. A professional phlebologist will find out why the blood clot broke off on the legs and tell you what to do next.
If the blood clot does not come off, you can try to save the affected vein. For this purpose, surgical intervention will be performed to remove part of the affected vessel.
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