The formation of a blood clot in the lumen of a vein causes a disruption in the outflow of blood, which negatively affects other processes of the circulatory system. As a rule, thrombosis occurs in the lower extremities.
How and with what to treat blood clots on the legs at home?
In approximately 80% of cases, the disease is asymptomatic, which can cause the development of a deadly complication - pulmonary embolism. Most doctors classify vein thrombosis in the legs as a typically “female” pathology. Statistics confirm this note with very real data: in women, pathology occurs 5-6 times more often than in men. This is primarily due to high levels of female sex hormones, as well as the use of contraceptives and pregnancy.
The formation of a blood clot in the veins of the legs, as a rule, is almost always associated with several pathological processes at once: a disturbance in the structure of the vascular wall, a slowdown in the rate of blood circulation and an increase in blood clotting. Among the reasons for the formation of a blood clot on the legs, phlebologists identify:
In the vast majority of cases, the process of thrombus formation appears suddenly, although many of its symptoms are mild. The mechanism of thrombus formation can be divided into three stages:
Ultimately, atherosclerotic plaques and dysfunction of the venous valves create favorable conditions for the occurrence of vortex flows that form clots from blood cells in the veins.
When a blood clot forms in the legs, a person may experience both subjective and objective symptoms, including:
If you are wondering how to treat blood clots on your legs, you should consult a doctor as soon as you notice strange symptoms. The basis of treatment, first of all, is correct and timely diagnosis. After confirming the diagnosis, the attending physician individually selects ways and means to combat the problem.
Speaking about what else can be used to treat blood clots on the legs, one should not discard such a method as traditional medicine. Despite the dubiousness of some “grandmother’s” remedies, in some cases, drugs of natural origin can significantly improve the condition of patients with thrombosis. To avoid unintended consequences, be sure to consult your doctor before using them.
To reduce swelling and pain in the legs due to thrombosis, warm foot baths with a decoction of oak bark before bed are helpful. After steaming, you should fasten elastic bandages on your legs or put on compression stockings;
In the treatment of blood clots on the legs, honey is used as a tincture. Mix a glass of honey with a glass of onion juice, leave the mixture for 3 days in a warm place, and then 7 days in a cool place. Take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day before meals.
Blood clots in the veins of the legs are formed due to the appearance of a blood clot in the vessel, gradually leading to poor circulation. The disease is accompanied by many symptoms, the main one being pain in the leg area, which is considered bursting. At the initial stage, it is difficult to detect symptoms; the disease does not manifest itself in any way; at the last stage, swelling and redness begin to appear.
If we talk about the disease, the pathology can manifest itself at any age. Statistics show that every fourth person suffers from blood clots in their veins. Women are more likely to suffer from thrombosis. Representatives of the fair sex are more susceptible to hormonal imbalances during pregnancy. The danger of the disease is that blood clots in the legs can travel to other organs. The formation of a blood clot is considered a protective reaction of the body.
More often, a blood clot forms in the lower leg area; when a blood clot attaches to the wall of a vessel, an inflammatory process begins to develop.
To begin to treat a blood clot, you will need to determine the symptoms and cause. Let's look at the key causes and remedies:
When the wall of a blood vessel is damaged, the cells in the veins are disrupted, causing the vessel to become damaged and blood to accumulate, which quickly clots to form a blood clot. People who exhibit increased blood clotting suffer - elastic fibers quickly stick together and increase blood viscosity. The reason may be hidden in a decrease in blood speed, this often happens when people remain in bed for a long time.
To determine thrombosis, look for symptoms that indicate the presence of the disease. Typically, people complain of the following symptoms:
When a patient first contacts a doctor, the symptom of edema is checked; the person’s skin at the site of the lesion becomes glossy in color due to tension. To confirm or refute the symptoms, you will need to conduct a diagnosis. This includes a variety of methods, functional samples are taken. Various types of tests can accurately indicate the symptoms of the disease and determine the places on the leg where a blood clot has formed.
The veins in the legs are examined using ultrasound. This way it is much easier to detect problems. If nodules begin to form in the vein area, there are symptoms of thrombosis that require immediate treatment.
Remember, during treatment you will need to provide the patient with bed rest; excessive stress on the veins will lead to complications. For example, if the blood clot is in the lower leg, bed rest is 5 days; if it is in the thigh, the patient is ordered to rest for at least two weeks. Sometimes treatment after visiting a doctor continues at home, proceeds in different ways, depending on the severity.
It is permissible to treat the formation of blood clots non-medically. For example, to improve the functioning of the veins in the legs, the limbs are bandaged with an elastic bandage. The method will be effective if you do this in the morning before getting out of bed.
When the listed treatment methods are ineffective, it is worth using surgical intervention. Treatment is required when the disease has reached a complex stage and a person begins to develop thrombophlebitis. The operation takes place in different ways. For example, in some cases, the doctor stitches the trunk of the large saphenous vein with a paper clip so that the blood passes through, but the large clot cannot move further, creating a risk for the patient’s life. Sometimes a blood clot is removed through a catheter; this is possible only in the early stages of the disease.
Having discovered symptoms of blood clots in the legs, it is possible to resort to folk remedies that are recognized as auxiliary; an examination by a doctor is definitely required. Various herbal infusions are most often used.
Let's look at some effective ways to use at home:
If blood clots on the leg are not treated in time, there is a risk of the patient’s condition worsening, in some cases leading to death!
To avoid the need for long-term treatment, you should always remember about prevention. The rules are simple and easy to follow. Let's look at the main points:
Vein thrombosis is considered a dangerous disease, but if you carry out prevention correctly and respond to symptoms in a timely manner, it is quite possible to avoid complications.
A blood clot, or more commonly known as thrombosis , is a dangerous disease that creates numerous blood clots in the body and can form in almost all parts of the body and internal organs. It is formed intravitally in blood vessels or the cardiac cavity due to damage to the blood channel and the beginning of the coagulation process outside the vessel.
Experts distinguish 4 main types of blood clots according to their size, appearance, color and a number of other characteristics:
Also, a mixed thrombus is divided into three conventional parts: head, neck, tail. The “tail” section always grows against the direction of blood flow; if it grows excessively, it causes thromboembolism of the venous or arterial type, and leads to the detachment of the entire thrombus.
If there is a pathological effect in the history of thrombosis, then such cases are divided into 3 more subtypes:
Most often, blood clots are localized on the legs; when they form, the following symptoms appear:
Typically, thrombosis is diagnosed quickly and without difficulty ; the body itself will tell you how to recognize a thrombus, since the diagnosis can be confirmed even with a visual examination.
But, to avoid errors, it is recommended to carry out a number of tests, such as:
Before donating blood, you must follow several rules:
The procedure has one significant drawback, since it cannot show the clot at an early stage of development, when treatment and recovery will not take too long.
After administering the required dose, a regular x-ray is taken; a specialist can notice a blood clot even at the earliest stage of formation and treatment will take no more than 10 days. This is the main advantage over ultrasound.
The causes of thrombosis in the legs can be very diverse, but they are divided into 5 main types:
Medications can also be a cause when consumed in large quantities without a doctor's permission. These include: pills that prevent pregnancy and anabolic steroids.
Treatment of thrombosis in a limb can be either surgical or medicinal, but it is worth noting that surgery for thrombosis will be the most effective treatment method.
The main new treatment methods are operations such as bypass surgery, stenting and removal.
Bypass surgery is a very reliable treatment method; the essence of the operation is that the surgeon opens an additional path for blood flow bypassing the affected area. The intervention takes place under general anesthesia and is open.
The advantage is that there is no need to make incisions or administer anesthesia. The surgeon simply locates the blockage and inserts a stand into the vessel that resembles a cylinder with mesh walls, which will expand the narrowing site and can serve until the patient’s death.
Usually, thrombus removal is carried out in combination with stenting, since the stand cannot be installed until there is stagnation there. The clot is simply sucked out with a special device and the bandage is secured for a while so that the patient does not accidentally “break things” and complications do not arise.
Medications may be prescribed to dissolve the blood clot using injections. But if the blood clot is located near the veins and there is a possibility of it breaking off, surgery will be recommended. If a complete blockage of the vessel occurs.
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During the absence of productive medicine, the disease was alleviated with a decoction of nettle or chamomile with mint; the solution was poured into a large tub and the diseased limb was lowered into it. It is worth saying that this method does not cure, but muffles the pain (if any) and softens the seals in the area of thrombosis.
Almost all methods are connected in one way or another with heating and massaging, which partly helped, since in those days the cause of blood clot formation was not a less active lifestyle, but injuries.
If a blood clot breaks loose, then these treatment methods are like a “poultice for a dead person.” When thrombosis occurs, there are many restrictions, if observed, that the patient can guarantee a complete recovery without consequences.
The consequences of thrombosis can be numerous diseases, including chronic ones, some patients can even die if they do not go to the hospital on time, but if the patient complied with all the instructions of specialists, then in 90% of cases such people return to work without any consequences and further restrictions on health.
The main complications during treatment are:
After thrombosis, the patient may be accompanied by:
The only sure way to avoid thrombosis is by following simple but important prevention.
People at particular risk are:
For those at risk, doctors recommend using blood thinners (should only be used if recommended). Equally important is proper nutrition with a minimum of cholesterol and maximum consumption of raw and fresh foods.
Having discovered signs of vascular disease, many are in no hurry to seek medical help. Meanwhile, the pathology continues to develop, often without causing much inconvenience to the person. However, if the necessary measures are not taken in time, the consequences can be very dire, not excluding death. One of the most insidious vascular diseases are blood clots in the veins of the legs - complete or partial blockage of a vessel with a blood clot. The main danger of this pathology is that at any moment a blood clot can break off and block vital arteries.
Blood clots in the veins most often occur in the legs, although the entire circulatory system is susceptible to the disease. The culprit behind the formation of clots in the vein is an increased number of platelets. In case of bleeding, the normal operation of these elements ensures its rapid stop. Therefore, a decrease or excessive increase in their amount in the blood is extremely undesirable.
The increase in platelets can be affected by several factors, such as innate properties of the body and hormonal imbalance. The second reason is observed mainly in women, it is often provoked by:
Thrombosis in the leg can also be caused by elevated cholesterol levels. This is caused by unhealthy eating habits and excess weight. In this case, cholesterol plaques are deposited on the walls of the veins, which leads to narrowing of the vascular channels and the appearance of blood clots.
Thrombi of deep and superficial veins in the lower extremities can appear as a result of blood stagnation. Lack of necessary daily exercise on the legs, such as walking or exercise, impairs venous blood flow, which can lead to the development of thrombosis.
Another possible cause of blockage of superficial veins in the legs is rupture of blood vessels as a result of an injury. After a fracture, dislocation or surgery, veins often take on an irregular shape and begin to leak blood less well. This can cause blood clots to form.
Oncological disease can also provoke thrombosis. The effects of chemotherapy damage the lining of the veins and activate substances that increase blood clotting. The situation is aggravated by the patient's sedentary lifestyle.
Thrombosis can be caused by excess weight.
A feature of the course of this disease is the frequent absence of noticeable manifestations. This applies mainly to deep vein thrombosis. However, the blood clot is constantly growing. If you treat your body with due attention, you can determine if you have a blood clot on your leg by the presence of some symptoms. Photos of the legs of people with thrombosis will help to recognize the disease.
A leg affected by thrombosis will sooner or later reveal itself with swelling. This is a consequence of partial or complete blockage of blood vessels. Because of this, the outflow of blood from the legs worsens, and it stagnates in the veins. As a result, it begins to leak into the intercellular space. You can determine such a process in the vessels by pressing your finger on the swollen areas - a depression will appear, which will recover only within a few seconds. In addition, an increase in temperature and redness is often observed on the swollen limb.
If the thrombus is located in a superficial vein, then the task of diagnosing it is easier. The affected vessels increase in size and become denser to the touch. Even light pressure on them causes pain. In the photo you can see that the location of the blood clot has a blue skin color.
An advanced state of the disease can develop into thrombophlebitis - inflammation of the veins in the legs. In this case, the patient’s body temperature rises, fever appears, muscles swell and heaviness in the legs is felt. This condition prevents a person from moving normally. Every attempt to lower a limb causes unbearable pain. In the absence of medical care, a vascular network forms on the surface of the skin, and the skin on the affected leg becomes bluish.
The main symptom of thrombosis is swelling of the legs.
In the very last stage of untreated thrombosis, a blood clot that has grown to a large size completely blocks the lumen of the vein. This situation will most likely lead to the development of gangrene. And if such a blood clot breaks off and blocks an artery, it will be very difficult to save a person from death.
The presence of the above symptoms may not necessarily indicate thrombosis. To confirm or rule out the presence of this disease, you must undergo an examination by a phlebologist. If it turns out for sure that the symptoms are a consequence of blood clots, treatment can begin.
Depending on where the blood clots are located, for example in the veins in the legs above or below the knee, treatment will be appropriate. When the area affected by thrombosis extends only to the ankle, it is possible to undergo treatment on an outpatient basis. If the thrombus is located higher, bed rest and inpatient therapy is an absolute necessity. There are two ways to treat blockage of blood vessels - surgically or conservatively.
The first method is thrombectomy. The treatment is carried out under general anesthesia, and the person does not feel pain. An incision is made in the thigh area, a balloon catheter is inserted into the wound and inflated. After this, the catheter is removed along with the blood clot. It will help avoid recurrences. After two weeks, the wound has completely healed, minor pain and slight swelling usually disappear on the third day. To prevent the appearance of scars, you can use a healing cream or ointment. Thrombectomy is well tolerated by patients, who leave mostly positive reviews about it.
In drug treatment, anticoagulants are most often prescribed.
With conservative treatment, the doctor prescribes so-called direct or indirect anticoagulants - drugs that reduce blood clotting. With their help, it is possible to reduce the formation of platelets, thereby stopping the process of formation of new blood clots in the veins. In addition, medications help lower cholesterol levels. Drugs can be produced in different forms, but most often they can be found in tablets, these include:
During the entire period of treatment with these drugs, it is necessary to constantly monitor blood viscosity. This should only be done under the strict supervision of the attending physician, since an overdose of these drugs can lead to internal bleeding.
For drug removal of formed blood clots, thrombolytics Streptokinase and Urokinase are used - drugs that help resolve blood clots. However, if the clot is too large, additional treatment will be needed. The component acting on fibrin fibers gives a good resorption effect, but only on those blood clots that have not yet reached large sizes.
An excellent tool in the fight against thrombosis is Hepatrombin. This is a broad-spectrum ointment aimed at relieving inflammation and swelling. Hepatrombin relieves pain and helps blood clots dissolve.
The ointment has a positive effect only on superficial vessels; it strengthens the walls of the veins and increases their elasticity. Hepatrombin has already been appreciated by many patients suffering from blocked veins; numerous positive reviews indicate the effectiveness of treatment with this drug.
If you discover that you have venous thrombosis, do not despair - modern medicine offers a lot of effective ways to treat this disease. You just need to notice its signs in yourself in time and immediately consult a doctor. Knowing the symptoms will help with this.
Thrombus is a blood clot that forms in the cavity of the heart or in blood vessels. Such a clot can be localized in one place, thereby blocking the path of blood flow and complicating blood supply.
In some cases, it can grow and completely block the path to various organs and tissues. A blood clot can also break off and block important blood vessels, resulting in death.
The mechanism of clot formation is based on the fact that during vessel damage, substances are released from the walls that inhibit blood clotting processes at the site of damage. At the same time, platelets break down and change.
Procoagulants (thromboplastin and thrombin) are released into the blood, which promote blood clotting. These substances affect the protein responsible for the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and are transformed into fibrin, which forms the basis of the blood clot in the form of a kind of mesh of threads. Next, leukocytes, platelets (aggregated), and erythrocytes are collected in this “network”.
Over time, the clot thickens and thus eliminates the “leakage” of blood.
Blood clots vary in their characteristics.
According to their structure, blood clots are:
The types and sizes of clots are also subject to appropriate classification; a thrombus can be:
Virchow's triad explains the reasons for the formation of blood clots:
Symptoms and signs of a blood clot in the body will depend on its location.
If the blood clot is located in the legs, then a number of symptoms will indicate this:
Blood clots in the vessels of the brain have their own symptoms:
Obstruction of blood vessels in the brain can lead to a stroke.
Symptoms of a blood clot in the heart may differ depending on whether the clot is mobile or immobile. Mobile embolus:
Symptoms indicating the presence of a blood clot in the upper extremities:
Symptoms of a blood clot in the lungs:
The goal of treating thrombosis is to reduce the growth of the clot, thinning the blood, which will prevent further clot formation. It is important to do this as quickly as possible to prevent a blood clot from breaking off or completely blocking the blood vessels.
When treating thrombosis, it is important to maintain bed rest with bandaging of the affected area of the body (using an elastic bandage; a good alternative is compression garments). This prevents the growth of a blood clot.
Medicines that can help get rid of blood clots in blood vessels:
For local use, special ointments and gels are prescribed based on anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics, heparin (Lioton, Hepatrombin).
The operation to remove blood clots is low-traumatic and effective. It is performed under the supervision of a doctor using x-ray equipment. A small incision (up to 1 centimeter) is made in the problem area; then there are several options for the operation:
Traditional healers use the following treatment methods:
During treatment, it is important not only to follow the regimen and doctor’s prescription, but also to eat properly, including in your diet foods that thin the blood and prevent the formation of blood clots:
Herbs for thinning the blood:
Blood thinning products
Having come off, the blood clot can travel long distances through the vessels, so blockage of the vessel can occur anywhere, which often leads to death.
There is also the option of dividing one embolus into several smaller ones and blocking several vessels at once. What is typical is that not a single specialist can say why exactly in this or that particular case the separation occurred.
Symptoms of a blood clot rupture largely depend on its location.
If the blood clot has “left” its place and is located in the vessels of the arms or legs, the patient may feel:
Blockage of the pulmonary artery due to blood clot separation is characterized by:
If a detached blood clot “nests” in the vessels of the brain, this manifests itself as signs of a stroke:
The fact that the thrombus has stopped in the coronary artery is indicated by:
The location of the thrombus in this artery has all the signs of a heart attack.
Signs of a broken blood clot include:
Ultimately, the location of a detached blood clot in this area can lead to intestinal necrosis.
When the first signs of separation appear, the patient should immediately take a horizontal position (comfortable). You should immediately call an ambulance with a cardiology team.
Under no circumstances should you heat the area when a blood clot breaks off: it is better to apply a cold compress. It would not be superfluous to take an antispasmodic or analgesic.
It is better to find out in advance about your predisposition to developing blood clots. It is worth undergoing diagnostics and, if their presence is determined, immediately ask your doctor what to do in the event of a tear, as this can happen at any time.
Treatment will consist of taking antiplatelet agents exclusively as prescribed by the attending physician. Surgical intervention in the form of blood clot removal (thrombectomy) completely prevents serious consequences.
A complication of the development of blood clots is embolism - blockage of blood vessels and disruption of their patency. This may result in other problems depending on the lumen that remains in the vessel for circulation.
When a coronary artery is blocked, there is a risk of developing coronary heart disease followed by myocardial infarction. Blockage or narrowing of the veins of the thigh, leg and pelvis threatens pulmonary embolism and post-thrombotic syndrome.
Thus, blood clots pose a real threat to human life, therefore, at the first suspicion of their presence, it is necessary to be examined and begin treatment, since the separation of a blood clot is a matter of minutes and it is unknown when this may happen.
Vein thrombosis is a disease in which a thrombus (blood clot) forms in the lumen of a vein, clogging the vessel and interfering with normal blood flow. Over time, the length of the thrombus increases, and it completely blocks a certain area of the venous vessel.
In the human body, two systems are responsible for the “fluid” qualities of blood: coagulation and anticoagulation. Thanks to the coagulation system, bleeding stops when a vessel is injured, while the anticoagulation system provides the exact opposite effect - maintaining the liquid state of blood in the lumen of the vessel. A thrombus (blood clot in a vessel) appears when the balance between these systems is disturbed in the direction of the predominance of coagulation processes. Thrombosis can be caused by reasons such as blood thickening, damage to the vessel wall, or slowing of blood flow. The following risk factors are identified that provoke the occurrence of deep vein thrombosis:
Under the influence of one or more of the above reasons, a parietal clot arises, which consists of stuck together blood cells. As a result, a mechanism is launched that ends with complete closure of the vessel lumen and an increase in the length of the thrombus.
In a healthy body, blood moves from the lower extremities to the heart, then flows into the lungs, saturating them with oxygen, and then again flows to the peripheral organs. If the lumen of the main vein is blocked, this will greatly complicate the process of blood outflow from the legs. Therefore, the main symptom of venous thrombosis is swelling of the leg. Depending on the location of the blood clot, swelling of the ankle, lower leg or thigh may occur, or swelling of the entire leg (entirely) may occur. In the acute period, symptoms of the disease also include pain (mainly in the calf muscles), a feeling of fullness and heaviness in the lower limb. The feeling of fullness and pain intensify when lowering the leg down and decrease when raising it. In some cases, a subcutaneous venous pattern is clearly visible against the background of edema.
Severe forms of venous thrombosis, in which blood clots in the veins block both the superficial and deep venous lines, as well as the largest collateral branches, cause a condition called phlegmasia. Its sign is swelling of the entire leg, accompanied by impaired tissue microcirculation. Without proper treatment, disruption of the blood supply to the tissues of the leg can lead to gangrene. Venous gangrene, the most severe complication of venous thrombosis, requires urgent amputation of the leg.
Sometimes, deep vein thrombosis of the lower extremities is asymptomatic, without pain or swelling. This occurs if the thrombus only partially blocks the lumen of the vein and does not cause a sudden obstruction of outflow. But such blood clots on the legs are quite dangerous - they can break off and travel to the lungs. This can lead to a serious complication called pulmonary embolism (PE).
This condition occurs due to the separation and migration of a blood clot or its parts from the thrombosed veins of the legs into the pulmonary artery, resulting in its blockage. Blood circulation through the pulmonary artery is disrupted, and the person develops acute cardiac and respiratory failure.
The severity of pulmonary embolism depends on the number and size of the displaced pieces of blood clot - emboli. Small parts of the thrombus block the small branches of the pulmonary artery, which causes circulatory problems in the lung tissue and leads to pulmonary infarction. The main signs of this condition are: attacks of shortness of breath, cough, general weakness, in some cases chest pain and hemoptysis. Embolism with a large fragment of a blood clot can be fatal.
Pain and swelling of the leg, which are the main symptoms of venous thrombosis, can be signs of many other diseases (lymphostasis, renal and heart failure, arthritis, myositis, arthrosis, etc.), so consultation with a vascular surgeon is required. It should be understood that during the examination, the specialist can only assume that the patient has venous thrombosis. But confirmation (or refutation) of the diagnosis, as well as determining the likelihood of a blood clot breaking off, can be obtained only after duplex scanning (ultrasound examination of blood vessels).
Every year, an average of 160 out of 100,000 people are diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis of the lower extremities. It is equally common in both women and men. In 2008, 50,000 cases of pulmonary embolism were recorded in Ukraine, 10,000 of which were fatal. 8-15 years after the illness, 50-80% of patients develop disability as a result of the progression of severe forms of venous insufficiency.
The main method used to diagnose venous thrombosis is ultrasound duplex scanning of veins. This procedure is highly informative, it is completely safe and painless, and therefore can be repeated many times without harm to the patient.
Duplex scanning makes it possible to determine the presence and nature of a blood clot, the localization of thrombosis, the presence of a floating tip of the blood clot, determine the extent of damage to the vessel, and also helps the surgeon obtain other important information to determine treatment tactics.
Without duplex scanning, treatment of venous thrombosis will be carried out “blindly”, and therefore may be ineffective and fraught with complications. Duplex scanning is also necessary to monitor the treatment and monitor the patient in the period after the illness.
When diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis, conservative or surgical treatment is used. Considering the peculiarities of the course of this disease, the risk of serious complications and the severe consequences of thrombosis, the choice of treatment method should always be made by a vascular surgeon.
The conservative method involves prescribing blood thinning medications to the patient. These medications cannot destroy existing blood clots in the veins, but they can prevent them from getting larger. Also, anti-inflammatory drugs and drugs that improve the “flowing” properties of blood are used. In each individual case, the doctor individually selects the dose of medication and determines the duration of medication use.
The procedure for dissolving a blood clot is called thrombolysis. It consists of injecting a special agent into the lumen of the vein that dissolves the blood clot - a thrombolytic. There are contraindications for this procedure, so it should be performed only in a hospital, under the supervision of an experienced vascular surgeon who closely monitors the patient’s blood clotting parameters. The degree of effectiveness of this procedure depends on how timely the treatment was prescribed.
If indicated, surgical intervention is also performed - blood clots are removed from the lumen of the vein. Taking into account the peculiarities of the structure of deep veins, removal of blood clots is possible only in certain cases.
If a floating thrombus is detected in a patient, urgent intervention by an experienced vascular surgeon is necessary to prevent pulmonary embolism.
In case of venous thrombosis, to prevent pulmonary embolism, strictly according to indications, a special metal filter is placed inside the inferior vena cava. The inferior vena cava is the main vessel through which blood flows from the legs, pelvic organs, and abdominal cavity to the lungs and heart. The purpose of the filter is to protect the pulmonary artery from emboli entering it in the event of a blood clot rupture.
Treatment of leg veins also includes elastic compression, the purpose of which is to reduce leg swelling and improve blood flow. This procedure is carried out by elastic bandaging the leg or using compression stockings. The choice of compression therapy regimen in each individual case is determined by the vascular surgeon.
Variants of the outcome of venous thrombosis can be the following: complete resorption of the thrombus, fragmentary opening of the vein lumen and obliteration of the vein - in this case, the lumen is overgrown with connective tissue and disappears completely. The period of resorption of a blood clot in the veins is different for each patient, and depends on the extent of thrombosis, the diameter of the vessel and the individual characteristics of the body.
To facilitate the movement of blood from the lower extremities to the heart, the veins in the legs have valves that, like door leaves, allow blood to flow upward and then close, preventing it from returning downward. In most cases, during the process of resorption, the blood clot damages or completely destroys the valves located in the deep vein, which is why the person develops blood stagnation in the legs or venous insufficiency.
Signs of chronic venous insufficiency are: a feeling of heaviness, nagging pain, swelling of the legs, which intensifies in the evening or after physical activity. Over time, swelling becomes permanent, and heaviness in the lower extremities remains even after a night's sleep. Often, inflammation, dermatitis and eczema appear on the skin. Then, in places where the skin has changed (at the bottom or in the middle of the lower leg), a trophic ulcer appears. It appears as a result of a long-term improper outflow of blood from the skin and soft tissues of the limb, due to which the nutrition of these tissues is disrupted, the skin becomes thinner and is very easily injured. As a result, ulcers are formed, which either heal, then open again, or stop healing altogether and form large ulcerative defects. Through these ulcers, an infection enters the human body, causing general intoxication and undermining the immune system.
In addition, as a result of blocking the lumen of a deep vein with a thrombus, the load on the superficial veins, which take on the function of draining blood from the legs, increases. Such excessive load can lead to secondary varicose veins of the superficial veins, and this will accelerate the development of chronic venous insufficiency.
All of the above signs of chronic venous insufficiency, which occur a long time after suffering venous thrombosis, are called one general term - postthrombophlebitic syndrome (PTPS).
To prevent disability due to the occurrence of trophic ulcers, patients with PTFS need to be observed by a vascular surgeon and regularly undergo examination of deep and superficial veins using duplex scanning. The vascular surgeon will schedule your visits to the specialist, during which you will be provided with information about the duration and dose of medications, compression therapy regimens and physical activity, which are individual for each patient. With regular monitoring of the patient, the doctor will be able to notice the warning signs of a trophic ulcer in time and help prevent its formation.
To prevent the occurrence of this disease, you should avoid long-term immobility of your legs: it is not recommended to sit in the same position for a long time during long trips and flights (the “leg-to-leg” position is especially dangerous); Also avoid squeezing your legs with tight clothing, the edge of a seat, etc.
In hot weather (summer, in a sauna or bathhouse), be sure to drink plenty of fluids - this will prevent blood thickening.
People at risk - bedridden patients, patients after operations and injuries, cancer patients - need special procedures to prevent venous thrombosis.
The risk group also includes patients with varicose veins in the superficial legs. Timely surgery to remove varicose veins significantly reduces the possibility of developing deep vein thrombosis.
When the first symptoms of the disease appear (severe pain in the leg muscles, swelling), urgently seek help from a vascular surgeon, since in this disease the success of treatment is directly related to the time factor. The sooner the course of treatment is started, the greater the patient’s chances of recovery.