The most common treatment for blood clots is to make your blood thinner using medicines. These medicines include warfarin to stop the blood clot from growing larger and to prevent new clots from forming. You will need to take the medicine for several months and see your doctor regularly to check that it's working.
If you visit a vein clinic or hospital for a blood clot and blood thinners are suggested to you, taking aspirin may be an option, instead. It is not for everyone, and will not be enough in all cases, but it does have a similar effect and may work well to reduce the chances of another blood clot in the future.
If you think you have a blood clot, call your doctor or go to the emergency room right away! Blood clots can be dangerous. Blood clots that form in the veins in your legs, arms, and groin can break loose and move to other parts of your body, including your lungs.
throbbing or cramping pain, swelling, redness and warmth in a leg or arm. sudden breathlessness, sharp chest pain (may be worse when you breathe in) and a cough or coughing up blood.
Blood clots usually dissolve on their own. If not, the clots can potentially lead to life-threatening situations. There are two main types of blood clots: thrombus (clot does not move) and embolus (clot breaks loose and moves). If the clot is immobile, it generally won't harm you.
Signs that you may have a blood clot
Symptoms include: leg pain or discomfort that may feel like a pulled muscle, tightness, cramping or soreness. swelling in the affected leg. redness or discoloration of the sore spot.
It's not something you feel instantly. A DVT or pulmonary embolism can take weeks or months to totally dissolve. Even a surface clot, which is a very minor issue, can take weeks to go away. If you have a DVT or pulmonary embolism, you typically get more and more relief as the clot gets smaller.
Blood clots are a medical emergency. They can causes stroke, heart attack, pulmonary embolism, and other life-threatening health problems. Emergency treatment may be necessary if you have a blood clot.
So, is aspirin useful for treating or preventing DVT? Well, aspirin helps prevent blood clot formation, but it doesn't break up the blood clot. This means if DVT has already occurred, it won't dissolve a blood clot that's already there.
This evaluation, known as Homan's Test, consists of laying flat on your back and extending the knee in the suspected leg. Have a friend or family member raise the extended leg to 10 degrees, then have them squeeze the calf. If there's deep pain in the calf, it may be indicative of DVT.
Varicose Veins
When they don't work right, blood pools inside your veins. They swell and become large and rope-like. That's another difference from DVT -- the surface-level clots that come with varicose veins are uncommon and don't usually break free and travel to your lungs.
Treatment includes medicines to ease pain and inflammation, break up clots and keep new clots from forming. Keeping the affected area raised and applying moist heat can also help.
Elevate your legs when you sit or lie down, as often as you can. This will help decrease swelling and pain. Prop your legs on pillows or blankets to keep them elevated comfortably.
It takes about 3 to 6 months for a blood clot to go away. During this time, there are things you can do to relieve symptoms. Elevate your leg to reduce swelling.
Does blood clot pain come and go? Unlike the pain from a charley horse that usually goes away after stretching or with rest, the pain from a blood clot does not go away and usually gets worse with time.
Pain extending to your shoulder, arm, back or jaw. Sudden weakness or numbness of your face, arm or leg. Sudden difficulty speaking or understanding speech (aphasia) Sudden changes in your vision.
1) Constriction of the blood vessel. 2) Formation of a temporary “platelet plug." 3) Activation of the coagulation cascade.
If not treated, a clot can break free and cause a pulmonary embolism—where the clot gets stuck in a blood vessel in the lung, causing severe shortness of breath and even sudden death.
You should never ignore DVT. As with any medical condition, complications can develop when you have DVT. One in 10 develop a pulmonary embolism (PE), which happens when a clot in the leg works loose, moving through the bloodstream to the arteries in the lungs.
Clues of a Clot
swelling of the leg or along a vein in the leg. pain or tenderness in the leg, which you may feel only when standing or walking. increased warmth in the area of the leg that's swollen or painful. red or discolored skin on the leg.
You can get them in blood vessels in just about any part of your body. They're most likely to affect a leg, especially if you sit for long periods of time. You might get a clot in your arteries, which carry oxygen in your blood from your heart to all the cells of your body. The result can be really serious.
We can't see or feel these veins, meaning a clot could be “silent” with no symptoms, or it could cause dull, heavy pressure, pain, and swelling. Clots in superficial veins, outside of the muscle tissue, can cause a lump or cord tender to the touch.