A blood clot is a mass that forms when platelets, proteins and cells in the blood stick together. When you're hurt, a clot stops the bleeding, and once you've healed your body usually breaks it down.
Clots become dangerous when they form where they shouldn't, when the body makes too many or abnormal clots, or when clots don't break down. They can form in — or travel to — blood vessels in the limbs, lungs, brain, heart and kidneys, and the harm depends on where they end up.
Types
| Clot | What it does |
|---|---|
| Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) | a clot in a deep vein, usually in the lower leg, thigh or pelvis; it can block the vein and damage the leg |
| Pulmonary embolism (PE) | a DVT that breaks off and travels to the lungs; a large one can damage the lungs and starve other organs of oxygen |
| Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) | a rare clot in the brain's venous sinuses, which normally drain blood from the brain; it can cause a hemorrhagic stroke |
| Elsewhere | ischemic stroke, heart attack, kidney problems or failure, and pregnancy-related problems |
Who's at higher risk
- atherosclerosis, atrial fibrillation, diabetes
- overweight or obesity
- cancer and cancer treatment
- some genetic disorders; a family history of clots
- certain surgeries; serious injuries
- COVID-19
- pregnancy and childbirth
- some medicines, including birth control pills
- smoking
- staying in one position a long time — in hospital, or on a long car or plane trip
Warning signs
| Where | Symptoms |
|---|---|
| Arm or leg | sudden or gradual pain, swelling, tenderness and warmth |
| Lungs | shortness of breath, pain on deep breathing, fast breathing, fast heart rate |
| Brain | trouble speaking, vision problems, seizures, weakness on one side, sudden severe headache |
| Heart | chest pain, sweating, shortness of breath, pain in the left arm |
| Abdomen | abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting |
Diagnosis
Your provider will examine you and take your medical history, and may order:
- blood tests, including a D-dimer test;
- imaging — ultrasound, a CT scan, or x-rays of the veins (venography) or blood vessels (angiography) taken after an injected dye shows how blood flows.
Treatment
Depending on where the clot is and how serious it is:
- blood thinners;
- other medicines, including thrombolytics, which dissolve clots — usually for severe ones;
- surgery or other procedures to remove the clot.
Prevention
- Get moving as soon as you can after being stuck in bed by surgery, illness or injury.
- On long flights or car trips, get up and move around every few hours.
- Wear compression stockings after surgery or on a long flight.
- Stay active, don't smoke, and keep a healthy weight.
Some people at high risk need blood thinners to prevent clots.
Sources
Based on the MedlinePlus health topic "Blood Clots," National Library of Medicine; a work of the United States government in the public domain.
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from medlineplus.gov
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