DVT

DVT Summary

When blood traveling throughout your veins slows down, it can lead to a blood clot and in certain veins this is referred to as Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). The most common sites in the body are the lower leg, thigh or pelvic region. DVT can cause very serious problems so if you suspect you may have one, you must see a physician immediately.

Signs and symptoms?

According to Web MD, not everyone with DVT shows symptoms. But you may notice any of the following:

  • Leg or arm swelling that comes on without warning
  • Pain or soreness when you stand or walk
  • Warmth in the area that hurts
  • Enlarged veins
  • Skin that looks red or blue

If a blood clot breaks free and moves through your bloodstream, it can get stuck in a blood vessel of your lung. Doctors call this a pulmonary embolism, or PE. It can be fatal.

Some people don’t know they have DVT until this happens. Signs of PE include:

Shortness of breath
Chest pain that’s worse when you take a deep breath
Coughing up blood
Increased heart rate

What Causes DVT?

Many things can increase your chances of getting DVT. Here are some of the most common:

Age: DVT can happen at any age, but your risk is greater after age 40.

Sitting for long periods: When you sit or lie down for long stretches of time, the muscles in your lower legs stay lax. This makes it hard for blood to circulate, or move around, like it should. Bed rest and long flights or car rides can put you at risk.

Pregnancy: Carrying a baby puts more pressure on the veins in your legs and pelvis. What’s more, a clot can happen up to 6 weeks after you give birth.

Obesity: People with a body mass index (BMI) over 30 have a higher chance of DVT. This measures how much body fat you have compared to your height and weight.

Having serious health issues: Irritable bowel disease, cancer, and heart disease can all increase your risk.

Certain inherited blood disorders: Some conditions that run in families cause your blood to be thicker than normal or to clot more than it should.

Injury to a vein: This could be due to a broken bone, surgery, or other trauma.

Smoking: Smoking makes blood cells “stickier” than they should be. It also harms the lining of your blood vessels. This makes it easier for clots to form.

Birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy: The estrogen in these raises your blood’s ability to clot. (Progesterone-only pills don’t present the same risk.)

How Is DVT Treated?

Your doctor will want to stop the blood clot from getting bigger or breaking off and heading towards your lungs. She’ll also want to reduce your chances of getting another DVT.

This can be done in one of three ways:

  • Medicine: Blood thinners are the most common medications used to treat DVT. They reduce your blood’s ability to clot. You may need to take them for 6 months.
  • If your symptoms are severe or your clot is very large, your doctor may give you a strong medicine to dissolve it. These medications, called thrombolytics, have serious side effects like sudden bleeding. That’s why they’re not prescribed very often.
  • Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) filter: If you can’t take a blood thinner or if one doesn’t help, your doctor may insert a small, cone-shaped filter inside your inferior vena cava. That’s the largest vein in your body. The filter can catch a large clot before it reaches your lungs.

Compression stockings: These special knee socks are very tight at the ankle and get looser as they reach your knee. This pressure prevents blood from pooling in your veins. You can buy some types at the drug store. But your doctor may prescribe a stronger version that must be fitted by an expert.

Can I Prevent DVT?

Simple lifestyle changes may help lower your odds of getting one. Try these simple tips to keep your blood circulating like it should:

  • Take care of yourself. Stop smoking, lose weight, and get active.
  • Get regular check-ups. And, if your doctor has prescribed a medicine to control a health problem, take it as directed.
  • Don’t sit for too long. If you’re traveling for 4 hours or more, take breaks to flex and stretch your lower leg muscles. If you’re on a flight, walk up and down the aisle every half hour. On long car drives, pull over each hour to stretch. Wear loose-fitting clothes and drink plenty of water.
  • Plan surgery after-care. Talk to your doctor about what you can do to prevent DVT after surgery. She might suggest you wear compression stockings or take blood thinners. You’ll also want to get out of bed and start moving around.
  • If you have a clot in a deep vein, you’re at risk for damage to your veins and organs as well as other life-threatening problems. Not everyone who gets DVT will have trouble, but there’s a decent chance you could be affected.
  • Stick to your DVT treatment plan to help your body break down your clot and keep your bloodmoving. Ask your doctor what else you can do about these complications.

Pulmonary Embolism

DVT in the leg is the most common cause. If your blood clot comes loose from the vein and moves through your bloodstream so it ends up partly or completely blocking a lung artery, it’s called a pulmonary embolism (PE). This can happen right after the clot forms, or it may happen later.

At least 1 in 10 people with deep vein thrombosis have a PE. That number may actually be much higher, though, because 3 out of 4 cause no symptoms and go undiagnosed.

If you have any of these symptoms, call 911 or go to the emergency room right away:

  • Sudden cough, which may be bloody
  • Rapid breathing or sudden shortness of breath, even while resting
  • Chest pain: sharp or stabbing, burning, aching, or dull (might get worse with deep breaths, coughing, eating, or bending)
  • Sudden rapid heart rate

PE can lead to even more serious problems, including:

  • Irregular heartbeat (heart palpitations)
  • Heart failure, when your heart can’t keep up with the body’s demands
  • Trouble breathing
  • High blood pressure in the lung arteries, called pulmonary hypertension

You may need emergency care in the hospital. Doctors can give you medications that dissolve the clot (thrombolytics) and prevent new clots (anticoagulants, or blood thinners). Depending on your symptoms and what your tests show, you may need other treatment, too.

Post-thrombotic Syndrome

When a clot stays in your leg or arm for too long, it can damage the vein or its valves. Valves that don’t work right let blood backflow and pool, instead of pushing it toward the heart.

Post-thrombotic syndrome is usually mild, but some symptoms can be severe. They may not show up until years later. Maybe half of people with DVT end up with long-term effects where the clot was:

  • Pain
  • Swelling
  • Darkened skin color
  • Skin sores
  • Varicose veins — swollen, sometimes twisted or blue veins you can see under the skin

Because blood that isn’t flowing well is more likely to clot, you could also get another DVT or a pulmonary embolism.

Prevention is key. Your doctor may recommend that you:

  • Wear compression stockings.
  • Keep your leg or arm raised while at rest.
  • Undergo a procedure that opens a narrow vein, such as a
    balloon angioplasty or stenting.
  • Get the clot removed with surgery.

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