Blood Clot Symptoms

Our heart continuously pumps a liquid tissue within the body vessels called blood. Blood travels to each and every cell, organ and part of the body. Blood consists of various types of cells with different functions. These include the red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. In case of an injury or blood vessel damage, platelets spring into action. Platelets tend to release certain chemicals that helps in clotting the blood. A protein called fibrin is formed that helps in forming a clump of blood clot. Generally, the human body creates blood clots if a blood vessel is damaged, then once it is healed, these blood clots will dissolve. A thrombus is the medical term used for a blood clot that obstructs or stops the blood flow, and blocks a vein or artery. If at all it breaks free and starts to travel throughout the body, it could cause some very serious problems that are potentially fatal.

What are Blood Clots?
Blood vessels are semi-solid masses made up of sticky blood cells, which are formed when blood vessels are damaged. The body creates these clots as a kind of response to this blood vessel damage. The main duty of the clot is to seal the damaged blood vessel and to prevent blood from leaking out. Blood clots that block arteries and prevent flow of oxygen and blood to an organ can cause serious tissue damage in the body. And when clots break away from a certain area, instead of protecting they can endanger the organs. Blood clots that block the flow of blood are usually the main culprits in strokes and heart attacks. Some of the other organs that can be damaged by blood clots are:

• When a clot is formed in the arteries that are supplying blood directly to the heart, it can block this flow of blood, thus completely cutting off or reducing the oxygen supply to the cells in that area. As a result of which, the part of the heart that has been deprived of oxygen will die and this can cause a heart attack.
• Blood clots that block the oxygen supply to the brain cause strokes.
• Blood clots that are formed in the eye can lead to permanent blindness.

Deep vein thrombosis is the condition that occurs when a blood clot affects some of the deeper and larger veins like the ones found in the thighs and lower legs.

Blood Clot Symptoms
There are a number of symptoms of a blood clot. These symptoms tend to depend on the type of blood clot the patient suffers from as well as its location. In many cases, the patients experiences no symptoms at all. Let us have a look at some of the warning signs of blood clot.

Signs of Blood Clot in Heart
Blood clots can at times completely block an artery that pumps blood into the heart. Thus, leading to a heart attack. Most of the time, heart attack caused by blood clots start with a chest pain that starts from the center of the chest and then move gradually upwards to the jaw, the back and the arms. Sometimes the pain will also be felt in the abdominal region. In most cases, people experiencing heart attacks will speak of a pounding sensation and tightness in the chest. The heart may beat irregularly and the pulse rate will speed up. Difficult in breathing, shortness of breath, vomiting, nausea, and fainting or even collapse are the first signs of a heart attack.

Arterial thrombosis can occur due to a blood clot in an artery. These blood clots lead to atherosclerosis, angina as well as heart attack. One may experience pain in the chest after undergoing a physical activity or when under stress. Other symptoms of blood clot include breathlessness, exhaustion, fatigue as well as a feel of getting choked.

Signs of Blood Clot in Brain
Arterial thrombosis is one of the leading causes of stroke. A blood clot can block an artery that supplies blood to the brain. Blood clots that cause strokes usually have symptoms that are more pronounced on the opposite side of the body. This could result in paralysis or loss of sensation in one side of the face, leg or arm, and blindness. It could also lead to complete paralysis of the one entire side of the body. If the left hand side of the brain is affected, then the person will experience speech problems. It may also cause the patient to drool saliva due to weakness in the face. Other blood clot in brain symptoms leading to strokes include severe headaches, difficulty swallowing, confusion or loss of balance and coordination.

Signs of Blood Clot in Surface Veins
Inflammation in the surface veins is also a symptom of a blood clot. This could produce discomfort and pain. Blood clots that are formed in these surface veins do not usually break loose and travel in the blood stream so they generally don't cause any blockage and complications in the organs.

Signs of Blood Clot in Arms
Venous clots cause disruption in the flow of blood back to the heart. The medical term for venous clots is venous thromboembolism. These blood clots are generally observed occurring in the arms or legs. Some of the symptoms of blood clot in arms include warm sensation in the arm, swelling, redness and pain in the affected area. A patient may even complain of itchy skin rash and prominent veins in the area of clot. One may even experience a mild fever of about 100.4ºF.

Signs of Blood Clot in Legs
Symptoms of blood clots in legs are similar to the symptoms of blood clots in arms. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a type of blood clot that mostly occurs in legs. The symptoms include pain in leg without swelling. Standing for long periods, leg injury, use of birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy, obesity, pregnancy, chronic inflammatory disease are some of the factors that lead to blood clots in legs. Blood clots in the leg cause swelling, pain, increased warmth and redness. The classic symptoms of such blood clots are:

• Swelling
• Tenderness or pain over a vein
• Redness
• Sharp, shooting pain when the foot is being flexed
• Warm sensation
• Dull, aching throb in the calves, especially when the person is walking
• Widening or dilation of the surface veins

This can lead to some very serious complications and blood clots that are formed deeper in the veins can break away and become a traveling blood clot, medically called an embolus. This embolus can travel and get lodged in the lung and this condition is known as the pulmonary embolism.

Signs of Blood Clot in Lungs
As mentioned in the preceding paragraph, pulmonary embolism is caused due to a traveling blood clot. This leads to symptoms of blood clot in lungs. One experiences shortness of breath, even when one is resting or in a relax mood. Since clots in deep vein thrombosis tend to cause symptoms in the early stages, the first few warning signs occurs when the clot breaks loose and starts traveling towards the lung. The early signs of blood clot include chest pain, bloody sputum and breathlessness.

Signs of Blood Clot due to Flying
Studies have proven that airplane travelers who fly for four hours or more, are three times more likely to develop blood clots than the time when not flying. Thus, flying increases the risk of blood clot symptoms. It is more common in people who sit in economy class section. The cramped space leads to deep vein thrombosis in the arms and legs. If the clot breaks free, it can lead to pulmonary embolism. It is not just flying that leads to blood clots, it can also occur when one travels by train or car for really long periods of time. Nowadays, people who sit at their desks for long periods of time, without much physical activity can suffer from these clots. The symptoms include swelling in one or both legs and arms, unexplained bruising, breathlessness, chest pain and fainting spells.

If you are anyone you know is experiencing any of these blood clot symptoms, then it is of utmost importance to get yourself or the concerned person medically checked and treated right away! Blood clots can be fatal.