Blood Clot Symptoms

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 that is used for a blood clot that obstructs or stops the blood flow, and blocks a vein or artery. Such blood clots tend to begin from the leg. 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 basically 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.
• 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
Heart attack causing blood clots always start off with a chest pain that starts from the center of the chest and then moves 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.

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. If the left hand side of the brain is affected, then the person will experience speech problems. Other symptoms of blood clots leading to strokes include severe headaches, confusion or loss of balance and coordination.

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.

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 an embolus or a traveling blood clot. This embolus can travel and get lodged in the lung and this condition is known as the pulmonary embolism.

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. Symptoms of pulmonary embolism include chest pain, bloody sputum and breathlessness.

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.