Signs of Blood Clots after Surgery

A blood clot is a condition wherein the blood in the body tends to form lumps as a result of the thickening of the components present in the blood. The blood consists of various components like the red blood cells containing the hemoglobin, the white blood cells that are a part of the immune system to fight against infection, the platelets that are actually responsible for the clotting of the blood, and the plasma that consists of essential components like proteins and fluids to perform various functions in the body. When our body goes through a trauma, the platelets become active and form a plug to repair the damage. However, there are times, when the platelets start to form without any significant reason due to certain complications in the body. Normally, the blood clots do not pose any problems, however, if the body is forming too much of them, then they can, along with the flow of blood, travel to various parts of the body and form a blockage in the blood supply to different organs, including the heart. This can cause problems like stroke or heart attack. Though there are various reasons as to why this may occur in the body. However, we shall be focusing on how blood clots can occur after surgery.

What are the Symptoms of Blood Clots after Surgery?

The clinical term for blood clots is thrombus. It is found that people who are over the age of 40 are more prone to experience blood clots after surgery as compared to younger individuals. When a person undergoes a surgery, be it for any reason, the body is exposed to foreign materials (medications and drugs) and various cuts and incisions are done to surgically treat the health condition, whatsoever it may be! After the surgery is done, the body needs some time to heal and adapt to the changes that have been done. Therefore, experiencing a certain degree of blood clots is considered to be normal. However, most of the patients, specially the older patients experience complications and tend to experience the following signs and symptoms.

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
When you go under the knife, there are chances that there could be a possible damage to the blood vessels, which can cause this condition. DVT results in blood clots in the lower portion of the body including the pelvis, thighs and the lower legs. This can pose a serious threat to the persons life as formation of blood clots in these veins can actually prevent the carrying of the blood back to the heart. The signs and symptoms include pain, swelling, redness and pain in the lower legs, thighs and pelvis.

Headaches
Another symptom of the formation of blood clots is experiencing constant aches and heaviness in the head. Again, this sign can be confused as a very common aftereffect of a surgery, but it might indicate the presence of blood clots in the brain. So make sure you tell your doctor about each and every symptom that you are experiencing, be it something as common as a headache.

Chest Pain and Breathing Difficulties
You need to understand that the signs of blood clots post surgical treatment would depend on exactly where the formation of the clots is taking place. You are likely to experience symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath, fever, dizziness, palpitations, and anxiety if the blood clot has ended up traveling in your lungs. See, the reason why blood clots become all the more bothersome is because they tend to travel from one area of the body to another, so you must note all your symptoms post surgery carefully and discuss with your doctor regarding the same.

Skin Discoloration, Pain, and Swelling
You can experience this in any area of your body, the most common being the legs. Wherever the blood clot has been formed, you will experience pain in that area. There will be difficulty in the movements, a reddish to bluish discoloration of the skin accompanied by swelling. You will also feel that the area will be very warm if you touch it.

I repeat, inform your doctor about everything that you are experiencing, be the symptom be as minor as possible! It is very important for your healthcare specialist to know each and very minute information as possible. Usually your healthcare specialist would prescribe you blood thinners to prevent the clotting, unless you are suffering from some blood related disorder. I hope this article helped you understand as to what you should expect when it comes to identifying the formation of blood clots in your body.