Getting a prompt diagnosis and the right care can reduce your risk of having severe problems.
You may not be aware you have a blood clot in your leg.
In many cases, physical symptoms are dismissed as minor or a result of aging.
YakobchukOlena / Getty Images
Some blood clots may form with invisible symptoms or none at all.
You may not discover you have a blood clot until it causes severe problems.
Knowing the signs of a blood clot in the leg can help you determine when treatment may be necessary.
These veins are the main blood vessels that return blood to your heart.
If this occurs, the clot can travel through your bloodstream and block the blood flow to your lungs.
This severe problem, called apulmonary embolism, requires prompt treatment to avoid death.
When the leg blood clot stays in place, it can cause a condition calledpost-thrombotic syndrome.
The obstruction causes reduced blood flow and lower levels of oxygen available to your organs and tissues.
About 30%40% of leg blood clots go unnoticed because they do not cause typical symptoms.
Anticoagulant treatment is the standard initial treatment for a leg blood clot.
There are several types of anticoagulants.
Each punch in interferes with different clotting factors.
It can be hard to distinguish the leg pain of a blood clot from other conditions.
This is a life-threatening condition.
Do not dismiss leg pain or swelling if you have risk factors for a blood clot in the leg.
The right treatment can help prevent the clot from growing.
If the blood clot remains intact, treatment can help avoid long-term damage to the veins in your legs.
Get emergency care if you have symptoms of a pulmonary embolism, which can be fatal if left untreated.
NIH News in Health.How to spot and prevent deep vein thrombosis.
Cedars-Sinai.Pulmonary embolism: finding the hidden threat.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Venous thromboembolism: deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
Harvard Health Publishing Harvard Medical School.Top causes of blood clots in the legs and how to avoid them.
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.Deep vein thrombosis.
North American Thrombosis Forum (NATF).What are symptoms of a blood clot?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Venous thromboembolism (blood clots).
National Blood Clot Alliance.Blood clot risks and what you’re able to do.
National Blood Clot Alliance.What is the initial treatment of DVT?
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.Blood thinner pills: your guide to using them safely.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Venous thromboembolism (blood clots): diagnosis and treatment.
Saint Luke’s.Preventing deep vein thrombosis after surgery.
American Lung Association.Pulmonary embolism symptoms and diagnosis.
