Blood clots are gel-like or semisolid clumps of blood that initially used to be in a liquid form but have semi-solidified now. While clotting is necessary to prevent us from bleeding out in case of a cut or a wound, too much blood clotting can be quite problematic, dangerous and even life-threatening.
There is no fixed age group that is more susceptible to developing clots, everyone harbors the same amount of risk, no matter what gender, race or age they belong to. But it is true that people with certain existing conditions are more vulnerable to having blood clots.
Those who have undergone a major surgery recently or have faced severe trauma, are overweight, have a history of blood clots, longtime smokers or have a medical condition like cancer are at high risk of developing blood clots compared to others.
The signs and symptoms to recognize the formation of blood clots vary a lot depending on the place of its origin, but there are some common symptoms one can keep an eye out for and hopefully prevent things from getting worse.
Signs & Symptoms of Blood Clots
Swelling: There are various types of blood clots, but the ones that cause swelling are called Deep vein thrombosis or DVT. These occur when a blood clot forms inside the vein, which can then cause swelling to arise over there. This is because of the presence of the gel-like blood formation there that causes obstruction in the blood flow of that region.
Skin is warm to touch: The skin where blood clot occurs often becomes warm and might feel lumpy to touch. The warmth is caused by the accumulation of blood under the skin of the affected region and might remain like that for a while, or until the clot has subsided or been removed.
Redness or discoloration of skin: The clot present in the veins can lead to discoloration to occur and might turn it red or bluish. Discoloration might also occur and turn that area paler than the rest. This is primarily because of the damage the clot causes to the blood vessels in that area. The skin can turn pale and clammy if PE, also known as pulmonary embolism, a type of blood clot occurs in the lung.
Pain: Sharp, intense pain is a common symptom of a blood clot and can be observed in many cases. The pain is normally observed in regions it directly effects, such as the leg or the arm or where it might have formed. A sudden pain in the chest can suggest that the clot has broken off and has reached the lungs causing pulmonary embolism or in the worst-case scenario can even be an indication of heart attack.
Coughing up blood: In the case of pulmonary embolism, the patient is seen to cough a lot and might even cough blood. This might be accompanied with severe chest pains, shortness of breath, heavy breathing, sweating etc. The blood clot in the lung can really cause a lot of damage and these symptoms might be a sign of that.
Difficulty in speaking and seeing: If the blood clot has reached the brain or is formed inside the brain then it might be extremely harmful and even deadly in many cases. Difficulty in speaking and seeing is a very reliable symptom of this and is observed in almost all the cases. Those who develop a clot in their brain feel groggy and get really painful headaches. Stuttering and slurred speech are some other symptoms an individual might experience.
Nausea and vomit: Nausea and vomit are some of the pronounced symptoms of blood clots present inside the abdomen. The individual suffering from blood clots in their abdomen can even experience sharp pain, bloody stool and diarrhea. Swelling can also be observed in such cases. It is advised to visit a doctor and get yourself diagnosed because in worst cases these blood clots can be a sign of liver or pancreatic cancer.
Blood clots, if left unchecked and untreated can be really deadly and might lead to some serious health situations. Even though some of the symptoms are hard to pin-point at times, it is necessary to seek medical counsel as soon as one feels like they might have even one of the symptoms mentioned above, especially symptoms like sudden chest pain, breathlessness, discoloration and coughing out blood. Seeing a specialist can be extremely helpful and even help the affected individual avoid a very serious and deadly situation.