Blood clots can cause serious lifelong damage to your body or death. They can occur anywhere in your body. The most common site of a blood clot is in the legs and lungs, but they can also occur in the brain, causing a stroke, or any vein or artery.
It is important to learn the signs and symptoms so that you, or someone you know, can get medical help immediately. Unfortunately, blood clots are difficult to diagnose and cannot be diagnosed with stethoscope or x-ray. Read How a DVT is Diagnosed or How a PE is Diagnosed from the National Blood Clot Alliance StoptheClot.org site.
Victoria shares her Deep Vein Thrombosis story:
Caitlin’s Story:
Download the Know the Signs and Symptoms of Blood Clots
Signs of a Stroke.
What causes blood clots? (from Clot Connect)
Blood clots may form when either the flow of blood in a vein slows, damage to a vein occurs, or if the blood is more likely to clot. Many factors can increase a person’s risk for developing a blood clot in a vein. Common risk factors for developing a blood clot include:
Immobility:
- Hospitalization
- Being paralyzed
- Prolonged sitting
Surgery and Trauma:
- Major surgery (especially of the pelvis, abdomen, hip, knee)
- Bone fracture or cast
- Catheter in a big vein (PIC line, central venous catheter, or port)
Increased estrogens:
- Birth control pills, patches, rings
- Pregnancy, including up to 6 weeks after giving birth
- Estrogen and progestin hormone therapy
Medical conditions:
- Cancer and chemotherapy
- Heart failure
- Inflammatory disorders (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease)
- The kidney disorder called nephrotic syndrome
Other risk factors:
- Previous blood clot
- Family history of clots
- Clotting disorder (inherited or acquired)
- Obesity
- Older age
- Cigarette smoking
- Varicose veins
If you would like to know more about inherited clotting disorders, The National Blood Clot Alliance at StoptheClot.org has a good page of information. Click here: Understanding Genetics of Thrombophilia / Inheritance & Testing
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