blood clots: part 2

What are veins?

Veins are thin walled vessels which play a role in removing all deoxygenated blood from the tissues and take it back to the lungs for oxygenation. They are numerous veins all over the body; the largest vein is called the inferior vena cava.

Can blood clots occur in veins?

Most definitely, blood clots are far more common in veins than arteries. When clots occur in veins they have a tendency to break off and move to the lungs where they can compromise breathing. Clots can occur in both the arm and leg veins.

Which veins are more prone to blood clots?

The majority of blood clots occur in veins of the leg but they can occur in any vein in the body.

Which blood clots are of importance?

Blood clots can occur in both superficial and deep veins. Only blood clots in deep veins are of concern. Blood clots in superficial veins do not need any treatment except for an aspirin.

What happens when blood clots migrate to lungs?

The lungs are important for gas exchange. When blood clots move into the lungs, they can block blood vessels and impair oxygen transport. If the clots are large, one can have severe difficulty breathing and death is not uncommon.

Are blood clots in veins common?

In the United States, about 2 million people per year develop blood clots. Most of them are aged 40 years or older. Statistics reveal that at least 200,000 patients die each year from blood clots in their lung.

How do I know if I have blood clots?

It depends where the blood clot has formed. In most cases blood clots form in the legs, especially the calf area. You may have some of the following symptoms:

a. heaviness of leg
b. tenderness in calf area
c. swelling in calf area
d. warmth near the calf
e. at least 30% will not have any symptoms