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

Blood clots 101

In a healthy human there is a delicate balance between factors that cause blood clots to form and factors that dissolve blood clots. Blood clots form all the time in blood vessels, but the body immediately responds by breaking them up. However, sometimes, the body’s defense mechanisms fail and blood clots form. Blood clots when they initially form look like red jelly. Blood clots are useful because they can help stop bleeding. However, in some cases, blood clots continue to form and can break off can create problems

Where do blood clots generally occur?

Blood clots can occur in arteries and veins of any size. Veins usually take blood back to the heart. Thus, when a blood clot occurs in a vein blood starts to pool and collect in the vessel. The most obvious sign of a blood clot in the leg vein is swelling, pain, and discoloration. Blood clots in small veins like in the feet or hands are not important. However, when blood clots occur in large veins, they are important. These blood clots can break off, go to the lung, and make breathing difficult.

What are arteries?

Arteries are muscular blood vessels which take blood from the heart and supply oxygen to the body. When a blood clot forms in an artery, the body part does not get oxygen. Hence the leg goes blue, feels cold and is painful. Blood clots commonly block off arteries in the leg vessels near the groin.

Can clots occur in arteries?
Yes, blood clots can and do occur in arteries. Since arteries supply oxygen to the body, blood clots formation is usually more serious. Blood clots can deprive the hand or leg of oxygenated blood. This is what happens in a stroke or a heart attack. Blood clots generally tend to occur in arteries that supply the brain, heart, legs, or kidneys. Blood clots formed in leg arteries generally require urgent surgery