Some veins are located near the skin while others are situated deeper into the body. There are instances in which a blood clot may form in one of those deep veins that you have, oftentimes in the lower leg or thigh. When this happens, deep vein thrombosis or DVT occurs. According to doctors, it’s something that can cause very serious health problems.

Keep on reading to know just how serious deep vein thrombosis is. Don’t forget to share this article on your various social media sites afterwards to get everyone you care about acquainted with it, too.

Cause

It is perfectly normal for your blood to coagulate at the site of a scrape, cut or wound. In fact, it’s beneficial because it keeps you from losing a lot of blood. However, it is an entirely different story if the blood coagulates in one of your deep veins. When such happens, a blood clot may form.

According to experts, having a blood clot is a very serious matter. That’s because it is basically the reason why a heart attack or stroke happens — a blood clot can cut off the supply of oxygenated blood to the heart muscle or brain tissue. At times it may also cause what’s known as pulmonary embolism, which is a common complication of deep vein thrombosis.

Risk Factors

There are a number of things that can considerably increase your risk of getting deep vein thrombosis. Doctors say that the following are some of the most common ones:

Deep vein thrombosis may strike at any age, but it’s more common in people 40 years old and below 

Being pregnant due to the pressure applied on the veins in the lower extremities 

Being obese for the same reason as being pregnant 

Sitting for extended periods of time because it impedes proper circulation in the legs 

Spending lots of time in bed due to an injury or illness 

Injury to a vein as a result or an accident, trauma or surgery 

Use of contraceptives as estrogen can cause blood to clot easily 

Cigarette smoking because it can thicken the blood 

Certain blood disorders that causes the blood to thicken and clot easily

Signs and Symptoms

Usually, deep vein thrombosis causes no sign or symptom. However, some people who have it may experience:

Pain or tenderness in the lower extremities when standing or walking 

Swelling in the legs that comes without any warning 

Warmth in the affected area 

Reddish or bluish skin 

Enlargement of a vein due to the pooling of blood

Earlier, it was mentioned that a very common complication of deep vein thrombosis is what’s called pulmonary embolism. This happens when a blood clot breaks free and then gets stuck in one of the blood vessels in the lungs. When this happens, the individual may have chest pain, shortness of breath and rapid heart rate. He or she may also cough up blood. Needless to say, pulmonary embolism can be fatal.

Treatment

Once a blood clot is detected, the goal is to keep it from becoming bigger. It’s also important to keep it from breaking free and ending up in a blood vessel in the lung. Someone who has a blood clot is at risk of having it once again in the future, so part of the treatment is preventing the same thing from happening again.

Administering medications is the most common way to treat deep vein thrombosis. These drugs are formulated to keep the blood from clotting.

If blood thinning drugs are not helping or may not be taken by the individual, a doctor may insert a tiny cone-shaped filter in the largest vein in the body, which is the inferior vena cava, to catch a blood clot. The use of compression stockings is also recommended.