Blood clots can form in the arteries or in the veins. When they form in the deep veins, the condition is known as deep vein thrombosis. Inactivity increases the chance that blood clots will form, usually in the calves or thighs, according to the Merck Manual of Health & Aging. In addition to interfering with blood flow, the clots may break off and travel through the veins and heart. This can hamper circulation to the lungs and cause pulmonary embolism, which involves a rapid heart rate, low blood pressure and loss of consciousness. Arterial blood clots, on the other hand, are linked to plaque buildup from fatty substances. As the American Heart Association notes, these clots can stop blood flow to the heart or brain and lead to heart attack or strokes.
Identification
Blood clots in the veins can cause deep, aching pain or swelling in the calf or thigh that worsens after the person walks or sits. The skin over the area may redden or feel warm. Doctors often use ultrasonography to detect blood clots. Blood tests also can help identify clotting or evidence of pulmonary embolism. Shortness of breath, a symptom of pulmonary embolism, may call for measuring the level of oxygen in the blood. Pulmonary embolism can be fatal, though this is rare.
Medication
Anticoagulants such as heparin help dissolve clots and prevent pulmonary embolism. The blood-thinning agents are initially injected into the veins, with oral anticoagulants sometimes administered a few days later. Patients may need to take anticoagulant medication for several months, depending on the severity of the clotting. Anticoagulants stop blood clots from getting larger and prevent them from forming, so the body can eventually dissolve the clots over time, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Healthy lifestyle changes and cholesterol-lowering drugs are prescribed for heart disease patients to lower the risk of arterial clots that cause heart attack and stroke.
Caution
Blood-thinning agents may cause excessive bleeding. Doctors monitor a patient's condition and progress regularly in the weeks or months after blood clot treatment. In an emergency situation, such as when a pulmonary embolism forms, doctors may use thrombolytics that quickly dissolve blood clots. Thrombolytics are used cautiously because they can cause sudden bleeding, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute explains.
Procedures
Methods aside from medication include the use of a catheter, a flexible tube than can be threaded through a vein to a clot in the lung. The clot is extracted, or medicine is pumped in to dissolve it. Another technique involves putting tiny filter into veins to stop clots from traveling from the legs to the lungs. This method is used with patients who have bleeding ulcers and cannot take anticoagulants.
Considerations
Damage to the valves in the veins can lead to swelling. Compression stockings are sometimes advised for patients who suffer swelling in the legs. People who have varicose veins or recurring blood clot problems often wear them. The tight stockings, which are worn up to the knee, keep blood from pooling and clotting.
