The blood has cells called platelets, which, in concert with proteins and other molecules, create a mass known as a blood clot. Blood clots are activated by tissue damage and prevent bleeding, both external and internal. In some cases, however, blood can clot within blood vessels, which is a medical problem.
Location
A blood clot in an artery, for example, is very serious because it can prevent blood from getting to organs and other tissues. Clots in a vein, on the other hand, are less of a medical emergency, though these clots can cause swelling. Blood clots can break off and travel throughout the body, leading to a potentially life-threatening embolism that can block blood flow to the heart and brain or can prevent blood from leaving the lungs (a pulmonary embolism). The way in which blood clots are treated depends in large part on the location of the clot.
Anticoagulants
One way of treating blood clots is the administration of anticoagulant medications, also known as blood thinners. The two most commonly used blood thinners, according to the National Heart and Lung and Blood Institute are heparin and warfarin. Heparin is compound that is injected intravenously and works quickly. Warfarin, on the other hand, can be taken orally, but it can take time to become effective. Warfarin can take a few days to leave the system, so heparin is generally used for patients who are likely to need surgical treatment.
Thrombolytics
According to the website Medline, thrombolytic medications can also be used to treat blood clots. These medications break down existing blood clots. Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is the most commonly used thrombolytic. Other medications such as streptokinase and urokinase can also break down blood clots.
Filters
Some patients are physiologically prone to developing blood clots, a condition known as hypercoaguability. Blood clots that occur in the veins generally aren't a serious medical problem, aside from their ability to form a pulmonary embolism. The Mayo Clinic says that patients with a high risk of developing a pulmonary embolism may have a filter installed in their large veins. These surgically implanted filters are designed to catch traveling blood clots and preventing them from forming dangerous emboli in the lungs or brain.
Surgery
The Mayo Clinic explains that another option for treating a blood clot involves surgery. In some cases the clot can be removed using a procedure known as angioplasty, in which a small balloon breaks up the clot. In other cases the clotted blood vessel can be bypassed using a vein graft taken from elsewhere in the body.
