Blood Clots

Its amazing how you can just pick up ideas on what you want to blog about in our daily travels. This weekend I take a little road trip with my friends and it got me thinking on what else we can talk about. Even though my trip was not too long, it got me thinking about longer trips. One of the things I wanted to briefly talk about are blood clots.

Now why would I be talking about blood clots in a foot blog or about trips? Blood clots or DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis), can occur from both. There are many different risk factors for them which we will talk about.

Clots can form in vessels and break loose. If this happens its a serious condition. That clot can travel to your lungs, block flow, and even cause death. Clots can form not only form in the lower extremity's but also in the upper extremity as well.

So what can cause these blood clots? One is a long period of immobilization. If you are in the car for a long period of time or on a long flight it is very important to make sure you walk around for a few minutes. Blood can be stagnant if one is not moving for long periods of time. This increases the chances (of course with other risk factors) for a clot to form. By walking, or moving around, your calf muscles will work to pump blood flow back to the heart to be recirculated throughout the body. How about those other risk factors you say? Here is a list of other risk factors:
Abnormal blood clotting (can be in inherited), family history of clots, being overweight, cancer, any type of surgery, injury, pregnancy, age, birth control pills, smoking, varicose veins, and history or heart attack or stroke. So as you can see there are many risk factors for blood clots.

So what are the symptoms? Increase in swelling in the lower extremity, redness, increase in warmth, pain with the calf muscle,. Tests that can be done are an ultrasound, blood work, or a venography (where dye is placed in the body). Treatment ranges from medicine to either filters placed in the body.

So now that we know a little more about blood clots how can we prevent them? I already alluded to the fact that if you have a long trip planned, make sure you walk around for a few minutes. On long flights move your feet around every half hour. Others include calf and leg exercises before surgery, stop smoking, elastic stockings, and special compression devices.

As always if you have a family history of blood clots or think you may have, please consult your primary doctor right away. It is especially important to tell your Dr this before having surgery.

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