Blood clots can pose a serious threat to your health, and when you notice signs of them you should see a doctor immediately. It is useful to know a few basics about blood clots so that you can protect yourself.
Some people who have problems with blood clots have inherited disorders that result in lower levels of natural blood thinners produced by the body. There are also proteins that help thin the blood and others that promote clotting. An imbalance in either type can lead to greater tendency to suffer blood clots. These types of clotting problems are not related to varicose veins.
The hormone progesterone, which increases in pregnant women, sometimes results in a higher risk for blood clots. And dehydration, which you should avoid for many reasons, also might increase the risk of clots.
Cancer patients face a higher clotting risk because of surgery, chemotherapy, and confinement to bed.
Blood clots cause problems if they break off the side of the vein where they form and travel to your lungs. A clot can cause part of the lung to stop working, and even cause death.
The more dangerous clots caused by varicose veins are in the veins that are unseen, deep in your leg. Such Deep Vein Thrombosis often has no symptoms and a clot is more likely to be dislodged by surrounding muscles from the inside surface of the vein.
If you have visible varicose veins, they may develop clots, but these clots in almost every case will not break off and travel to your lungs. In fact, for about 30 percent of these cases, the blood clots cause no symptoms, but in the other cases they result in heaviness, swelling or tenderness in your leg.
A doctor using Doppler ultrasound can quickly detect a blood clot and help you decide what you should do about it.
Even if you may not be in danger of blood clots traveling to your lungs, if you realize you have clots, that’s are a good reason to have your varicose veins treated. With today’s modern approaches, the pain and discomfort of varicose veins can be addressed quickly and efficiently.
To consult with a doctor about treatments for varicose veins, contact the Vein Institute here.