Blood Clots 101

Many people in the world associate blood clots with various causes like smoking, having major surgery, being overweight or old age.

Truthfully, anyone may have a chance of developing a blood clot, even healthy women. Every year a quarter million women suffer from dangerous blood clots. Generally, clotting is a healthy thing. Blood clots are the body’s response to a blood vessel injury during an accident or following surgery.
However, it may be also caused by long periods of rest like sitting in a plane or in a car for long hours. Elevated hormone levels and blood disorders may also lead to the development of a clot.

Blood clots may cause complications when they do not dissolve automatically. In this situation, the clot may grow in a deep vein in the body. This condition is known as a Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). DVT’s usually form in the legs and obstruct blood circulating from the legs back to the heart. Symptoms of a DVT include swelling, pain, and red or blue discolouration in the leg. In some cases, the clot break offs and travels to the lung, obstructing blood flow in the artery. This condition is referred to as a pulmonary embolism (PE). If untreated, the heart will stop pumping. Symptoms of (PE) are chest pain, coughing and shortness of breath.

Healthy women developing a clot during or following a work out may believe they are experiencing a Charley horse or a sprain to the ankle, chest pain may be attributed to a muscle strain. Women need to seek medical attention immediately if they experience any of these symptoms