Signs & Symptoms of a Blood Clot

Blood clots can form anywhere in the body. The most common places are heart, lung, abdomen, and legs. They can form in other places like the eyes and uterus. They form within the body when blood coagulates around a damaged vessel. Naturally, when clots form they dissolve and reabsorb back into the body. This is the body's way of healing itself. When this natural process happens, no symptoms or dangers are presented. However, when clots are not reabsorbed back into the body, warning signs will result.

Leg Pain

• Blood clots in the legs are often referred to as deep vein thrombosis. These clots form for many reasons, the most common being poor circulation or lack of movement. When someone develops a clot in the leg and it doesn't dissolve on its own, he begins to experience pain in the leg. This pain is caused by blood flowing to outer veins and not the main vein that is blocked. Also, tenderness and redness occur. Swelling becomes noticeable in the leg from lack of blood flow. When this happens, it has become a dangerous situation. Medical attention should be sought.

Chest Pain

• Clots can form in the heart when the heart doesn't beat in a normal manner in the atrium. This is called atrial fibrillation. When this erratic beat happens, it causes the blood to become stagnant along the atrium walls. When this condition becomes unnoticed, small clots begin to form. When these clots break off, they can cause a person to develop chest pains. The clot can then travel through to the rest of the body. If these clots are big enough, they can cause a person to have a heart attack. Sometimes a fatal stroke can occur as well.

Shortness Of Breath

• Sometimes clots can form in the lungs. This is called a pulmonary embolism. Clots in the lungs are often caused by clots in the legs. If these clots are small enough they can travel up the leg and into the lungs. This clot then blocks off vessels in the lung. Over time, this begins causing shortness of breath. This shortness of breath happens even when you do not overexert yourself. Also, wheezing and bluish discoloration of the skin happen from lack of blood flow to the lungs. When these symptoms occur, medical attention is needed.

Cervical Pain

• A woman's cycle is a natural process that sheds old blood for the uterine wall. When a woman has her monthly cycle, sometimes the blood can pool in the vagina. When this pooling occurs, clots form before they are exited from the body. When they form in the uterus, pain is often felt along with pressure until it passes through the cervix and out of the body.

Visual

• The eye is covered by a thin film called conjunctiva, containing many vessels and nerves. When these vessels are ruptured, it causes the white of the eye to bleed, forming a clot. This rupture can be caused from a number of things, like injury to the eye, coughing, straining, or rubbing your eyes too hard. In most cases, this type of clot dissolves on its own within about two weeks. In more serious cases of these clots, impaired vision or loss of vision has occurred.