How Can You Know if You Have a Blood Clot
Blood Clots
Blood clots are semi-solid masses of blood that can be stationary (thrombosis) and cake blood flow or break loose (embolism) and travel to various parts of the body. Claret clots can exist life-threatening depending on their location and severity.
Your md will probable perform a physical examination, and y'all may undergo a venous ultrasound or a CT angiography (CTA) scan of the chest, abdomen/pelvis or head to help diagnose your condition. Treatment may depend upon whether the clot is located in an artery or a vein. Your medico may prescribe medication, catheter-directed thrombolysis, surgery or junior vena cava (IVC) filter placement to treat your condition.
- What are blood clots?
- How are blood clots diagnosed and evaluated?
- How are blood clots treated?
- Which examination, procedure or treatment is best for me?
What are blood clots?
Blood clots are semi-solid masses of blood. Normally, claret flows freely through veins and arteries. Some blood clotting, or coagulation, is necessary and normal. Blood clotting helps stop bleeding if yous are cut or injured. Nonetheless, when too much clotting occurs, information technology can cause serious complications.
When a blood jell forms, it tin be stationary (called a thrombosis) and block claret flow or break loose (called an embolism) and travel to various parts of the body.
There are 2 unlike types of clots:
- Arterial clots are those that form in the arteries. Once arterial clots grade, they cause symptoms immediately. Considering this type of clot prevents oxygen from reaching vital organs, it tin cause a variety of complications like stroke, heart set on, paralysis and intense pain.
- Venous clots are those that class in the veins. Venous clots typically form slowly over a menses of time. Symptoms of venous clots gradually go more noticeable.
Blood clots can occur in many different parts of the body, each area having different symptoms:
- Legs and arms: Symptoms of blood clots in the legs and artillery vary and may include hurting or cramping, swelling, tenderness, warmth to the touch on and bluish- or red-colored skin. Clots that occur in larger veins are called deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Blood clots can also occur in smaller, more superficial (closer to the skin) veins.
- Heart: Common symptoms for claret clots in the middle include pain in the chest and left arm, sweating and difficulty breathing.
- Lungs: The most common symptoms include shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chest pain and cough. Other symptoms that may or may not appear are sweating, discolored skin, swelling in the legs, irregular heartbeat and/or pulse and dizziness.
- Brain: Patients with claret clots in their brains can feel issues with their vision or spoken language, seizures and general weakness.
- Abdomen: Symptoms of abdominal blood clots can include severe abdominal hurting, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea and/or bloody stools.
A blood clot can be life-threatening depending on the location and severity.
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How are blood clots diagnosed and evaluated?
Evaluation of your condition differs depending on the location and blazon of your blood clot. Your doctor will commonly begin by obtaining your medical history, as this may provide information virtually factors that caused the jell, and volition also perform a physical examination. In an emergency situation where patients may be unable to describe their symptoms, doctors may send patients for testing immediately after a physical examination.
You may exist sent for one or more of the following tests:
- Venous ultrasound : This exam is usually the first footstep for confirming a venous blood clot. Audio waves are used to create a view of your veins. A Doppler ultrasound may be used to help visualize blood menstruum through your veins. If the results of the ultrasound are inconclusive, venography or MR angiography may exist used.
- CT Angiography of the chest: If your medico suspects you accept a pulmonary embolism, you may undergo a CT angiography scan. The most common cause of a pulmonary embolism is a fragment from a leg or pelvic jell that has broken off and traveled through the veins to the lung. You may be sent for a chest x-ray if your dr. believes you may have a status other than a claret jell.
- CT angiography of the abdomen and pelvis: This type of CT scan may be used if your medico suspects a blood clot somewhere in your belly or pelvis. Information technology may also be used to rule out other conditions that cause the same symptoms every bit blood clots.
- CT angiography of the head and neck: If you are exhibiting the symptoms of a stroke, your doctor volition order an emergency CT scan of the head in gild to confirm the presence of a clot. In some cases, your doctor may order a cerebral angiography exam. A carotid ultrasound could likewise be performed to see if a fragment from a blood clot in your neck has traveled to your brain.
Blood clots may crusade symptoms that mimic other diseases or atmospheric condition. You may undergo additional testing to dominion out other conditions.
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How are blood clots treated?
Arterial clots:
Your medico may recommend that y'all undergo catheter-directed thrombolysis , a process that delivers "clot busting" drugs to the site of the clot, or have surgery to remove the clot. These treatments are meant to manage clots aggressively since arterial clots tin block claret period to vital organs. They are typically merely used in life-threatening or emergency cases.
Venous clots:
If you are diagnosed with a deep venous clot, yous will be put on blood thinning medication to help thin your claret and allow information technology to pass more easily past the site of the clot.
Your doctor may ask you lot to undergo a procedure chosen inferior vena cava filter placement. This is recommended for patients who are at high risk for claret clots. A filter is placed into your vein to help preclude claret clot fragments from traveling through the veins to the heart or lungs.
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This folio was reviewed on Jan, 17, 2020
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