Symptoms in Legs, Lungs, and More

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• Arms, Legs
• Heart
• Lungs
• Brain
• Belly
• Kidneys
• More

Ever get a paper cut or nick yourself while shaving? When that happens, a blood clot saves the day. It quickly stops the bleeding, and when it’s done its job, it usually breaks up. Sometimes, though, things can go wrong.

When blood clots don’t fall apart, they can be dangerous and lead to serious medical conditions. You can get them in blood vessels in just about any part of your body. They’re most likely to affect a leg, especially if you sit for long periods of time.

You might get a clot in your arteries, which carry oxygen in your blood from your heart to all the cells of your body. The result can be really serious. It can keep oxygen from getting to your heart, lungs, or brain, and cause a life-threatening emergency, like a heart attack or stroke.

You could also get a clot in the veins that carry blood back to your heart. When that happens, symptoms usually come on more gradually, but can still mean trouble.

If you learn the warning signs, you’re more likely to get quick medical help that can make a huge difference in keeping you out of the danger zone. But it’s important to know that in some cases, clots can happen with few symptoms or none at all..

See More: Dos and Don’ts of a Blood Clot

When a blood clot forms in one of the deep veins in your arm or leg, way beneath your skin’s surface, it could be something called a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). That’s dangerous because the clot could travel to your heart or lungs.

You’re more likely to get a DVT if you haven’t moved around for a long time, say after surgery or during a long plane trip. Get medical help right away if you notice any of these symptoms:

• Swelling. This can happen in the exact spot where the blood clot forms, or your entire leg or arm could puff up.
• Change in color. You might notice that your arm or leg takes on a red or blue tinge, or gets itchy.
• Pain. As the clot gets worse, you may hurt or get sore. The feeling can range from a dull ache to intense pain. You may notice the pain throbs in your leg, belly, or even your arm.
• Warm skin. The skin around painful areas or in the arm or leg with the DVT may feel warmer than other skin.
• Trouble breathing. If this happens, it could mean that the clot has moved from your arm or leg to your lungs. You may also get a bad cough, and might even cough up blood. You may get pain in your chest or feel dizzy. Call 911 to get medical help right away.
• Lower leg cramp. If the clot is in your calf or lower leg, you may feel like you have a cramp or charley horse.
• Pitting edema. DVT can cause fluid buildup (edema) in the arms or legs. It typically happens quite quickly with DVT. When you press on the swollen area, it can cause a dimple or “pit” (pitting) that remains for a few seconds.
• Swollen, painful veins. The pain may increase with touch.

A blood clot that forms in or around your ticker may cause a heart attack. Watch out for symptoms like these:

• Severe pain in your chest and arm
• Sweating
• Trouble breathing

A blood clot in your lung usually starts out in a deep vein in your arm or leg, then breaks off and travels to your lung. When this happens, you get what’s called a pulmonary embolism, an extremely dangerous condition.

Get medical help right away if you:

• Feel short of breath or have problems breathing
• Get pain in your chest
• Start to cough
• Begin to sweat
• Feel dizzy

Blood clots here may be caused by fatty deposits in the walls of the blood vessels that bring blood to your brain. Or sometimes, they may form because of a blow to your head that leads to a concussion.

In other cases, a clot that starts out in a different part of your body, like your chest or neck, might enter your bloodstream and travel to your brain, where it can cause a stroke.

Watch out for these symptoms:

• Problems with your vision or speech
• A seizure
• General feeling of weakness

Blood clots can happen in the veins that drain blood from your intestines. They can be caused by conditions like diverticulitis or liver disease, or even by birth control pills.

How will you know if this is going on? Check with your doctor if you have problems like these:

• Nausea or vomiting
• Severe pain in your belly, which may be worse after you eat
• Diarrhea
• Bloody stools
• A bloated feeling

A blood clot in your kidneys can keep them from removing waste from your body. That can cause high blood pressure or even kidney failure.

This is dangerous, so look out for these symptoms:

• Pain in the side of your belly, legs, or thighs
• Blood in your urine
• Fever
• Nausea or vomiting
• High blood pressure
• Sudden severe leg swelling
• Trouble breathing

Top Picks

Symptoms in Legs, Lungs, and More

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• Arms, Legs
• Heart
• Lungs
• Brain
• Belly
• Kidneys
• More

Ever get a paper cut or nick yourself while shaving? When that happens, a blood clot saves the day. It quickly stops the bleeding, and when it’s done its job, it usually breaks up. Sometimes, though, things can go wrong.

When blood clots don’t fall apart, they can be dangerous and lead to serious medical conditions. You can get them in blood vessels in just about any part of your body. They’re most likely to affect a leg, especially if you sit for long periods of time.

You might get a clot in your arteries, which carry oxygen in your blood from your heart to all the cells of your body. The result can be really serious. It can keep oxygen from getting to your heart, lungs, or brain, and cause a life-threatening emergency, like a heart attack or stroke.

You could also get a clot in the veins that carry blood back to your heart. When that happens, symptoms usually come on more gradually, but can still mean trouble.

If you learn the warning signs, you’re more likely to get quick medical help that can make a huge difference in keeping you out of the danger zone. But it’s important to know that in some cases, clots can happen with few symptoms or none at all. .

See More: Dos and Don’ts of a Blood Clot

When a blood clot forms in one of the deep veins in your arm or leg, way beneath your skin’s surface, it could be something called a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). That’s dangerous because the clot could travel to your heart or lungs.

You’re more likely to get a DVT if you haven’t moved around for a long time, say after surgery or during a long plane trip. Get medical help right away if you notice any of these symptoms:

• Swelling. This can happen in the exact spot where the blood clot forms, or your entire leg or arm could puff up.
• Change in color. You might notice that your arm or leg takes on a red or blue tinge, or gets itchy.
• Pain. As the clot gets worse, you may hurt or get sore. The feeling can range from a dull ache to intense pain. You may notice the pain throbs in your leg, belly, or even your arm.
• Warm skin. The skin around painful areas or in the arm or leg with the DVT may feel warmer than other skin.
• Trouble breathing. If this happens, it could mean that the clot has moved from your arm or leg to your lungs. You may also get a bad cough, and might even cough up blood. You may get pain in your chest or feel dizzy. Call 911 to get medical help right away.
• Lower leg cramp. If the clot is in your calf or lower leg, you may feel like you have a cramp or charley horse.
• Pitting edema. DVT can cause fluid buildup (edema) in the arms or legs. It typically happens quite quickly with DVT. When you press on the swollen area, it can cause a dimple or “pit” (pitting) that remains for a few seconds.
• Swollen, painful veins. The pain may increase with touch.

A blood clot that forms in or around your ticker may cause a heart attack. Watch out for symptoms like these:

• Severe pain in your chest and arm
• Sweating
• Trouble breathing

A blood clot in your lung usually starts out in a deep vein in your arm or leg, then breaks off and travels to your lung. When this happens, you get what’s called a pulmonary embolism, an extremely dangerous condition.

Get medical help right away if you:

• Feel short of breath or have problems breathing
• Get pain in your chest
• Start to cough
• Begin to sweat
• Feel dizzy

Blood clots here may be caused by fatty deposits in the walls of the blood vessels that bring blood to your brain. Or sometimes, they may form because of a blow to your head that leads to a concussion.

In other cases, a clot that starts out in a different part of your body, like your chest or neck, might enter your bloodstream and travel to your brain, where it can cause a stroke.

Watch out for these symptoms:

• Problems with your vision or speech
• A seizure
• General feeling of weakness

Blood clots can happen in the veins that drain blood from your intestines. They can be caused by conditions like diverticulitis or liver disease, or even by birth control pills.

How will you know if this is going on? Check with your doctor if you have problems like these:

• Nausea or vomiting
• Severe pain in your belly, which may be worse after you eat
• Diarrhea
• Bloody stools
• A bloated feeling

A blood clot in your kidneys can keep them from removing waste from your body. That can cause high blood pressure or even kidney failure.

This is dangerous, so look out for these symptoms:

• Pain in the side of your belly, legs, or thighs
• Blood in your urine
• Fever
• Nausea or vomiting
• High blood pressure
• Sudden severe leg swelling
• Trouble breathing

Top Picks

Why your legs hurt: symptoms and diseases

If you don’t put too much stress on your legs, but they still hurt all the time, you may have deep vein thrombosis. Let’s figure out what it is and what to do next.

What is deep vein thrombosis (DVT)

Signs of DVT on the right leg: redness and swelling. Photo © hotcore.info

Deep veins in the legs usually pass through the muscles of the lower leg or thigh. They are located deep under the skin and are thicker than regular veins. Blood clots can appear in them – clots that interfere with the normal flow of blood. When this happens, DVT occurs.

Deep vein thrombosis: Causes

1. Lack of physical activity. If you move little, blood accumulates in the lower part of the body. There it slows down, which increases the risk of blood clots.

Why legs hurt – the main causes of TVG. Photo © Freepik

2. Operations on the legs or abdomen. If surgery and recovery are prolonged, the risk of blood accumulation is also increased.

3. Damage or inflammation of blood vessels. Bone fractures and muscle injuries can damage or narrow blood vessels. Inflammatory processes also worsen their function.

4. Pregnancy. During this period, blood clotting increases to prevent its excessive loss during childbirth. Clots may also appear up to six weeks after delivery.

Oral contraceptives. Photo © Wikimedia Commons / Matthew Bowden

5. Birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy. The female hormone estrogen increases blood clotting.

Other risk factors contributing to the manifestation of deep vein thrombosis:

• smoking;
• overweight;
• dehydration;
• age from 60 years.

Symptoms of deep vein thrombosis

Clear signs of DVT in the left leg. Photo © Wikimedia Commons / James Heilman, MD

Sometimes DVT doesn’t show up at all, but it’s worth paying attention to the main symptoms:

• pain or swelling in the leg;
• warming of any part of the skin on the leg;
• redness of the skin on the back of the leg just below the knee.

Usually only one leg is affected. Both are less common, but it happens that DVT manifests itself in other parts of the body.

Deep vein thrombosis: Treatment

What can be the treatment if the legs hurt and thrombosis is detected? Photo © Freepik / peoplecreations

If you have any of the symptoms, see a doctor. If a blood clot is detected, you will be prescribed anticoagulants – drugs that “thinn” the blood. They will restrain the growth of the clot and prevent it from dividing into fragments that can enter other parts of the body or organs through the bloodstream.

If DVT is not treated in time, there will be big problems. Every tenth patient develops a pulmonary embolism – blockage of an artery in the lung. Its symptoms are shortness of breath, chest pain when inhaling, and a sudden drop in blood pressure until it collapses.

Sneezing and runny nose: What plants bloom in late April and early May that cause allergies

varicose veins – symptoms, diagnosis, treatment

Varicose veins are not just an aesthetic problem, but a serious threat to health. At the first signs of the disease, you should consult a doctor and start treatment. According to statistics, 75% of women and 60% of men suffer from this pathology. The disease is insidious in that at the first stage the patient feels only a slight heaviness in the legs, without attaching much importance to this. For what reason varicose veins develop and how to treat it, we will tell in this article. If you spend many hours on your feet and feel pain and swelling, then the information is required reading.

What happens in the body during varicose veins?

The direction of blood flow in the veins is controlled by valves. When they stop working normally, excessive fluid buildup occurs. As a result, the walls of blood vessels stretch and lose their elasticity. Most often, it is varicose veins of the legs, because this part of the human body is more prone to great physical exertion. Superficial and deep-lying veins over a long distance undergo changes.

Causes of development of varicose veins

• pregnancy – there is a strong pressure of the uterus on other organs, squeezing of blood vessels. A special load falls on the legs of a pregnant woman;
• after childbirth – incorrect pressing;
• genetic predisposition;
• sedentary lifestyle and little daily activity;
• endocrine diseases;
• overweight and obesity – the load on the legs increases;
• great physical activity – often those who stand a lot during the day suffer from the disease;
• age – the older the person, the weaker the walls of the vessels;
• high venous pressure;
• development of chronic diseases;
• mechanical injuries of the extremities – disrupt the operation of vascular valves;
• taking hormonal drugs;
• hormonal changes (lactation period, menopause in women).

The predisposition to varicose veins is transmitted from parents and other relatives in a straight line. Genetic predisposition affects the development of pathology, even despite the lifestyle. If at least one of the parents in the family suffers from varicose veins, the probability of getting sick with them in children is 60%, if both parents – 90%.

The first signs of the development of venous pathology

The very first symptom of varicose veins is pain in the legs by the end of the working day. This occurs when deep and superficial vessels change due to poor blood supply to soft tissues.

The pain can be different depending on the stage – at first it looks like ordinary fatigue, why there is a burning sensation in the legs, then a pulling pain and cramps in the calf muscle. And, of course, the disease is accompanied by external changes. Blue bulging vessels or stars appear on the legs, depending on the stage. Also, the disease may be accompanied by swelling of the feet or ankles, discoloration of the skin over the affected vein.

The danger of the disease is not at all in edema and convulsions, but in the high probability of blood clots in the vessels. These are hard blood clots. They can “stick” to the wall of the vessel and narrow its lumen, or they can break off and travel with the bloodstream to other vessels, increasing the risk of blockage. This condition can even lead to death.

Stages of varicose veins on the legs

There are 4 stages in total, including:

• The initial stage of the disease lasts differently for everyone – for some patients for several years, for others only a few months, and then it passes into the next stage. Moreover, varicose veins can develop both in people aged and young.

The initial stage is manifested by fatigue and heaviness in the legs after a hard day’s work. There may be swelling of the feet, ankles and lower leg, spider veins appear on the legs, nocturnal cramps in the calves and pain along the veins. This stage is also called superficial due to the formation of vascular cobwebs. Often these symptoms disappear after a night’s sleep. In some patients, symptoms worsen in bad weather and after intense exercise.

You should not wait until the disease passes into the second stage and more painful and unpleasant symptoms appear. It is better to see a doctor right away. He will diagnose and prescribe treatment.

• Stage 2 – has more severe symptoms. After a long sitting or standing position, nodules begin to appear and veins are palpated. At this stage, there is a high probability of formation of blood clots.

The doctor may recommend 2 methods of treatment: medical or surgical. In the first case, ointments, topical gels with anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, slimming stockings, elastic bandages and drugs to improve blood circulation are used. In the second, the removal of swollen veins with a laser or radiofrequency coagulation.

• Stage 3 is a more complex form of the disease, in which it is simply impossible not to notice something was wrong. All the signs are now accompanied by severe edema of the extremities, which do not go away in the morning, the outflow of venous blood is disturbed, long-term trophic ulcers on the legs are formed, and a strong bulge of the veins.

The patient at this stage often complains of dry skin and the formation of cracks of different depths on the legs. These symptoms of pathology pose a great danger to human health, so you should immediately consult a doctor.

At the stage of decompensation, as it is also called, it is pointless to carry out conservative treatment, only surgery can help the patient. During this operation, the affected veins are removed. The blood passing through the removed vessel will be redistributed to the deep veins, which will quickly get used to the increased load.

• Stage 4 – In the fourth stage of varicose veins, not only the vessels of the legs, but also the skin of the lower extremities are severely affected. It becomes dehydrated, excessively dry, microcracks of various depths form on it. The skin on the legs may become dark in color. Skin atrophy appears. Trophic ulcers stop healing.

The only possible treatment option that can be used at the last stage of the disease is surgical treatment followed by the use of drugs. The patient after treatment takes drugs that thin the blood and uses ointments to relieve local inflammation.

How is varicose veins diagnosed?

At the first examination, the doctor will talk with the patient and determine the combination of factors that led him to the development of the disease. Then the specialist will send for laboratory tests: blood and urine tests, which can provide the necessary information about diseases of internal organs, metabolic disorders, lack of vitamins and minerals, water retention in the body, which leads to vascular pathologies.

Among the hardware research methods, ultrasound of the veins of the lower extremities is used, namely ultrasound dopplerography (a method that allows you to assess the patency of blood vessels, valves) or ultrasound angioscanning (if there are complications), computed tomography and MRI of the veins of the lower extremities.

Treatment methods for varicose veins

In the initial stages, pathology can be treated with conservative therapy, using medications for varicose veins. For this, anticoagulants are used (reduce blood viscosity and improve tissue nutrition), antiplatelet agents (reduce the risk of thrombosis and improve tissue trophism), venotonics (prevent further stretching of the veins, reduce inflammation and swelling).

In later stages resort to the use of surgical intervention. Modern operations that are performed using a laser, radiofrequency method or sclerotherapy are done under local anesthesia. Their goal is to close the affected vein. Blood will begin to pass through healthy deep vessels to the heart, which are extremely rarely subject to varicose veins – they are thicker and stronger.

It is important during treatment to use compression stockings that compress the legs and physically do not allow the veins to swell. Over time, it stretches, so after a few months it needs to be changed.

The patient needs to load himself with a little physical activity – light exercise or walking. Muscles that constantly contract when walking help pump blood up to the heart and reduce congestion.

Disease prevention

Doctors recommend following a few simple rules to avoid the appearance of an unpleasant ailment:

• Try not to sit or stand in one position for a long time, move more and be outdoors more often. Physical activity is the best prevention of varicose veins.
• When resting after a day’s work, lift your legs up – this will relieve pain and help the proper outflow of blood.
• It is better to constantly keep yourself in shape and prevent the appearance of obesity, we have already said above that excess weight is one of the causes of pathology.
• Wear loose-fitting clothing made from natural fabrics – don’t put too much pressure on your legs with tight pants.
• High-heeled shoes should be discarded or worn less frequently. Any shoes you wear should not squeeze the foot and lower leg too much. It is advisable to use arch support insoles.
• Avoid hot and long baths. They help reduce venous tone.