6 Early Signs of DVT & What You Can Do

Skip to content

You may have been hearing about blood clots lately in the news related to some COVID vaccine shot side effects. While this is rare, if you are prone to clotting or already have a blood clot, this is a dangerous side effect. Blood clots can form for a multitude of other health reasons as well. Learn how to tell if you might have the early signs of DVT or blood clotting. The Vein Centre surgeons are here to help if you live near Belle Meade, Franklin, or Mt. Juliet, TN.

What is DVT Blood Clotting?

DVT stands for deep vein thrombosis. Your body has superficial and deep vein systems, both of which could experience clotting. Blood clots are a natural body function that stops bleeding after a cut or other injury. These clots are gel-like clumps of blood particles. Platelets and fibrin, protein strands, work together to adhere to a blood vessel or artery and block blood flow in that area. Clotting is a life-saving function after an injury, but if unnecessary clotting occurs if then becomes dangerous.

Types of Blood Clots

When a clot forms inside deep veins and arteries, that is the beginning of a potentially serious health concern. When a clot forms blood vessels and stays in place, it is called a thrombus. A thrombus can cut off blood flow to organs and tissue if it grows too large. Blocked blood flow can cause heart attacks, stroke, and death. If this occurs, emergency medical care is needed quickly.

Another type of dangerous blood clot is called an embolus. An embolus is a blood clot that comes loose from the vein wall. When this blood clot breaks free, it travels through the bloodstream. As it reaches smaller vessels, it can become lodged and block flow to that area. It can travel to the lungs, heart, or brain, causing pulmonary embolism and stroke. If you are experiencing these signs of DVT below, contact your doctor immediately.

Signs of Deep Vein Thrombosis

1) Swelling in Your Legs

Swelling is possible in the exact place a blood clot has formed. In some cases, the entire extremity affected will swell up, but more commonly, the leg will is below the knee. The swelling won’t be in both your legs, only the side where there is a blood clot.

Swelling can even occur after DVT treatment. Post-thrombotic syndrome develops weeks or months after DVT and causes chronic swelling in the leg. This happens because DVT damages veins and valves, causing them to become weak. Weak veins and valves allow blood to pool in your legs resulting in pain and swelling.

2) Redness

DVT causes redness in your arms and legs because blood vessels are blocked. The red color is a result of inflammation of the vein where there are one or more blood clots and can be one of the signs of DVT. You may notice a long, thin area of redness following the affected vein.

3) Leg Pain

Blood clots cause internal pain in the veins affected. As a clot worsens, you may experience discomfort and soreness in the area. The pain can range from a dull ache to intense throbbing pain. Pain in one leg or arm and not the other is a warning sign of DVT. Discomfort often increases with walking or standing for an extended period. Many people mistake this feeling for a pulled muscle, but leg pain from DVT will not go away with time as a muscle injury does.

4) Warmth

Feeling a warm sensation is one of the first symptoms of deep vein thrombosis. Your whole body won’t feel warm, only the affected limb. Only one leg will feel warm, or you will feel warmth radiating from one limb and not the other. Sometimes, only the area right above the blocked vein will be noticeably warmer.

5) Leg Cramps

Leg cramps are a common occurrence that most of us have felt before. Regular muscle cramps will go away pretty quickly by stretching or walking. Crampy feelings in the legs that won’t go away or worsen over time are symptoms of DVT. Cramping caused by DVT needs medical attention before it becomes dangerous. One test to see if you are experiencing a normal leg cramp or one from deep vein thrombosis is to bend the foot at the ankle so that your toes are pointing upward. With a normal cramp, this should alleviate pain. In the case of a blood clot, the pain will most likely intensify.

6) Skin Discoloration

Besides just turning limbs red, DVT can cause problematic skin discoloration and symptoms. Blood clots create high-pressure areas where veins are blocked. As blood cells try and pass through the high-pressure area, the cells are often damaged and proceed to break down. Hyperpigmentation occurs, and your skin can become dry, flaky, or itchy. Advanced cases of DVT without treatment are likely to develop eczema and skin ulcers in the affected area.

How to Treat and Prevent DVT

Many of the symptoms of DVT are the same symptoms as other conditions. It is best to seek medical attention and receive screening for blood clots if you are unsure. Deep vein thrombosis blood clots are dangerous and are a medical emergency waiting to happen.

DVT is treatable in several ways, depending on the severity. If you are high risk but haven’t developed clots yet, compression stockings will prevent swelling and reduce your chances of developing blood clots.

Medications help prevent blood from clotting in the first place, and some break up blood clots. The medications Coumadin, Lovenox, and Arixtra thin your blood making it harder for clots to form. Any existing clots won’t increase in size. In more severe cases, intravenous thrombolytic drugs break up existing blood clots.

Filters are another way to protect yourself from a dislodged blood clot. A filter is put inside the vena cava, a large abdominal vein, to stop a clot from making its way to your lungs.

DVT Treatment Options

Contact a Vein Doctor

If you are experiencing leg swelling, skin discoloration, redness, cramping, warmth, and pain, you may have DVT. Give the Vein Centre in Tennessee a call at 615.269.9007. Please schedule an appointment with our board-certified vascular surgeons in Belle Meade (Nashville), Franklin (Cool Springs/Brentwood), and Mt. Juliet, TN, as soon as possible. Blood clots are dangerous, and it is better to err on the side of caution if you are experiencing signs of DVT.

Find a Vein Doctor

Page load link

Go to Top

Blood clots: Symptoms may include cramps described as charley horse

Blood clots: Symptoms may include cramps described as charley horse | Express.co.uk

Login Register

16°C

Blood clotting is a life-saving mechanism that can turn deadly when it occurs inside a vein.

Link copied Bookmark

British Heart Foundation: Understanding blood clots

Blood clots can form anywhere in the body, but they often form inside the arteries which block blood flow to the legs. Blood is prevented from leaving the limb easily when this occurs, causing it to swell. Charley horse has often been reported in patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which describes a blood clot in a vein, usually the leg.

Charley horse is the term given to a muscle spasm or cramp that occurs in any muscle in the body, predominantly in the leg.

When the muscle is in spasm, it contracts without your control and does not relax, sometimes due to dehydration or low levels of potassium or calcium.

The National Blood Clot Alliance explains that symptoms may include “leg pain or tenderness often described as a cramp or charley horse”.

The health body says: “These symptoms of a blood clot may feel similar to a pulled muscle or a ‘charley horse’, but may differ in that the leg (or arm) may be swollen, slightly discoloured and warm.

READ MORE: Three popular drinks linked to the formation of varicose veins

Blood clots in the lower leg could cause prolonged bouts of pain (Image: Getty )

“Contact your doctor as soon as you can if you have any of these symptoms, because you may need treatment right away. 

If you need help finding a doctor, please click here.”When the muscles contract without warning, cramps may last from a few seconds to a few days.

The pain can be intense, and may subsequently result in muscle soreness, which is very common after exercise.

Although cramps can strike at any given moment, the NHS says they’re more likely to occur at night when the body is at rest.

DON’T MISS: 

Paracetamol warning as the painkiller can cause melena [INFORMER] 

Acholic stools are ‘common’ sign of pancreatic cancer in ‘initial’ stages [INSIGHT] 

‘Sleep hyperhidrosis’ may reflect ‘lesions’ in the brain [INFORMER]

Trending

Invalid email

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

READ MORE

• Three fruits that could ‘naturally dissolve’ potentially deadly blood

In DVT the blood clot remains stationary, but there is a risk of it breaking off and entering the bloodstream and travelling to the lung.

This may cause a potentially fatal pulmonary embolism (PE), which is characterised by symptoms like:

• Sudden shortness of breath
• Chest pain-sharp, stabbing; may get worse with a deep breath
• Rapid heart rate
• Unexplained cough, sometimes with bloody mucus.

Before this occurs, however, it is possible that someone with DVT experiences no symptoms at all.

The condition may affect people with a health condition that influences how their blood clots, or someone who doesn’t move their legs for a long time.

READ MORE: Three fruits that could ‘naturally dissolve’ potentially deadly blood

Swelling in the legs can be a sign of blood clots (Image: Getty )

READ MORE

• Crisps could trigger dangerous blood clots – expert warning

According to UMPC, the pain that characterises blood clots tends to have specific characteristics.

“As the clot worsens, you may feel a sensation ranging from a dull ache to intense pain. The pain may throb in your leg, belly or even arm,” explains the health body.

It continues: “Unlike the pain from a charley horse that usually goes away after stretching or with rest, the pain from a blood clot does not go away and usually gets worse with time. ”

Ignoring the above signs can pave the way for varicose veins, pain, and ulcers, as a result of prolonged swelling.

Untreated blood clots can pave the way for varicose veins (Image: Getty )

It is therefore critical to seek care as soon as the signs emerge, as several interventional procedures could potentially save your life.

Doctors may prescribe blood thinners, which are anticoagulants that help prevent blood clots from getting bigger.

Clot busters, known as thrombolytics, are drugs used for more serious types of DVT or PE, and are prescribed when other medications aren’t working.

Preventive measures can include wearing compression stockings, which reduce the risk of DVT by as much as 63 percent after a surgical procedure.

Most read in Health

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen told to quit F1 as Jenson Button delivers GOAT verdict

Matteo Bocelli launches new music video For You and announces original Ed Sheeran song

Man City players eat roast potatoes and have double lunch ahead of Champions League final

Phillip Schofield accused of being ‘openly dismissive’ of Eamonn Holmes on This Morning

Emmerdale rocked as someone from Nicky Milligan’s past arrives after Gabby heartbreak

Doctor warns against four drinks that could be making your anxiety worse

England’s healthiest neighbourhood named where people live long and prosper

Doctor reveals how much sunscreen is needed to prevent skin cancer – ‘most’ people at risk

Three ‘heart-healthy’ food swaps that could keep your cholesterol levels in check

Doctor shares ‘one of the most important ways’ for older men to reduce heart disease risk

Six tips to help you fall asleep at night if you are feeling anxious

Early symptom of eye condition that gets worse at night – could cause vision loss

Eating just 10 extra grams of fibre a day could reduce risk of stroke by 23%, says doctor

Boots online pharmacy among worst-performing in UK as 108 are mapped

Pharmacist shares seven top tips to reduce hay fever symptoms as pollen bomb hits UK

Nutritionist recommends breakfast, lunch and dinner for staying hydrated during heatwave

New research finds Covid can ‘fuse’ brain cells leading to chronic neurological problems

Health risks of getting sunscreen in your eyes – when to seek medical attention

Heatwave warning: Elderly among most at risk – Dr Amir shares three tips for staying well

Toddler’s cancer dismissed for three years as ‘stomach problems’ – mum shares ordeal

Ingredient found in energy drinks could add up to eight years to your lifespan – study

Saturday, 10th June 2023

See today’s front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive.

IPSO Regulated Copyright ©2023 Express Newspapers. “Daily Express” is a registered trademark. All rights reserved.

{%=o.description%}

Would you like to receive notifications from this site?

Six early signs of deep vein thrombosis

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a disease that causes life-threatening complications. Timely access to a doctor is the key to effective treatment of the disease, the ability to avoid complications and return to a normal lifestyle as soon as possible.

Recall that DVT is characterized by the formation of blood clots – blood clots, usually in the deep veins of the lower extremities. It was previously believed that the prevalence of DVT is up to 160 cases per 100,000 population. However, during the Covid-19 pandemicthe prevalence of DVT has increased – violations of hemostasis caused by the virus contribute to the formation of blood clots. According to statistics, the frequency of DVT among patients and recovered from coronavirus infection reaches 20%.

What symptoms can signal early DVT?

1. Swelling of the legs

Swelling may appear exactly in the place where the blood clot formed. Sometimes the limb swells completely, but most often the swelling appears below the knee.

Edema appears only on one leg – the one on which a blood clot formed.

Edema may occur even after treatment for DVT. Post-thrombotic syndrome develops weeks or months after DVT and causes chronic swelling of the leg. This is due to damaged venous valves as a result of DVT. Because of this, stagnation of blood occurs in the limbs, causing pain and swelling.

2. Redness of the skin

Redness of the skin on the leg is caused by clogged blood vessels due to DVT. Such redness is the result of inflammation of a vein in which there is one or more blood clots. A long, thin area of ​​redness along the affected vein may be one of the signs of developing DVT.

3. Pain

Pain in the affected extremity occurs due to impaired blood flow caused by blood clots formed in the veins. Discomfort and pain in the area of ​​the affected veins can be experienced from the moment blood clots form. The pain can range from dull to intense throbbing pain. A warning sign of DVT is pain in only one leg, with the pain often getting worse when walking or standing for a long period of time. Many people mistake this feeling for a muscle strain, but unlike the pain caused by a muscle injury, the pain caused by DVT does not go away with time.

4. Feeling of warmth

Feeling of warmth in the affected limb is one of the first symptoms of deep vein thrombosis. In some cases, only that area of ​​the skin that is directly above the affected vein is noticeably warmer.

5. Leg cramps

In general, leg cramps are a common phenomenon experienced by most, if not all people. Regular muscle spasms disappear quite quickly after massage or muscle stretching, walking, etc. However, leg cramps that don’t go away or get worse over time can be symptoms of DVT. Seizures caused by DVT may require medical attention. One way to determine if a DVT cramp is caused by a DVT cramp is to bend your ankle so that your toes are pointing up. In a normal cramp, this should relieve the pain. In the case of a spasm caused by a blood clot, the pain is likely to increase.

6. Skin lesions

In addition to redness, DVT can cause other problematic skin changes. Blockage of veins by blood clots creates areas of high pressure in them, and blood cells passing through these areas can be damaged and destroyed. The result of this process can be shiny, dry, flaky or itchy skin in the area of ​​damaged veins. In advanced cases of DVT, eczema and ulcers may develop.

In the Professor’s Clinic, patients are treated by a doctor, cardiovascular surgeon Goryunov Stepan Nikolaevich. Patients are also treated by highly qualified cardiologists. You can clarify the schedule, make an appointment with the specialists of the clinic by a single phone number in Perm – 206-07-67 or on our website.

In addition, patients are registered at the Professor’s Clinic on the Sberzdorovye portal.

Leg cramps: what to do? How to treat?

If you suffer from leg cramps, then know that they happen most often at night, and what could be worse than waking up from a sudden pain? We have collected the most common questions about the causes of leg cramps and tips on how to deal with them. So what should you do if you cramp your legs?

What is a cramp?

A spasm is a sudden contraction of a muscle that a person cannot relax. It can be long or short, but any cramp is accompanied by pain. It is caused by a large amount of decay products that are released during a strong muscle contraction.

What are the causes of leg cramps at night with varicose veins?

Experts name several reasons. Firstly, this is a violation of blood flow in the veins, which is inevitable with varicose veins. The blood stagnates, the pressure in the veins rises, and water escapes into the surrounding tissues. But with water, there are also trace elements that are needed for normal muscle contraction – potassium, calcium and sodium. As a result, the muscles begin to contract spontaneously, and these are cramps.

Secondly, with varicose veins, blood flow in the veins is difficult, and at night it becomes as slow as possible. Muscles can begin to contract with impulses to “push” blood through the vessels.

And thirdly, there is one more, slightly more complex mechanism. The point is not only that the muscle contracts, but also that it does not relax. Special molecules, ATP, are responsible for muscle relaxation in the body. When the blood in the veins stagnates, ATP production decreases, and the mechanism that “relaxes” the muscle fails.

What are the causes of leg cramps during pregnancy?

Expecting a baby is certainly a happy, but at the same time difficult time. It is during this period that many expectant mothers develop varicose veins as a result of weight gain, hormonal changes, and decreased activity. Which becomes one of the causes of night cramps.

Please note: convulsions during pregnancy are an alarming symptom. It may indicate a lack of trace elements, it may be the result of large fluid losses (for example, during toxicosis), convulsions occur if the growing uterus compresses the inferior vena cava, etc. The expectant mother should definitely consult a doctor who will accurately determine the causes of seizures.

How to get rid of nighttime leg cramps?

If you woke up at night from a sudden cramp, then your first desire is to rub your sore leg. Unfortunately, this does not always help relieve pain. How to relieve night leg cramps?

Lying down, you can do the following: pull the foot of the sore leg towards you, simultaneously squeezing and unclenching the calf muscle with your palms (after all, it usually reduces it). This will help to quickly remove the attack. After that, work with the feet of both legs, make circular movements or alternately pull them towards you. This will activate blood circulation and the pain will go away.

Some advise that if the cramp is very intense, try to relieve it by pricking the leg with a pin or needle. We doubt that it will be at your fingertips during a night’s sleep. But you can pinch yourself on the shin several times, although this can be difficult if the cramp is very strong

Also, if your leg is cramped, you can stand on the bare cool floor (but not on the carpet, the effect will not be the same) and try to walk . And when the muscle relaxes, still standing on the floor, shift from toe to heel for a minute. This simple exercise will help improve blood circulation.

I don’t want to face night pains. Is there any prophylaxis in case of leg cramps with varicose veins?

Prevention of cramps in varicose veins helps:

• the right choice of shoes – it is desirable that they be low-heeled and hold the ankle tightly.
• no excessive physical activity.
• dietary adjustment. Include foods rich in potassium, calcium and magnesium in your daily menu. Eat more dairy products, legumes, cereals, give preference not to chocolate, but to dates, prunes and dried apricots. And do not forget that smoking, as well as drinking a lot of coffee and strong tea, can provoke seizures.
• contrast baths before bedtime. They are useful not only as a prevention of seizures, but also as a therapy that helps strengthen the walls of the veins.

Is it possible to cure cramps with varicose veins on your own?

The primary cause of convulsions in varicose veins is the stagnation of blood in the veins. It is impossible to get rid of this at home: only a doctor can cure varicose veins. That is why, if you are worried about leg cramps at night, we recommend that you seek advice from a phlebologist.

Related Articles

• Laser treatment of varicose veins: modern, fast, effective

  Due to the peculiarities of laser technology and the wide possibilities of combining with other methods of treating varicose veins, this method allows you to get a quick and effective result.