Causes, Warning Signs, Treatment, and Prevention of Deep Vein Thrombosis

Written by Dean Shaban

Medically Reviewed by Poonam Sachdev on June 14, 2023

• What Is Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)?
• DVT Symptoms
• DVT Causes
• DVT Risk Factors
• DVT Tests and Diagnosis
• DVT Progression
• DVT Treatment
• DVT Health Disparities
• DVT Complications
• Living With DVT
• DVT Prognosis
• Can I Prevent DVT?
• Takeaways
• More

If blood moves too slowly through your veins, it can cause a clump of blood cells called a clot. When a blood clot forms in a vein deep inside your body, it causes what doctors call deep vein thrombosis (DVT). This is most likely to happen in your lower leg, thigh, or pelvis. But it can occur in other parts of your body, too.

DVT can lead to major health problems. In some cases, it can be fatal. That’s why if you think you have one, you must see a doctor right away.

Not everyone with DVT shows symptoms. But you might notice any of the following:

• Leg or arm swelling that comes on without warning
• Pain or soreness when you stand or walk
• Warmth in the area that hurts
• Enlarged veins
• Skin that looks red or blue

If a blood clot breaks free and moves through your bloodstream, it can get stuck in a blood vessel of your lung. Doctors call this a pulmonary embolism, or PE. It can be fatal.

Some people don’t know they have DVT until this happens. Signs of PE include:

• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain that’s worse when you take a deep breath
• Coughing up blood
• Higher heart rate

Learn more about DVT symptoms

The causes of DVT include things that keep blood from:

• Flowing through your leg, thigh, or pelvis
• Clotting correctly

This usually happens as a result of damage to one of your veins due to:

• Surgery
• Inflammation
• Infection
• Injury

Many things can raise your chances of getting DVT. Here are some of the most common:

• Age. DVT can happen at any age, but your risk is greater after age 40.
• Sitting for long periods. When you sit for long stretches of time, the muscles in your lower legs stay still. This makes it hard for blood to circulate, or move around, the way it should. Long flights or car rides can put you at risk.
• Bed rest. When you’re in the hospital for a long time, this can also keep your muscles still and raise your odds of DVT.
• Pregnancy. Carrying a baby puts more pressure on the veins in your legs and pelvis. What’s more, a clot can happen up to 6 weeks after you give birth.
• Obesity. People with obesity – that’s a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher – are at a higher risk. BMI measures how healthy your weight is based on how tall you are.
• Serious health issues. Conditions like inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, and heart disease can all raise your risk.
• Certain inherited blood disorders. Some diseases that run in families can make your blood thicker than normal or cause it to clot more than it should.
• Injury to a vein. This could result from a broken bone, surgery, or other trauma.
• Smoking . This makes blood cells stickier than they should be. It also harms the lining of your blood vessels. This makes it easier for clots to form.
• Birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy. The estrogen in these raises your blood’s ability to clot. (Progesterone-only pills don’t have the same risk.)
• Infection. When in your blood, veins, or elsewhere, it could lead to DVT.
• Inflammation. This could be due to infection, surgery, injury, or some other root cause.
• High cholesterol.

In some cases, neither the cause nor the symptoms of DVT are very clear, so tell your doctor about any changes you notice if you are at higher risk for DVT.

How many people get DVT? 

DVT symptoms can be hard to find and often go unnoticed. So it’s hard to estimate the number of diagnoses . But it’s thought that about 8 in every 10,000 people get DVT every year. And lower-leg DVT happens  in every 1 in 1,000 people. But these numbers actually could be higher.

Your doctor will first do a physical exam of your leg and lower body areas to check for symptoms. If there is any swelling, tenderness, or change in skin color, they will likely want to run some tests to see if you have DVT. Such tests include:

• Duplex ultrasound. This is the standard test for DVT. Your doctor will run an ultrasound to scan parts of your body for clots in your veins. An ultrasound scanner sends sound waves to create images showing how blood flows through your veins.  If your doctor finds a clot, they may want you to come back for more ultrasounds to see if it has grown or if there are any new ones.
• D-dimer blood test. Most people with bad DVT will have D-dimer in their blood, It’s a type of protein that comes from blood clots. Your doctor will do a blood test to see whether you have high levels of D-dimer.
• MRI. MRIs are usually done for DVT in the lower abdomen or belly area. They are not standard for the more common forms of DVT.
• Venography. This test is rarely done because it is so invasive. Your doctor will inject dye in your veins and take an X-ray to see if the dye is flowing properly through your veins. It can let your doctor to see if you have any clots. Other tests, like an ultrasound, are done first.

Find out more about DVT tests and diagnosis

DVT can progress as your symptoms get worse. Signs of acute DVT include: 

• Pain in your leg or arm. It could be swollen and feel warmer than it normally does. 
• You may notice a change in skin color. It might be red. If you have a darker skin tone, this may be harder to see. 
• A bad headache that can come on suddenly. You might also have seizures.
• Bad belly pain (if blood clots are in your abdomen)

If you are breathless or have chest pain, this can be a bad progression in your DVT. You might feel lightheaded or faint. If this happens, you need medical care right away. These could be signs of a pulmonary embolism (PE), when the clot is going into your lungs. PE can be fatal if it’s not caught early enough.

Your doctor will want to stop the blood clot from getting bigger or breaking off and heading toward your lungs. They’ll also want to cut your chances of getting another DVT.

This can be done in one of three ways:

Medications for DVT

Blood thinners are the most common medications used to treat DVT. They cut your blood’s ability to clot. You may need to take them for 6 months. If your symptoms are severe or your clot is very large, your doctor may give you a strong medicine to dissolve it. These medications, called thrombolytics, have serious side effects like sudden bleeding. That’s why they’re not prescribed very often.

Procedure for DVT

Inferior vena cava (IVC) filter. If you can’t take a blood thinner or if one doesn’t help, your doctor may insert a small, cone-shaped filter inside your inferior vena cava. That’s the largest vein in your body. The filter can catch a large clot before it reaches your lungs.

Home remedies for DVT

Compression stockings. These special socks are very tight at the ankle and get looser as they reach your knee. This pressure prevents blood from pooling in your veins. You can buy some types at the drugstore. But your doctor might prescribe a stronger version that an expert can fit for you.

Know more about the latest DVT treatments

Research shows that Black people are more likely to have DVT than White people. But they’re just as likely or less likely to have PE. 

Studies show that people with what’s known as “metabolic syndrome” are at greater risk of having a DVT event. Metabolic syndrome is a condition linked to a group of other conditions, such as obesity, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

Black people, and especially Black women, tend to have metabolic syndrome more often than people of other racial groups. This can increase their chances of having DVT.

Up to half of people with DVT will have long-term complications because of damage to the leg vein (post-thrombotic syndrome) where blood remains too long (chronic venous insufficiency). You may notice pain, swelling, and redness, which can lead to open sores if you don’t get early treatment. In time, this can make it harder to do daily activities and even walk.

The biggest worry for a blood clot is a DVT that breaks off and causes a pulmonary embolism (see above). If the clot isn’t too big and you get the right treatment fast enough, you may recover from this, though there may be some long-term lung damage.

About a third of people who have had a DVT or PE have a higher risk of another incident.

Living with DVT can be very manageable if you stick to a good routine, eat well, and budget enough for out-of-pocket costs. It’s also important to stay aware of your mental well-being during and after a DVT.

DVT diet

While it is always good to stick to a well-balanced diet, healthy eating is especially important if you have DVT. Inflammation is known to make the risk of blood clots higher. Here are some tips for eating to lower inflammation:

• Try to include plant-based foods like fruits, veggies, nuts, and whole grains.
• Olive oil and canola oil are good subs for butter.
• If you’re going to flavor your food, try herbs and spices instead of salt.
• Red meat is fine, but try to keep it to no more than two to three times a month.
• It’s good to eat fish at least twice a week.

DVT costs

Research shows that people with DVT lose, on average, 57 short-term disability days at work and 440 long-term disability days. The out-of-pocket cost per year is about $2,500, including medical and pharmacy expenses. It may be more or less, depending on your insurance or if you are uninsured.

Managing DVT

After a DVT, you can slowly get back to your normal activities. 

• If you sit for a while, it’s good to stand up and walk for a few minutes every hour. This is especially true for road trips or long flights.
• If you’re sitting for a long time (like at work), exercise your calf muscles.
• Always wear compression socks as prescribed by your doctor. This will help with swelling.
• Try not to do anything that could cause a serious injury.
• Drink plenty of water.

DVT and mental health

The trauma of going through a blood clot can cause mental health issues for you. These may include:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

If you have or think you may be having any of these or other mental health conditions as a result of your DVT, reach out to a mental health professional for one-on-one or group therapy.

Since a DVT can take up to a year to break apart, your doctor will likely want to do more ultrasounds after the first one to see if it has spread or gotten worse. 

Always take your blood thinners as prescribed and wear compression socks until your doctor tells you it’s OK to stop. You might need more blood tests to check that you have the right dosage of medications as your DVT gets better or worse.

Can DVT be cured?

Yes. With the proper treatment and attention, your blood clot can come apart over time.

Simple lifestyle changes may help lower your odds of getting one. Try these simple tips to keep your blood circulating the way it should:

• Take care of yourself. Stop smoking, lose weight, and try to be active.
• Get regular checkups. And if your doctor has prescribed a medicine to control a health problem, take it as directed.
• Don’t sit for too long. If you’re traveling for 4 hours or more, take breaks to flex and stretch your lower leg muscles. If you’re on a flight, walk up and down the aisle every hour. On long car drives, pull over every 2 hours to stretch. Wear loose-fitting clothes, and drink plenty of water.
• Plan surgery after-care. Talk to your doctor about what you can do to prevent DVT after surgery. They might suggest you wear compression stockings or take blood thinners. You’ll also want to get out of bed and start moving around.

Deep vein thrombosis can be managed  and go away if your doctor finds and treats it early enough. With a healthy diet, meds, compression socks, and enough exercise, you can live a full life during and after your DVT. Talk to your doctor right away if you think you might have DVT.

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Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT): Symptoms, Causes, and More

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a serious condition in which a blood clot forms in a deep vein inside your body. A blood clot is a clump of blood that’s turned into a solid state.

Share on PinterestHand edema thrombosis. Photo by the Emergency Medicine Department, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA.

Deep vein blood clots typically form in your thigh or lower leg, but they can also develop in other areas of your body.

Other names associated with this condition may include:

• thromboembolism
• post-thrombotic syndrome
• postphlebitic syndrome

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), symptoms of DVT only occur in about half of the people with this condition.

Common DVT symptoms include:

• swelling in your foot, ankle, or leg, usually on one side
• cramping pain in your affected leg that usually begins in your calf
• severe, unexplained pain in your foot and ankle
• an area of skin that feels warmer than the skin in the surrounding areas
• the skin over the affected area turning pale or reddish, or bluish color, depending on skin tone

People with an upper extremity DVT, or a blood clot in the arm, may not experience symptoms. If they do, common symptoms include:

• neck pain
• shoulder pain
• swelling in the arm or hand
• blue- or darker-tinted skin color
• pain that moves from the arm to the forearm
• weakness in the hand

People may not find out they have DVT until they’ve undergone emergency treatment for a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lung).

A pulmonary embolism can happen when a DVT clot has moved from the arm or leg into the lung. When an artery in the lung becomes blocked, it’s life threatening and requires emergency care.

DVT is caused by a blood clot. The clot blocks a vein, preventing blood from properly circulating in your body.

Different factors can lead to a DVT or increase the risk of developing it. They include:

• Injury: Damage to a blood vessel’s wall can narrow or block blood flow. A blood clot may form as a result.
• Surgery: Blood vessels can be damaged during surgery, leading to the development of a blood clot. Bed rest with little to no movement after surgery may also increase your risk of developing a blood clot.
• Reduced mobility or inactivity: When you sit frequently, such as during a long flight, blood can collect in your legs, especially the lower parts. If you cannot move for extended periods, the blood flow in your legs can slow down. This can cause a clot to develop.
• Certain medications: Some medications increase the chances your blood will form a clot. These include birth control pills, hormone therapy drugs, glucocorticoids, and antidepressants.
• Age: DVT can still happen at any age, but the incidence rises in older ages. Only 1 in 10,000 people younger than age 20 get DVT, but among those older than age 80, it is 1 in 100.
• Trauma: Having an injury that damages your veins, like a bone fracture, can cause a blood clot to develop.
• Obesity. Being overweight can put more pressure on your legs and pelvis veins.
• Pregnancy: Pregnancy increases the risk of DVT. In fact, pregnant people are 5-10 times more likely to develop DVT than those who aren’t pregnant.
• Family history: Having relatives who have had DVT may make you more likely to get it.
• Catheter: Having a catheter placed in a vein can increase the likelihood of a blood clot forming.
• Smoking: This is associated with a higher risk of DVT.
• Hereditary blood clotting disorders: Having a clotting disorder makes you more susceptible to DVT.
• Cancer: Having pancreatic, lung, stomach, or brain cancer, as well as other cancers, puts you at risk of DVT, especially if you’re undergoing chemotherapy.

In addition, several other health conditions can increase the risk for DVT. These include

• inflammatory bowel disease
• cardiac problems like high blood pressure and heart failure
• sepsis
• Covid-19, tuberculosis, and other viral or bacterial illnesses
• asthma
• sleep apnea
• polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• diabetes

A major complication of DVT is a pulmonary embolism. You can develop a pulmonary embolism if a blood clot moves to your lungs and blocks a blood vessel.

This can cause serious damage to your lungs and other parts of your body. Get immediate medical help if you have signs of a pulmonary embolism. These signs include:

• dizziness
• sweating
• chest pain that gets worse with coughing or inhaling deeply
• rapid breathing
• coughing up blood
• rapid heart rate

DVT is a serious medical condition. Tell your doctor immediately if you think you’re experiencing symptoms of DVT, or go to the closest emergency room. A healthcare professional can check out your symptoms.

DVT treatments focus on keeping the clot from growing. In addition, treatment may help prevent a pulmonary embolism and lower your risk of having more clots.

Medications

Your doctor might prescribe medications to thin your blood. The preferred treatment is with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) such as rivaroxaban (Xarelto) or apixaban (Eliquis).

Other drugs a doctor may use include:

• heparin
• warfarin (Coumadin)
• enoxaparin (Lovenox)
• fondaparinux (Arixtra)

Blood-thinning medications make it harder for your blood to clot. They also keep existing clots as small as possible and decrease the chance that you’ll develop more clots.

If blood thinners don’t work or the DVT is severe, your doctor might use thrombolytic drugs. People with upper extremity DVT may also benefit from this medication.

Thrombolytic drugs work by breaking up clots. You’ll receive these intravenously (through a vein).

Compression stockings

If you’re at high risk of DVT, wearing compression stockings can prevent swelling and might lower your chance of developing clots.

Compression stockings reach just below your knee or right above it. Your doctor may recommend you wear these every day.

Filters

If you cannot take blood thinners, you might need a filter inside the large abdominal vein called the vena cava. This treatment helps prevent pulmonary embolisms by stopping clots from entering your lungs.

Filters do have risks. If they’re left in for too long, they can actually increase the risk of DVT. Filters should be used for a short-term period until the risk of thromboembolism is reduced, and blood thinners can be used.

Surgery

Your doctor may suggest surgery to remove a DVT clot in your arm or leg. This is typically only recommended with very large blood clots or clots that cause serious issues, like tissue damage.

During a surgical thrombectomy or surgery to remove a blood clot, your surgeon will make an incision into a blood vessel. They’ll locate and remove the clot. Then, they’ll repair the blood vessel and tissue.

In some cases, they may use a small inflating balloon to keep the blood vessel open while they remove the clot. When the clot is found and removed, the balloon is removed with it.

Surgery isn’t without risks, so many doctors will recommend it only in severe cases. Risks include:

• infection
• damage to the blood vessel
• excess bleeding

Home remedies

Once a DVT blood clot is diagnosed, your doctor will likely prescribe medication to help thin the blood or break up the clot.

You can combine the prescribed medication with home remedies to prevent other complications and reduce the risk of future blood clots.

Move more

If possible, take daily walks to improve blood flow. Shorter, frequent walks are better than one long walk.

Keep your leg or arm elevated

This is especially important for the legs. Blood can pool if your feet are on the ground all day. Use a stool or chair to keep your legs elevated and close to level with your hips.

Wear compression stockings

These specially designed stockings fit tightly around your feet and become gradually looser as they move up your leg to your knee. The compression helps prevent pooling and swelling, and it increases blood flow.

Most people don’t need them, but people at high risk of DVT may find them useful. Compression stockings may be beneficial when you’re traveling.

Eat healthfully

Eating a nutrient-dense and balanced diet is important for helping to avoid life threatening complications.

A diet high in fiber, fruits, and vegetables, such as the Mediterranean diet, may be best for people at risk of DVT or those who’ve had DVT before, but research is needed to support this.

Some vitamins and minerals can interfere with DVT medications. For example, too much vitamin K can bypass warfarin’s ability to thin your blood and prevent a clot.

Review any vitamins or supplements you take with your doctor, and ask about possible medication interactions. It’s also important you talk with your doctor about any foods or nutrients you should avoid.

A healthy lifestyle incorporates many necessary changes to prevent blood clots from forming. This includes moving more, quitting smoking, and maintaining a moderate weight.

You can also lower your risk of having DVT by:

• managing your blood pressure
• giving up smoking
• maintaining a moderate weight

Take any blood thinners your doctor prescribes if you’re having surgery, which can lower your chance of developing clots afterward.

The risk of developing DVT during travel becomes higher if you sit for more than 4 hours. Moving your legs around when you’ve been sitting for a while also helps keep your blood flowing. Walking around after being on bed rest can prevent clots from forming.

Get out of your car during long drives and stretch at regular intervals. Walk in the aisles if you’re flying, taking a train, or riding a bus.

Stretch your legs and feet while you’re sitting. This keeps your blood moving steadily in your calves. Don’t wear tight clothes that can restrict blood flow. Complications of DVT are preventable.

Exercises for DVT

If you have to be seated for long periods, such as on a long flight, you can exercise to keep your legs moving and help circulate blood.

Knee pulls

Bend your leg, and raise your knee toward your chest. Wrap your knee with your arms for a greater stretch. Hold this position for several seconds, then do the same exercise on the other side.

Repeat these stretches several times.

Share on PinterestGifs by Active Body. Creative Mind.

Foot pumps

Place your feet flat on the floor. Keeping the balls of your feet on the floor, raise your heels. Hold for a few seconds, then lower your heels.

Raise the balls of your feet off the floor, keeping your heels in place. Hold for a few seconds, then lower the balls of your feet.

Repeat these pumps several times.

Share on PinterestGifs by Active Body. Creative Mind.

Ankle circles

Lift both feet off the floor. Draw circles with your toes in one direction for a few seconds. Switch directions, and draw circles for a few seconds.

Repeat this exercise several times.

Share on Pinterest

Your doctor will use your medical history, a thorough physical exam, and one or more diagnostic tests to find or rule out DVT. These tests include:

Ultrasound

This is the most commonly used test for diagnosing DVT. Ultrasound uses sound waves to create a picture of your arteries and veins to see how blood flows through them.

If a clot is present, your doctor can see the interrupted blood flow and make the diagnosis.

Venogram

If the ultrasound is inconclusive, your doctor may order a venogram. During this test, a dye is injected into the vein in question. Then, an X-ray is taken over the area where your doctor suspects DVT is present.

The dye makes the vein more visible so that interrupted blood flow would be easily seen.

D-dimer test

A D-dimer blood test measures the presence of a substance released when a blood clot breaks apart.

If levels of the substance are high and you have risk factors for DVT, you likely have a clot. If levels are healthy and your risk factors are low, you likely don’t.

A D-dimer blood test can also indicate other factors, such as a pulmonary embolism, stroke, pregnancy, or infection, so your doctor may need to use other tests to be sure of a diagnosis.

Other tests can be used to diagnose DVT if these are not successful.

DVT is a serious condition that could be life threatening. Diagnosis can often be difficult, as many people with DVT do not experience symptoms.

If you don’t experience symptoms, you may even be at a greater risk for life threatening complications.

This is why it’s important to know the risk factors and share any symptoms with your doctor. They may prescribe medication or other therapies to help you treat DVT, but there are many things you can do on your own.

Moving regularly, wearing compression stockings, and adopting a balanced diet are key ways to manage DVT risk.

Causes of thrombosis and inflammation of a thrombus

Thrombophlebitis is an inflammation of a thrombus located in the lumen of a venous vessel. The disease is a vicious circle: inflammation of the vein contributes to the increase in blood clot, and the processes occurring inside the blood clot increase inflammation.

The main cause of vein thrombosis is varicose veins. There are other factors that can cause complete or partial blockage of the venous vessel. All of them can cause life-threatening complications that are difficult to treat. It is best to know the possible causes of the disease, to prevent them.

If a superficial vein is affected, thrombophlebitis is called superficial. When a deep vein is blocked, thrombophlebitis will be called deep. Often, the process begins with superficial vessels, and then goes into the deep vein system.

Both types of disease, regardless of the cause of thrombophlebitis of the lower extremities, are complicated by chronic venous insufficiency. It, progressing, is manifested by darkening of the skin, edema, poorly healing trophic ulcers. The most dangerous complication is the separation of a blood clot with its subsequent entry into the pulmonary artery system or into the cerebral vessels. But if the treatment of thrombosis and thrombophlebitis was started on time and taking into account the cause of the disease, such consequences can be avoided.

Causes of pathology

Doctors name the following causes of thrombophlebitis. These are:

• Varicose veins of the lower extremities, in which the blood flow in the dilated areas is so slowed down that all the conditions for thrombosis occur. This cause accounts for 70% of all superficial thrombophlebitis.
• Injury to the venous wall. Superficially located veins can be injured by impact, friction with bone fragments, and falling. Also, their puncture and catheterization is considered an injury, which is also carried out on the legs. In response to injury to the wall, its components are activated, which cause the formation of a thrombus in the damaged area.
• Prolonged immobilization, especially due to the need to consolidate the fracture. While the deep veins continue to provide outflow from the limbs, the superficial ones are partially compressed by plaster, blood flow slows down in them, and as a result, a blood clot forms.
• Condition after treatment of varicose veins with sclerotherapy.
• Chronic asymptomatic carriage of bacteria when they are in the bloodstream and can inflame existing blood clots.
• Clotting diseases.
• Increased blood estrogen concentration.
• Vasculitis, including lupus.
• Pancreatic, lung, stomach cancer causing migratory thrombophlebitis.
• Increase in the level of homocysteine ​​in the blood.
• Diseases of the liver in which the level of heparin in the blood decreases.
• Homocystinuria.
• Antiphospholipid syndrome.

The main cause of deep vein thrombosis in the lower extremities is called varicose veins. This condition develops as a complication of superficial thrombophlebitis, when a thrombus grows in the direction of the communicating veins (connecting the superficial system with the deep one), and, destroying their valves, breaks into the deep veins.

When smoking, taking contraceptives, obesity, as well as anomalies of the vascular wall, the risk of thrombophlebitis increases several times.

causes and main symptoms

Thrombosis scares everyone, and rightly so. Venous thrombosis is dangerous when a thrombus breaks off, migrates through the veins to the heart, passes through the heart and embolism – blockage of the pulmonary artery. This is a dangerous condition that can not only lead to serious complications, but also to death.

Thrombosis is the formation of a thrombus, that is, a blood clot, on the vessel wall. Such blood clots can either completely block the vein or partially.

It is deep vein thrombosis that poses the greatest danger, as it can lead to thromboembolism. While thrombosis of the veins of the upper extremities almost never leads to thromboembolism.

For the formation of a blood clot in a vein, several conditions are necessary, sometimes even one is enough. In medicine, there is a Virchow triad, which describes the main causes of blood clots in a vein.

1. Deceleration of blood flow. A good example is a long flight, when a person sits motionless for a long time with bent legs. This situation leads to stagnation of blood, which contributes to thrombosis in deep veins. That is why it is important to wear compression stockings during air travel, which will just prevent blood from stagnating and forming a blood clot.

3. Violation of the properties of blood. This includes increased blood clotting, that is, its thickening. This change in blood can be caused by dehydration, so drinking enough water is very important.

For the formation of blood clots, one or all three factors may be sufficient. For example, consider a situation where all three factors are involved. Broken leg.

Therefore, with fractures of the lower extremities, the risk of thrombosis increases significantly. However, there are situations when blood clots form for no apparent reason.

Thrombosis can be localized in different veins. Saphenous vein thrombosis is characterized by symptoms that can be diagnosed visually – this is skin redness, inflammation and induration, most often in those vessels that are prone to varicose veins. Deep vein thrombosis requires a serious diagnosis, as it can be asymptomatic. However, he poses a threat.

But still, deep vein thrombosis has three characteristic symptoms, the presence of which allows us to speak with almost 90% certainty about the fact of thrombosis.

The main symptom of deep vein thrombosis is swelling. They can be expressed to varying degrees, depending on which vein the thrombus is in – in a large or in a small one. Most often, edema in thrombosis is asymmetric – it rarely occurs on two legs at once. Usually it is localized only on one limb. If your legs have been swollen for 3 years, then it is unlikely that a fresh blood clot can be suspected during the diagnosis. With thrombosis, swelling is usually sudden and acute, accompanied by pain.

Why does swelling of the leg appear with thrombosis? This is due to the fact that fluid seeps through the wall of the vein. The fluid should move towards the heart, but because of the thrombus it cannot rise, therefore it looks for a way out through the vessels, getting into the subcutaneous fat and, accordingly, giving edema.

As a rule, edema is localized in the lower third of the lower leg, but if blood clots form at the level of the femoral vein, the entire leg will swell.

The second sign of a deep vein thrombus is pain. Most often, pain occurs in the lower leg and in the popliteal region, depending on which vein is thrombosed. Pain in the thigh area almost never bothers patients, even though a blood clot can also be in the femoral vein.

Pain, like swelling, is sudden and sharp. It can be described as bursting or pulling. It occurs for no apparent reason, that is, not due to injury or sprain. Sometimes a person may even limp while walking, as the pain of a blood clot increases during movement.

The change in skin tone is due to the fact that the blood in the vein cannot flow into the heart area, as it should, but seeps through the walls of the vessel, enters the subcutaneous fat, causing edema, and the edema already provokes a change in skin color.

For the diagnosis of thrombosis, there are additional symptoms that are named after those specialists who discovered these symptoms.

This symptom was first described by the American surgeon Homans, after whom it is named.

The patient needs to take a sitting or lying position and stretch the legs. Then, with an effort, pull the feet towards you. With such a movement, in the presence of a blood clot, pain occurs on the back surface of the lower leg of the affected leg.

To determine the presence of a blood clot, you will need a cuff from a tonometer. It must be worn on the lower third of the leg or above. When creating pressure from 60 to 150 mm Hg. Art. in the presence of thrombosis, palpable pain appears.

It is necessary to squeeze the lower leg in the transverse direction of the calf muscle. There will be no pain with such compression. But with compression in the anteroposterior direction, in the presence of a blood clot, pain occurs.

Not all of the symptoms described are 100% likely to indicate thrombosis, but they allow you to suspect it and begin further examination.