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deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurs when a vein forms deep in the body. Most occur in the leg or hip veins. However, a deep vein thrombosis also can occur in other parts of the body. Although blood clots are nature's way of trying to prevent bleeding, they can become dangerous when precautions are not taken.
A blood clot that develops in a vein in the thigh is usually more serious than one that develops in a vein in the lower leg. It is estimated that 1 out of every 1,000 Americans develops deep vein thrombosis each year.
What Are the Risk Factors?
Many conditions can increase your risk for DVT. Although some of these conditions alone can increase your risk, your chances for developing the condition increases further when several risk factors are combined.
Symptoms vary, depending on the amount of blood flow that is blocked in the legs by blood clots.
Large clots may cause more noticeable symptoms of DVT, while smaller clots may cause fewer symptoms or no symptoms at all. In fact, only about half of the people with deep vein thrombosis have symptoms.
Common DVT symptoms may include:
- Swelling of the leg
- Pain or tenderness in the leg (the pain is usually in one leg and may only be present when standing or walking)
- Feeling of increased warmth in the area of the leg that hurts or is swollen
- Red or discolored skin.
It is important that you see your doctor immediately if you experience any possible symptoms.
In order to make a DVT diagnosis, your doctor will need to examine you and obtain your medical history. Your doctor may also order certain tests to make a diagnosis.
Some of the more common tests used to diagnose the condition include:
- Duplex ultrasound
- Venography.
The main goals of treatment are to:
- Stop the clot from getting bigger
- Stop the clot from breaking off in your vein and moving to the lungs
- Decrease your chance of having another deep vein thrombosis.
DVT is usually treated with medication, such as:
- Anticoagulants
- Thrombolytics
- Thrombin inhibitors.
Other treatments include a vena cava filter and graduated compression stockings.
One complication of DVT is pulmonary embolism, which occurs when a blood clot in a vein breaks off, travels through your bloodstream, and lodges in your lung. Pulmonary embolism is a serious condition that can cause death. Superficial venous thrombosis (phlebitis) is a blood clot in a vein that is close to the surface of the skin. Blood clots in superficial veins cannot travel to the lungs.
Another potential complication is postphlebitic syndrome, which is a permanent condition that is caused by valves in the leg veins that do not work properly. Although the body has mechanisms within itself to dissolve clots, the process is slow. Throughout this process, an inflammatory reaction occurs that can scar the veins, especially the valves. The valves then fail to prevent blood from flowing backwards, which allows the blood to pool in the leg veins and cause pain, swelling, and sometimes
varicose veins and skin ulcerations.
Other names for this condition include:
