Have you ever injured yourself, and after some time, you notice a dark red gel on the wound area after bleeding? This is a blood clot. Clotting is a vital process that can help your body heal from a cut and prevent excessive blood loss. Although clotting is important, there are places in your body where blood clots forming endangers your health. For instance, when you have a cut on your arm and the clots form in the blood vessels and cease to dissolve on their own, the clot that forms in the vessels can lead to major complications like stroke and heart attack. Let us look at what a blood clot is, symptoms when you should call the doctor about a blood clot and treatment for blood clots.
What is a Blood Clot?
Blood clots are aggregates of blood that look like gel that occur as blood shifts from liquid to partially solid in your veins or arteries.
Platelets and fibrin form blood clots. When you have an injury or a cut, platelets begin to adhere together to form a sticky fluid and attach to a blood vessel wall. Then, fibrin which are web-like strands of blood, form a net that holds red blood cells. This makes the clot stickier and tougher. Your body then stops sending more extra clotting factors, so that blood clots don’t spread to other areas of the body.
The clot is no longer required when the wounded tissue recovers. Instead, the fibrin strands break down, and your blood absorbs the clot’s platelets and cells.
When is a Blood Clot an Emergency?
Certain factors increase your chances of getting blood clots. Factors like pregnancy, obesity, genetics (where you have a family history of blood clots), specific surgeries and some specific medications. If your career involves you sitting for long periods can also expose you to forming blood clots in your legs.
It is time to look for urgent care near you when you experience the following signs of a blood clot in your arms and legs. First, when you notice swelling or discolouration in an area for no apparent reason can be an indication of blood clot formation in your legs or arms.
You can also feel pain in the form of pulses or vibrations and increases when you touch. This indicates that you have a blood clot that has formed in your arm or leg, and it is advisable to look for a walk-in clinic where the doctor can look at the aching area and determine if it’s a clot or another condition.
There are symptoms of a blood clot that call for you to look for emergency medical care. These signs can indicate a blood clot in the brain, lungs or heart.
First, if you experience difficulty breathing, it is time to look for an emergency room near you. This indicates that the blood clots have restricted blood flow to the lungs, which means reduced oxygen levels that lead to high blood pressure in the arteries.
Another symptom that indicates you need emergency care is a rapid heartbeat accompanied by chest pain. This symptom suggests that you are suffering from pulmonary embolism. This is where the blood clots move from the legs to the lungs, and this causes reduced blood flow.
Blood clots in the lungs, heart or brain can also cause abrupt vision change, struggle with speech and coughing up blood. When you notice these symptoms, it is recommended to look for a freestanding emergency room to have your symptoms checked, and the doctor determines the cause of the symptoms.
How to Reduce the Risk of Blood Clots?
A lack of physical activity can cause blood clots, and therefore it is recommended to take regular walks as this promotes the free flow of blood all over the body.
Doing exercises and checking your diet also helps keep your check-in weight, reducing the chance of having blood clots.
Blood clots can be a serious condition that may put your life at risk. Express Emergency Room Abilene offers emergency services that will help you manage the symptoms of a blood clot and help you back to your feet.
