Blood Clots: When are they dangerous?

The average adult carries around about 1.5 gallons of blood. Without it, our bodies would simply not survive.

Blood is made up of four main components: plasma, platelets, white blood cells and red blood cells. Each component has a specific job. Some jobs include carrying and distributing oxygen and nutrients. Others carry antibodies to help fight infections. They also filter waste and regulate body temperature.

But where does clotting come into play? Most people think of blood clots in a negative way. They often link them to serious issues like strokes, pulmonary embolisms, or heart attacks.

Why Blood Clots Occur

“The purpose of blood clots is to prevent us from bleeding to death – we need clotting to survive,” says John Fish, MD, a vascular medicine specialist at Jobst Vascular Institute. “Typically, our bodies will dissolve clots on their own. It is when blood clots end up not dissolving or become dislodged and travel through the bloodstream that there is raised concern.”

Blood clots are thick collections of blood. They form in veins and arteries when blood changes from liquid to a solid state. Typically, blood clots occur as a response to some sort of injury to a blood vessel or artery.

The clot forms like a plug to help stop up the cut or hole. This prevents our bodies from internally or externally bleeding out. Sometimes these clots can form inappropriately, which can cause issues, explains Dr. Fish.

When Blood Clots Become Deadly

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 100,000 Americans die each year from a blood clot. Blood clots do not discriminate by age, gender, ethnicity or race. They can affect everyone, but certain risk factors can increase the risk of developing a blood clot.

“People may be more at risk for blood clots if they have recently had surgery or been hospitalized, are pregnant or have cancer,” said Dr. Fish. “Other risk factors include being overweight, having a family history of blood clots, smoking, having diabetes, sitting or not moving for long periods of time and certain medications that contain hormones.”

Symptoms of a Blood Clot

Symptoms of a blood clot will depend on where it is in the body. Clots can end up in the heart, lungs, brain and other important organs if it travels through the bloodstream. When these clots move and block blood flow to important organs, like the brain or heart, it can cause a stroke or heart attack.

Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms are often serious but can be preventable conditions.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a condition where a blood clot forms in a deep vein. Most commonly these develop in the lower leg, thigh, pelvis or sometimes in the arm. Some common symptoms include swelling, pain, tenderness and redness of the skin.

The biggest concern with DVT is that the blood clot could- break loose. These clots can travel to the lungs and cause a pulmonary embolism. Signs of a pulmonary embolism include difficulty breathing, chest pain or discomfort, coughing up blood, light headedness or fainting.

Protecting Yourself from Harmful Blood Clots

Blood thinners can treat deep vein thrombosis and prevent blood clots. However, pulmonary embolisms need immediate medical attention.

Other ways to prevent harmful clots from forming include:

• Maintaining a healthy weight.
• Being active.
• Staying hydrated.
• Not smoking.
• Wearing loose-fitting clothes.
• Not sitting or lying down for prolonged periods of time.
• Getting regular check-ups with your primary care physician or vascular specialist.
• Using compression stockings when recommended by your health care provider.

“It’s important to remember that blood clots are an important function of our bodies,” says Dr. Fish. “When people get in a car accident, they hope to have blood clots form to help their body stop the bleeding. It is when certain factors cause clots to inappropriately form or travel through the bloodstream that there is an increased concern. By maintaining an active, healthy lifestyle, the risk of harmful clotting decreases.”

John Fish, MD
Dr. Fish is a vascular medicine specialist with ProMedica Jobst Vascular Institute. View his profile.