{"id":2201,"date":"2019-01-03T05:58:55","date_gmt":"2019-01-03T05:58:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/veryhealthy.life\/?p=2201"},"modified":"2021-07-20T17:49:37","modified_gmt":"2021-07-20T17:49:37","slug":"10-facts-you-may-not-know-about-deep-vein-thrombosis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/veryhealthy.life\/10-facts-you-may-not-know-about-deep-vein-thrombosis\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Facts You May Not Know About Deep Vein Thrombosis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Deep Vein Thrombosis (or blood clots in the leg) is a medical condition in which the blood clots in the veins across the leg. There are many causes for DVT, the main issue is that the blood traveling upwards from your feet has a hard time reaching its destination, which causes it to clot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The symptoms of DVT and usually clear and easy to spot on the affected leg. Pain, swelling in the affected leg, and discoloration of the affected leg are the most common experiences associated with DVT. Though what makes deep vein thrombosis very dangerous is pulmonary embolism, which is caused when DVT is left untreated for a considerable period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In pulmonary embolism, a blood clot breaks from the walls of the vein and starts traveling in the bloodstream. That blood clot can cause severe damage to any organ if it reaches there, and PE can even cause death. Here are some facts that everyone should know about DVT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. DVT Affects People Of All Ages<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Early belief dictated that people over their 40s are at the risk of developing deep vein thrombosis<\/a>. That is not true, DVT can affect middle and young-aged men and women. The chances of young people developing DVT are low, but they are. Sadly, the world had to find this out the hard way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Renowned vascular expert and the founder of The Whitely Clinic Professor Mark Whitely says that becoming less active as you get older than 40s does increase your chances of DVT, but many patients they see are in their 20s and 30s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most probable causes for the development of DVT in young age are long-haul travel and an inactive lifestyle. Women, however, have other factors that are responsible for increasing the risk of DVT. Significant lifestyle elements that are unique to women like pregnancy and birth control affect the risk factor of developing DVT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Pregnancy Hormones And The Pill May Increase Your Risk<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Pregnant women have higher chances of developing DVT compared to women who aren\u2019t pregnant. This is mainly because the hormonal activity in a pregnant woman\u2019s body can cause the blood composition to change. The altered composition of the blood<\/a> causes it to not be able to travel as easily to and from the legs as the usual composition of the blood can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another reason why pregnant women are at a higher risk of DVT is that the developing baby\u2019s weight can reduce the blood flow to and from the legs. This causes the blood to move too slowly, ultimately ending up like a clot in the deep veins of your leg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doctors and midwives are quite aware of this risk and usually recommend preventive steps but it is imperative that individuals know about this problem so they can understand the importance of these recommendations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. DVT Is Preventable<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A number of environmental, genetic, and lifestyle factors affect the risk of developing DVT. Luckily there are a number of preventive measures that you can take to reduce the risk of DVT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are leading an inactive lifestyle and there isn\u2019t enough motivation to get you moving, what you can do easily is make sure that you get up every hour, and just walk around for a minute. You can also make a habit of drinking water<\/a> every hour and keep the water away from your arm\u2019s reach so you have to get up to get a glass of water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if that isn\u2019t affordable, you should stretch your legs, rotate your ankles, or raise and lower your feet to engage your muscles. When your muscles squeeze, the blood flow in the veins of your leg is increased. You can also find natural food items that help improve your blood flow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Most Common Symptoms and Treatment Of DVT<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

DVT is very easy to identify, but it usually is taken lightly by the affected individuals which leads to the situation getting serious. Common symptoms of deep vein thrombosis include swelling, tenderness<\/a>, and a warm red skin on the affected leg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People suffering from blood clots in the leg experience severe pain and heavy ache in the affected leg. The pain often gets more severe when you rotate your heel upwards in the direction of your knee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is very important that you seek medical aid as soon as you observe any of the above-mentioned symptoms in your leg or in an individual around you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The usual treatment for DVT includes the usage of anticoagulant medicine that stops the growth of the blood clot and allow the body to dissolve it. If this treatment fails, the next option is radiology but that\u2019s not very frequent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. DVT Is An Emergency<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Most of the people are used to swelling and pain in the leg. Many people often ignore the symptoms of deep vein thrombosis thinking that they might have hit their leg somewhere and the swelling and pain will diminish over time. This is not the case, DVT is a medical emergency and it is very important that you act instantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The reason for that is the resulting problems of deep vein thrombosis. There are numerous cases where an individual downplayed the symptoms of DVT. By the time they decided to seek medical care, the blood clot would have started traveling. The traveling blood clot can get into any other vital organ and inflict severe damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This condition is known as pulmonary embolism. Pulmonary embolism<\/a> is a deadly medical condition where a blood clot travels to vital organs and causes harm which can cause the patient\u2019s death in just a matter of minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Genetic Background And Family History Matters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The risk of developing deep vein<\/a> thrombosis isn\u2019t just affected by your lifestyle and the environment. Your family background related to DVT and your genetic history also plays a significant role in increasing your risk of DVT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A large portion of all DVT victims who are younger than 45 develop DVT due to their genetic background. For instance, if your parents have suffered from DVT, your chances of developing DVT are higher than an individual whose parents haven\u2019t suffered from DVT in their life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thankfully, there are various tests available that can screen your genetic history and determine whether you are at a higher risk of developing DVT or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The family background also impacts the risk factor of DVT. For each sibling who has suffered \u2013 or currently is suffering \u2013 from DVT, your chances of developing DVT are higher. This is why you should also be aware of your family history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Most Common Triggers of DVT<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We have talked a lot about the risk factors of DVT<\/a> and their variations. It is as important to know about your risk of DVT, as is knowing the most common events or chain of events that trigger DVT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– Hospitalized and immobile
– Had a hip, knee, or cancer surgery
– Inactivity for long periods of time
– Confined to Bedrest
– Inactive and over 45 years old
– Family members are developing DVT
– Heavy smoking
– Heavy drinking
– Using the birth control pill (estrogen-based)
– Taking hormone replacement therapy
– During pregnancy
– Up to 6 months after giving birth
– Obese
– Long haul travel on either car, bus, train, or plane<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By knowing all the common triggers of DVT, it possible for an individual to become vigilant during these events and take preventive measures to reduce the risk of development of deep vein thrombosis. Keep in mind that this list doesn\u2019t contain everything you might be in danger from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Women Have Unique Risk Factors That Men Don\u2019t<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What good would be a fighting chance if you didn\u2019t consider all the factors that affect your risk? Women\u2019s lifestyle is quite different than men, which is why women have unique risk factors impacting on the risk of DVT that men don\u2019t have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, the time of pregnancy is a unique lifestyle for women that men don\u2019t have to go through. As are the times when a woman is on her periods. The risk of a woman developing deep vein thrombosis is higher during both of these periods of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, usage of the cutting-edge newer-generation birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy during menopause<\/a> also play a significant role in your risk of DVT. The whole point is that women lead a very different life than men, which is why they should also take these unique lifestyle factors into account when assessing their risk for DVT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Long Haul Travel Is The Worse For DVT<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the most common triggers of deep vein thrombosis is long-haul travel. Practically any journey where you have to remain seated for more than four hours greatly increases your chances of developing a blood clot<\/a> in your legs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long haul travel includes cars, buses, trains, and plane. Trains and planes are a little less problem as you can easily get up from your seat, stretch your legs and walk around. Cars and Busses, however, are a different story.
If you are driving your own car, then you should make a stop every hour or two to get out, stretch your body and move your legs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are on a bus, then it won\u2019t be in your control to stop. What you can do in this case is to stretch your legs and feet, raise your heels and lower them, and rotate your ankles to engage your leg muscles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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10. Smoking Is Bad For Your DVT Risk Too<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Smoking<\/a> is like that one habit that has absolutely no medical benefit, is extremely harmful to your health, but once you catch the habit, you can\u2019t give up easily. Well, if all the other harmful effects of smoking that you\u2019ve heard aren\u2019t encouraging you to quit, then here is one more: smoking increases the risk of developing DVT also.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

High blood pressure can cause the blood vessels to stretch temporarily, resulting in scars on the walls of the blood vessels. LDL cholesterol (the bad one) may get lodged into the scar tissues and start obstructing the blood flow, causing the blood to clot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smoking is known to increase the risk of blood clotting because it can temporarily increase blood pressure. As mentioned earlier, increase blood pressure isn\u2019t good for your health and it can lead to a higher possibility of clots, especially in the deep veins in your legs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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