![]() Patients who are hospitalized with COVID infection are at high risk for blood clots. How are COVID-19 patients treated to prevent blood clots? Being aware of this risk and taking the necessary precautions helps to prevent another clot. ![]() This makes the vein “abnormal” or different and more likely to clot again. Once I have a blood clot, am I more likely to have another one?Ī blood clot sometimes leaves a scar in the vein where it occurred. The decision of when to stop taking your blood thinning medication should be made with your doctor. Blood thinners are usually prescribed for three months, or until the health issue that caused the clot is gone. If the clot is very large or life threatening, you may need to be hospitalized to receive clot-dissolving medication or to get a clot removal. MORE FROM MICHIGAN: Sign up for our weekly newsletter This type of medication stops the clot from growing and allows your body to break it down naturally, before it can travel to other areas of your body. If you’re diagnosed with a blood clot, you may have to take a blood thinning medication, also called an anticoagulant. Know your family history of blood clotting. Talk to your doctor about preventing clots after surgery. Maintain a good body weight and stay hydrated. ![]() ![]() When traveling by car or plane, take frequent breaks and move around. The best way to prevent blood clots is to stay active and avoid sitting for long periods of time. The genetic makeup of your blood, as well as illness, can also make clotting more likely. Injury also causes a reaction in your blood that increases the risk of clotting. Blood that is stagnant or still tends to clot. Much of the risk is due to blood flow slowing down when you’re not able to move around. Why do those factors increase the risk of a blood clot? Taking some medications such as birth control pillsĥ. Having surgery or being in the hospital for an extended periodĭamage to your blood vessel from an injury Inactivity related to an injury or a long car or plane trip Many risk factors and illnesses increase your risk of getting a blood clot. This uses sound waves to watch blood flow in the veins.Ī CT scan of the chest if a pulmonary embolism is suspected. It is high when you have a new clot.Īn ultrasound of the leg. This is a compound released from blood clots. If a blood clot is suspected, you will likely undergo one of these tests:Ī blood test called a d-dimer. Your provider will ask you a series of questions. Like Podcasts? Add the Michigan Medicine News Break on iTunes or anywhere you listen to podcasts.Īlthough these symptoms can be associated with many different health problems, if you suspect you have a clot, call your health care provider right away or go to the nearest emergency room. Symptoms of a pulmonary embolism include shortness of breath, chest pain, cough or coughing up blood and fast breathing. Symptoms of a DVT include swelling of the affected leg, pain, redness, warmth and new visible veins in the area. When the clot is new, a piece of it can break off and travel to the lungs. This is a clot in one of the deep veins of the body, usually in the leg. The most common type of blood clot is called deep vein thrombosis or DVT. Sometimes, the action continues and becomes a blood clot that prevents blood from flowing through that vessel. This reaction usually stops when the injury is repaired, and the body breaks down the clot. Next, web-like strands in the blood, called fibrin, attach to the platelets and form a net that traps red blood cells. Platelets - cells that float in the blood - become sticky in response to injury and begin to attach to one another as well as to a blood vessel wall. The body does this to stop bleeding when injured, but sometimes a clot forms inside a blood vessel and does not dissolve on its own. What is a blood clot?Ī blood clot is a collection of blood in the body that has changed from liquid to a semi-solid mass. Here are answers to some of the most common questions I’m asked. Knowing if you’re at risk and what symptoms to look out for are important to ensure you get prompt treatment.Īs a nurse practitioner at the Michigan Medicine Frankel Cardiovascular Center, my heart patients often come to me with questions about blood clots, also known as deep vein thrombosis. Thousands of Americans experience blood clots every year.
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