Blood Clots

Blood clots are serious conditions and it happens when coagulation of blood occurs. It occurs when the protein fibrin aggregates with blood factors like platelet.

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Fibrin is helping in the process healing the injuries. But when blood clots happen unnecessarily fibrin is harmful in making the clots. Blood clots or otherwise called a thrombus. Blood clots normally happen either in the heart or in the blood vessels.

Embolism is a condition where a sudden blocking of an artery by clots or even foreign materials which is brought to its sight of lodgment by blood stream. This embolism is called thromboembolism when a blood clot blocks an organ like brain and heart from its supply of blood. As the consequence of diminished blood flow (ischemia) the tissues of the organ affected begins to die.

Deep venous thrombosis is a condition where a blood clot enters in to deep veins in the body. It restricts the blood flow and oxygen to the related organs. Pain, fever, reddishness of the affected area is the chief indications of this DVT. Genetic factors and sitting for a long period during journey are the causes for this condition.

It is the fact that blood clotting is a natural process of the human body that it necessitates the clotting of blood for repairing the injured and damaged blood vessels. The blood factors are RBC, hemoglobin, WBC, platelets, blood plasma, chemicals and blood proteins. Platelet is important in the mechanism of blood clot and eventually it causes the production of fibrin which in turn aggregates with blood factors and causes the blood clot.

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Blood begins to clot when the lining of the blood vessels are damaged. The clot may occur either in the artery or in the veins. In immobilized persons the venous thrombosis occurs due to stagnant or slow movement of the blood and it blocks the vein.

Arterial thrombosis or blood clot of arteries occurs due to atherosclerosis where the lining of the arteries are covered by deposits of plaques and when the plaques rupture the clots form in the ruptured cavities and this clot causes the blockage of blood flow partially or completely at the sight where it is formed. Blood clots are also formed in the heart due to irregular beats of the atrium and ventricles and consequently the blood tends to be stagnant and clot begins to form in this condition.

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There are definite risk factors that cause the arterial blood clot. They are High blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol level, smoking and genetic factors. Venous blood clot is having the risk factors of restricted movement due to various causes like bedridden after illness, continuous sitting during journey and during orthopedic injuries. The second factor is genetic consequences.

Blood clots are very dangerous to life and a condition called pulmonary embolism which is life threatening in its nature. A clot formed in the leg is carried through blood stream and from the heart it reaches and lodged in the small vessels of the lungs which cause the death or infarct to the lung tissue and thereby diminished oxygen supply to body by lungs. (Hypoxia)

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Blood clots may arise in the internal organs where there is a leakage of blood which may also cause serious consequences. Examples are peptic ulcer bleeding, rectal bleeding, and urinary tract bleeding and vaginal bleeding. Swelling, pain, warmth and redness are main symptoms of venous clotting. Loss of sensation, ischemic pain is the symptoms that involved in arterial clots.

Ultrasound is used to detect the venous blood clots. Fluoroscopy is also very successful in finding out the venous clots. CT scan is used to find out the pulmonary embolism or with plain chest X-ray. Arteriography is very useful in detecting the arterial blood clots.

Non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and diclofenac sodium is used in mild cases and in deep venous thrombosis anticoagulant in various forms are used. Arterial blood clots are treated with direct medication on the clots and surgery is preformed to remove the clot.

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