Friday, January 31, 2014

What Causes Deep Vein Thrombosis?

Deep vein thrombosis leads to the formation of blood clots in one or more deep veins of the legs. It may or may not cause pain in the legs as in some cases this disease appears without any symptoms.

It is a serious health condition as the blood clot may break and travel in the blood stream and may block the flow of blood. In some cases, noticeable symptoms do not appear in deep vein thrombosis but in case they do, they are as follows:

  • Swelling in the leg, foot and ankle
  • Changes in the skin color
  • Shortness of breath
  • Discomfort and chest pain
  • Dizziness and fainting
  • Anxiety and nervousness
  • Sweating and coughing up blood

There are many factors that put individuals at risk of suffering from deep vein thrombosis. Hormonal contraceptive pills such as yaz, ocella, gianvi, beyaz, safyral and yasmin can cause deep vein thrombosis, so one should speak with a doctor before taking such birth control.

Long hours of sitting
When your legs are still for a long period of time, your muscles will not contract, which may result in the formation of blood clots in the body. Long periods of stagnation or sitting are considered one of the major causes of deep vein thrombosis. If you take a long trip or are confined to your desk at work try to break up the day or the trip by standing up and stretching and walking often to avoid the formation of clots.

Injury
Bodily Injury can lead to the veins slowing down the flow of blood which can lead to formation of blood clots in the legs.

Smoking
If you haven’t already heard and believed about the hundreds of reasons why smoking is bad for you, here’s another – smoking can cause blood clots! It is bad, bad, bad and you should stop smoking if you value your health.

On experiencing any abnormality in your body, one should not ignore such symptoms and must schedule an appointment with an expert as early as possible. Doctors conduct a variety of tests to diagnose deep vein thrombosis. Depending on your present condition, a doctor may ask you to undergo certain tests such as ultrasound, CT scan and blood tests.

However, it is possible to reduce the risk of a DVT by making certain changes in your lifestyle such as exercising daily, and if you need to sit for hours in the office take an hourly break to stretch and walk around. Also on long trips, whenever possible, walk around to break long hours of travel. Get rid of excessive fat and weight with the help of an effective diet and workout regime. If you are a smoker, quit smoking now for a healthy living.

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