They say that too much of anything is not good for you. People whose job involves continuous standing or continuous sitting often encounter pain in one or both legs, sometimes associated with redness, warmth, or visible superficial veins through the skin. This could be deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Ignoring these symptoms could be detrimental to your health, as it could lead to pulmonary embolism if not treated. To know more read on.
What is Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)?
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a condition in which a blood clot (thrombus) forms in one or more of the deep veins in your body, usually in your legs.
A vein is a blood vessel that returns blood from the tissues of the body back to the heart. In our body, there are two distinct network of veins, a superficial one and a deep one. The superficial network collects blood from just beneath the skin. You can see these veins prominently when you exercise. The deep network is comprised of veins within the muscles of the body. A deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a condition wherein a blood clot (thrombus) develops in a vein of the deep venous circulation.
DVT is a common condition that affects almost two million Americans each year.
The Signs and Symptoms of DVT
The signs and symptoms that are normally seen in people suffering from DVT are:
- Swelling in only one leg, ankle, and foot.
- Redness and warmth over the affected area.
- Pain or swelling in your arms or neck (very rarely clots can develop in your arms or neck).
- Pain in only one leg, ankle, and foot (The cramp type of calf pain, generally referred to as "charley horse").
Risk Factors Leading to DVT
Let us look at the risk factors that could lead to DVT:
- Personal or Family History of DVT or PE: If there has been incidence of deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism before, then it is most likely to occur at a later stage. Similarly, if there is a family history of DVT, the risk of developing DVT in the offspring increases.
- Heart Failure: People with heart failure are at greater risk of developing DVT because a damaged heart is unable to pump blood as effectively as a normal heart does. This increases the chance of thrombus (blood clot) formation.
- Pacemaker: An external device like pacemaker irritates the blood vessels and decreases the blood flow, thus increasing the possibility of developing DVT.
- Cancer: The risk of developing DVT in cancer patients is high because the increase in the amount of substances present in the blood in this condition and the medications taken for cancer causes the blood to clot easily. This happens only in some forms of cancer.
- Pregnancy: Pregnancy increases the pressure on the veins of the pelvic region and legs. Women with an inherited clotting disorder are especially at risk. The risk of thrombus (blood clots) formation from pregnancy can continue up to six weeks after delivery.
- Being Overweight or Obese: As in the case of pregnancy, being overweight or obese also increases the pressure on the veins of the pelvic region and legs, thus putting you at a risk of developing deep vein thrombosis.
- Injury or Surgery Involving Veins: Surgery or any injury to your veins (especially pelvic veins) results in slowing the blood flow, thus increasing the risk of blood clots.
- Sitting or Standing for Prolonged Period of Time: When you are sitting or standing in the same position for prolonged period of time, your calf muscles don't contract, which prevents normal blood circulation. This sometimes results in thrombus formation. This could happen during long flights or driving long distances, although chances of developing deep vein thrombosis while flying or driving is relatively low.
- Prolonged Bed-rest Due to Hospitalization or Paralysis: Increased risk of developing DVT due to immobilization of the legs.
- Birth Control Pills or HRT: Oral contraceptives (birth control pills) and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) both causes your blood to clot easily, thus putting you at risk for developing DVT.
- Smoking: Smoking is known to harden blood vessels, that in turn increases the risk of thrombosis.
Complications Associated With DVT
Let us now look at some of the complications DVT brings about.
Pulmonary Embolism
This is the biggest complication in DVT patients. The clots formed in the veins could travel to and get lodged in other organs like lungs, brain, liver, etc., although the incidence of clots lodging in the lungs is far greater than other organs. Pulmonary embolism(PE) is the condition where lungs get blocked by these clots.
Since pulmonary embolism can lead to death, it is advisable to consult a physician. The symptoms to look out for are:
- Chest pain or discomfort (especially when you cough)
- Sudden shortness of breath
- Feeling lightheaded or fainting
- Feeling anxious or nervous
- Coughing up blood
Post-Phlebitic Syndrome
This is another complication of DVT. This is also called post-thrombotic syndrome. This is the name given to a collection of symptoms which include swelling of the legs, leg pain, and skin discoloration.
Prevention and Treatment Options
Let us look at the common treatment options.
- Anticoagulants: These drugs are also called blood thinners. They include warfarin and heparin. As the name suggests, they help in thinning the blood, thus preventing the clots from forming.
- Thrombolytic agents: These are clot-busting drugs and are prescribed when larger clots are present or in people who are in the high-risk category of DVT.
- Elevation and compression: Elevating the leg and using compression device gives relief from DVT to some extent.
- Others: The surgical (invasive) options include vena cava filters (devices used to prevent blood clots from reaching the lungs) and venous thrombectomy (surgical removal of vein clot).
Your doctor is the best judge to decide whether you are at risk or suffering from DVT and which treatment is good for you. But being aware and alert of what changes are happening in your body goes a long way in getting timely diagnosis and treatment for life-threatening and not-so-life threatening diseases.
