A deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot in a vein, deep in the body. Veins are blood vessels with valves that help blood flow in one direction. When your muscles contract, the blood is pushed through the veins in your legs and arms. If you are suffering from deep vein thrombosis in Singapore, your blood clots can block the flow of blood through your body. It can cause swelling and other problems in your body. Another concern is that the clot may break loose, travel through the bloodstream and block blood flow in the lungs, heart, or brain.
Eventually, this can lead to pulmonary embolism (PE). This condition occurs when a blood clot travels to the lungs, where the blood clot stops or severely slows the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the lungs and the heart. This may cause permanent damage or even death.
In this article, we would delve into everything you need to know about deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
What causes deep vein thrombosis?
The deep veins of the legs are in the muscles. This help carries blood from the legs to the heart. When leg muscles contract and relax, blood is squeezed through the veins back to the heart. One-way valves inside the veins help keep the blood moving in the right direction. When blood moves too slowly or not at all, it can collect (pool) in the veins. This makes a clot more likely to form.
Who is at risk for DVT?
There are certain groups of people who are more at risk of developing these life-threatening clots. Risk factors include varicose veins, blood clotting disorders, recent childbirth or pregnancy, use of birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy, obesity, and heart disease.
The things that cause clotting are the slow flow of blood, damage to the inside of veins from trauma, like if you were hit in the mid-thigh area hard enough to irritate the inside of the veins, and that can lead to increased risk of clotting. Usually, you need two out of the three physical traumas to cause the deep vein thrombosis. If everything else is normal, the chance of DVT is quite low.
The most common risk factor is immobility: if you had recent surgery or an accident with, say, a leg fracture and you are not walking around as much.
What are the symptoms of DVT?
Sudden onset of calf pain and leg swelling. The pain is worse when the leg is hanging down. There's a warmth to the area because the veins are inflamed.
How is DVT diagnosed?
By having a high index of suspicion and taking a good family or medical history. Have they had a clot in the past or a procedure that would put them at risk, such as total hip or knee replacement? The diagnosis is made by ultrasound to look at the flow of blood.
How is DVT treated?
Traditional treatment has been blood thinners: heparin or coumadin. Blood thinners prevent more clots from developing and give the body time to break up the existing clots on its own.
Treatment nowadays is minimally invasive. Most use medicines that dissolve the clot and include a mechanical way of breaking up the clot and sucking it out of the body so it can never travel to the heart or lungs. When you put these techniques together, you can dissolve these clots within 24 to 48 hours.
What's the risk of death from DVT?
What kills somebody with deep vein thrombosis is when clots travel from the legs and block the main vessels to the heart and lungs. Leg clots travel 2 to 5%of the time, though the patient may not die.
How can DVT be prevented?
Prevention is the real key. If you prevent deep vein thrombosis, you do not have to worry about risks and complications. Being aware of who's at risk is also very important. People on flights over 6 hours have a much higher chance of developing DVT, three to four times the risk of developing a clot. If you're on a long-haul flight, get up once an hour, drink and move around. Even if you are sitting at a desk and you flex your ankles or wiggle your toes, that's sufficient, too.
The general public, if they're not going on long car or plane trips, they don’t have to worry about preventing deep vein thrombosis. A normal, active individual without a family history, if they have no risk factors, don’t worry,
Conclusion
A diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis should be considered in any patient with lower limb pain and swelling. Prompt assessment taking into account risk factors and clinical signs will identify those at risk who require urgent further investigations. Primary care nurses are ideally placed to assess patients at risk as they are often the first point of contact for a patient.
If you are still worried and in need of an assessment, visit a vein doctor now. Visit our website to schedule an appointment today.
