Blood Clot in the Leg or Foot? [Symptoms, Signs, Causes & Treatment]
Blood clots form in the legs due to poor circulation, injury to the veins, a side effect of medication, or complication after surgery. Sitting for long periods of time when flying or driving can also increase your risk of deep vein thrombosis. Because of the potentially fatal complications of a blood clot deep in a vein, you should never ignore signs of DVT.Blood clots that develop in deep veins in your calf are usually caused by conditions that interfere with your blood circulation.
According to Dr. John P. Cuhna on eMedicineHealth, the main causes of deep vein thrombosis are:3
Sitting for a long time. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that traveling for longer than 4 hours on an airplane, in the car, or bus can increase the risk of leg clots in your calves.4Doctors from the National Health Service report that deep vein blood clots can still form up to 3 months after surgery. Some reports indicate that the risk of DVT could be as high as 70% if measures to prevent blood clots forming aren’t taken.5A blood clot deep in the veins of your lower leg can feel like your calf is swollen and aches a lot. Some people describe the pain from a leg clot as feeling like a pulled muscle. Depending on where the blood clot is in your calf, you could feel aches and pain in the back of your leg or have sharp pain in your inner thigh.
Another way to tell if you have a blood clot in your leg is if the leg feels warm and itchy. Although you can’t see what the blood clot looks like, your lower leg may appear red or have a bluish tinge and look slightly swollen. Usually the symptoms of a blood clot in the leg affect only one leg.
You may feel a blood clot moving in your leg if you start to get sudden chest pains and shortness of breath. You may feel the blood clot pain is constant, and if you have any of these serious DVT symptoms, you must call a doctor immediately.
Blood Clot in Leg: Signs and Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore (Pictures Included)