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Home / What Does It Mean When Big Blood Clots Come Out

What Does It Mean When Big Blood Clots Come Out

  • Blood Clot Causes
    • What Causes a Blood Clot?
  • Diagnosis
    • How Is a Blood Clot Diagnosed?
  • Treatment
    • What Is the Treatment for a Blood Clot?
  • Complications
    • What Are Complications of a Blood Clot?
  • Prevention
    • How Do You Prevent a Blood Clot?
  • Guide
    • What Does a Blood Clot Look Like? Topic Guide

Blood clots can form anywhere in the body, such as the leg, lung, brain, heart, and stomach or intestines. Blood clots may look red and swollen, or like a reddish or bluish skin discoloration. Other blood clots may not be visible in the skin.

Blood clots can form anywhere in the body, such as the leg, lung, brain, heart, and stomach or intestines. Blood clots may look red and swollen, or like a reddish or bluish skin discoloration. Other blood clots may not be visible in the skin.

Blood clotting (coagulation) is a bodily process that prevents excessive bleeding when a blood vessel is injured. Platelets and proteins in the plasma form a clot over an injury. Problems occur when clots form inside veins or arteries, because they don't always dissolve naturally and can block blood flow to important parts of the body. In some cases, this can be life-threatening.

Blood clots can form anywhere in the body, for example:

  • A blood clot in a leg is called a deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
  • A blood clot in the lung is called a pulmonary embolism (PE)
  • A blood clot in the brain is a stroke
  • A blood clot in the heart leads to a heart attack
  • A blood clot in the stomach or intestines can cause severe pain and swelling and even death

A blood clot in a leg or arm can look like redness and swelling. Blood clots may also look like reddish or bluish skin discoloration. Other blood clots may not be visible in the skin, and symptoms vary depending on the location of the clot.

Symptoms of a blood clot in the leg or arm (deep vein thrombosis, or DVT) include:

  • Swelling, usually in one leg (or arm)
  • Pain or tenderness, or cramping feeling similar to a "Charley horse"
  • Reddish or bluish skin discoloration
  • Warm feeling around the area of the clot

Symptoms of a blood clot in the lung (pulmonary embolism, or PE) include:

  • Sudden shortness of breath
  • Chest pain-sharp, stabbing; may get worse with deep breath
  • Rapid heart rate
  • Unexplained cough, sometimes with bloody mucus

Symptoms of a blood clot in the brain (a stroke) include:

  • Weakness or drooping in the face, arm or leg
  • Difficulty speaking or understanding
  • Dizziness
  • Blurred vision
  • Severe headache
  • Difficulty swallowing

Symptoms of a blood clot in the heart, which can lead to a heart attack include:

  • Chest pain and pressure, or a squeezing feeling
  • Shortness of breath
  • Weakness
  • Lightheadedness
  • Nausea
  • Cold sweat
  • Anxiety

Symptoms of a blood clot in the stomach or intestines include:

  • Severe pain
  • Swelling
  • Bloody stool
  • Vomiting

Blood clots are a medical emergency and some can be fatal. Call 911 or have someone drive you to a hospital's emergency department immediately if you experience any symptoms of a blood clot.

What Causes a Blood Clot?

Blood clotting occurs when platelets and proteins in the plasma form a clot over an injury. Problems occur when clots form inside veins and block blood flow to important parts of the body. Risk factors for blood clots include:

  • Recent surgery or hospitalization
  • Major surgery, particularly of the pelvis, abdomen, hip, or knee
  • Severe trauma, such as a car accident
  • Injury to a vein caused by a broken bone or severe muscle injury
  • Being overweight or obese
  • Smoking
  • Use of hormonal contraception that contains estrogen, such as the pill, patch, or ring
  • Use of hormone therapy, which contains estrogen
  • Previous blood clots
  • Family history of blood clots
  • Certain protein deficiencies
  • Pregnancy or recent childbirth
  • Inflammatory conditions such as Crohn's disease or rheumatoid arthritis
  • Cancer and cancer treatments
  • Being confined to a bed or wheelchair
  • Prolonged sitting, especially with legs crossed
  • Age 55 or older
  • Chronic diseases such as heart and lung diseases or diabetes

How Is a Blood Clot Diagnosed?

Blood clots are diagnosed with a patient history and physical examination and tests such as:

  • Duplex ultrasound
  • Venography
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan
    • Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA)
  • D-dimer test
  • Pulse oximetry
  • Arterial blood gas
  • Chest X-ray
  • Ventilation-perfusion scan (VQ scan)
  • Computerized tomography (CT) scan
    • CT angiography (CTA)
  • Pulmonary angiogram
  • Echocardiogram ("echo")
  • Electrocardiogram (ECG)
  • Echocardiogram
  • Blood tests
    • Cardiac troponin test
  • Cardiac catheterization (angiogram)

SLIDESHOW

Spider & Varicose Veins: Causes, Before and After Treatment Images See Slideshow

What Is the Treatment for a Blood Clot?

Treatment and prevention of blood clots mainly involves the use of anticoagulants (also called "blood thinners").

Blood thinners may be administered in the hospital, and they may also be prescribed for home use in patients who are at high risk of developing blood clots. Home treatment with blood thinners may last for weeks, months, or years following hospitalization to prevent clots from returning.

Commonly prescribed anticoagulants include:

  • Unfractionated heparin (UFH)
  • Low molecular weight heparin (LMWH)
  • Enoxaparin (Lovenox)
  • Fondaparinux (Arixtra)
  • Warfarin (Jantoven, Coumadin)
  • Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs)
  • Apixaban (Eliquis)
  • Betrixaban (BevyxXa)
  • Dabigatran (Pradaxa)
  • Edoxaban (Savaysa)
  • Rivaroxaban (Xarelto)

Other treatments for blood clots may include:

  • Compression stockings
  • Thrombolytic therapy
  • Mechanical thrombectomy
  • Vena cava filters

What Are Complications of a Blood Clot?

Blood clots can be fatal if not treated. Complications of blood clots include:

  • Chronic venous insufficiency
    • Swelling
    • Skin discoloration
    • Ulcers
    • Varicose veins
    • Skin pigmentation
    • Aching
    • Tenderness
    • Heaviness in the legs
  • Stroke
  • Heart attack
  • Pulmonary embolism
  • Kidney failure
  • Pregnancy complications
  • Death

How Do You Prevent a Blood Clot?

For people who are at higher risk of blood clot formation, there are ways to help reduce the risk of clots.

  • Exercise regularly
  • Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration
  • Lose weight if overweight
  • Wear compression stockings
  • Don't sit for long periods – get up and take breaks and move around
  • Don't drink too much alcohol, which can be dehydrating
  • Don't smoke

Reviewed on 7/2/2021

References

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/blood-clots/

https://www.stoptheclot.org/about-clots/

https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/blood-clots https://www.stroke.org/

What Does It Mean When Big Blood Clots Come Out

Source: https://www.emedicinehealth.com/what_does_a_blood_clot_look_like/article_em.htm