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Blood has an important task: it needs to travel freely throughout your body and stop any bleeding when needed, yet occasionally forms unintentionally and causes serious health complications.
Blood clots can form in deep veins (deep venous thrombosis or DVT) or lung tissue (pulmonary embolism), increasing your risk for these clots. Certain diseases increase this risk.
What Diseases Cause Blood Clots?
Various diseases and conditions can lead to blood clots:
Inherited Hypercoagulable Conditions:
- Factor V Leiden (the most common)
- Prothrombin gene mutation (G20210A)
- Deficiencies in natural clot-preventing proteins like antithrombin, protein C, and protein S
- High fibrinogen levels or dysfunctional fibrinogen
- Elevated levels of factors like VIII, IX, XI
- An abnormal fibrinolytic system
Acquired Blood Clotting Disorders:
- Cancer (a frequent cause)
- Certain cancer medications
- Recent trauma or surgery
- Placement of central venous catheters
- Obesity
- Pregnancy
Other factors and conditions contributing to blood clots include:
- Antiphospholipid syndrome
- Arteriosclerosis/atherosclerosis
- Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
- Heart conditions like atrial fibrillation and heart failure
- Inflammatory disorders such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
- Infections
Notably, blood clotting disorders are relatively uncommon but pose significant health risks. If you suspect a blood clotting disorder or have clot-related concerns, consult a healthcare professional for accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
DVT occurs when a blood clot forms inside a vein in your leg. It can be a serious health risk and lead to long-term problems. DVT may break loose and travel to your lungs, potentially leading to pulmonary embolism (PE) – potentially life-threatening or even fatal! Clots can also form elsewhere on your body such as in arteries that supply your brain or heart with blood.
Your doctor can diagnose DVT by looking for symptoms of blood clot formation, including leg pain, redness or swelling, warmth at the site of the clot, tenderness that worsens when touched and an elevated bump called a Homan sign (calf pump).
To prevent DVT, medications to thin your blood may help. Compression stockings and elevating legs at different points throughout the day may also help. For severe DVT cases, surgery to insert a filter in your main vein leading to your heart can catch most blood clots before they reach your lungs and cause PE.
You can learn more about DVT through Blood (free access). In addition, American Society for Hematology website has links to patient support groups as well as access-controlled articles available from Blood. You may request one by emailing publisher directly.
Pulmonary Embolism
Sometimes a blood clot forms in a large blood vessel in your lungs (pulmonary embolism or PE), which is dangerous as it obstructs blood flow to your brain and heart, increasing risk of stroke, kidney failure and death. A PE may also manifest itself elsewhere on your body depending on where its location.
Blood clots can affect almost anyone, though those at higher risk include those who are diagnosed or have had DVT (deep vein thrombosis), have had surgery for varicose veins or leg problems, pregnant women taking certain cancer medicines such as thalidomide and erythropoietin, bedridden individuals due to illness or lengthy car or plane rides, pregnant women who take certain cancer medicines such as thalidomide or erythropoietin and those who remain bedridden due to illness or long car or plane trips.
Anticoagulant medicines are the primary way of treating PE, decreasing your blood’s ability to clot and preventing future ones from forming. You may also receive clot-busting drugs or fibrinolytic therapy; these therapies involve breaking down and dissolving clots through thin tubes inserted into blood vessels in your lung.
You could also undergo minimally invasive procedures or surgery designed to increase blood flow back to your heart and lungs; occasionally this combination treatment option includes thrombolytic therapy or surgical removal of clot (embolectomy).
Certain Autoimmune Disorders
Autoimmune diseases that cause inflammation or decrease in platelet counts (thrombocytopenia) can increase your risk of blood clots, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis, polyarteritis nodosa and rheumatoid arthritis.
Common examples are systemic lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis, polyarteritis nodosa and rheumatoid arthritis; blood clots in legs or pelvic area are more prevalent; while risk is six times higher for those suffering from these diseases than for those without them – with risks highest in first year post hospital treatment for an autoimmune disorder.
Excessive blood clotting (hypercoagulation) can result in limited or blocked blood flow to vital organs like the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs and limbs – leading to damage, organ failure, death or strokes. Clots in legs are known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT); those found in the lungs (pulmonary embolism); while in livers (Budd-Chiari syndrome).
Blood clots can usually be treated using anticoagulant medication to both prevent new clots from forming and break apart existing ones, also known as blood thinners such as warfarin, heparin and dabigatran rivaroxaban and apixaban (newer drugs that help control clotting by blocking proteins that trigger it and encouraging their breakdown).
These anticoagulant drugs help control clotting by blocking certain proteins which trigger it as well as encouraging their breakdown and thus helping control it by blocking certain proteins which cause it and encouraging their breakdown clot formation or formation.
What Are the Symptoms of Blood Clots Caused by Antiphospholipid Syndrome
Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), an immune system disorder, heightens the risk of blood clots.
APS symptoms encompass blood clots and, in women, pregnancy complications. Prominent among these symptoms is abnormal blood clotting. Some indications of blood clots comprise:
- Leg-deep vein thrombosis (DVT) causing pain, swelling, redness
- Stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA, “mini-stroke”)
- Heart attacks
- Pulmonary embolism (lung blood vessel blockage)
- Balance and mobility issues
- Vision problems, including double vision
- Speech and memory challenges
- Tingling or pins and needles in limbs
- Profound fatigue
- Recurring headaches or migraines
- Pregnancy complications, like repeated miscarriages or stillbirths
Notably, APS might be asymptomatic in some individuals. Consult a healthcare professional for accurate APS diagnosis and clot-related concerns.
How Are Blood Clotting Disorders Diagnosed
Blood clot disorders receive diagnosis through diverse tests and methods. Below, we outline several common techniques employed by medical experts for detecting such disorders:
- Blood tests: To assess clotting factors and blood content indicative of clot disorders, professionals rely on blood tests. These tests encompass a full blood count (CBC), prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), and D-dimer tests.
- Imaging scans: The utilization of imaging scans like ultrasounds, CT scans, MRIs, and venography assists in uncovering blood clots and vascular irregularities.
- Genetic assessments: Genetic examinations unveil inherited clot disorders such as Factor V Leiden and Prothrombin gene mutations.
- Medical history and physical exams: Health practitioners inquire about your medical past and conduct physical evaluations, seeking signs of clots or conditions that heighten clot risk.
- Specialized analyses: In specific situations, specialized tests like bone marrow biopsies or tests for antiphospholipid antibodies may become essential for diagnosing clot disorders.
It’s crucial to acknowledge that the diagnostic tests and approaches for clotting disorders can differ according to individual symptoms and medical history. If you suspect a clot disorder or possess clotting risk factors, consulting a healthcare expert remains the wisest course for accurate diagnosis and treatment.
