Thrombosis signs should be observed and examined immediately - because a thrombosis can be very dangerous. This is what you should watch out for!
What is thrombosis and what are the signs of thrombosis?
Thrombosis is an occlusion of a blood vessel caused by a blood clot. Theoretically, thrombosis can occur in any blood vessel - most commonly, leg vein thrombosis occurs in the deep veins, but there are also arm and anal thromboses, for example. Thrombosis signs include pain, swelling, and red or bluish discoloration of the skin. You can learn all about thrombosis in the arm here.
Thrombosis can be very dangerous: The thrombus (also called a blood clot or blood clot) can break loose and travel to other organs. For example, the clot can clog a pulmonary artery and trigger a pulmonary embolism - this is noticeable by shortness of breath and is life-threatening. The emergency physician must be called immediately!
Recognizing the signs of thrombosis correctly
There are some very clear symptoms of thrombosis. You should know the following thrombosis signs:
Swelling, especially in the calf, but also in the ankle or foot.
Pain, especially in the lower leg, but also in the foot or groin. The discomfort is often reminiscent of sore muscles.
The leg feels heavy and tense.
Visible skin veins ("warning veins") stand out.
The skin is shiny and bluish or reddish in color.
The lower leg feels overheated.
The pulse is unusually rapid.
The patient suffers from a slight fever.
In arm thrombosis, the veins of the arm become more prominent, the hand swells, and it also often causes more severe pain than thrombosis in the leg.
In anal thrombosis, there is very painful swelling in the anal area.
Do I always have to call a doctor if I suspect thrombosis?
The symptoms do not appear in all cases of thrombosis - just as it is not automatically a case of thrombosis if all the signs of thrombosis are present. However, the symptoms should be observed in any case and immediately examined by a doctor.
Causes: How does thrombosis develop?
Thrombosis is usually caused by a combination of factors. These include one's own lifestyle habits, hereditary and external factors. The following are causes and risk factors:
Clotting disorders
Decreased ability to dissolve blood clots
Foods or medications that affect blood clotting - for example, the pill and other hormonal contraceptives
Pregnancy
Lack of fluids
Dilated veins and varicose veins
Inability to move, for example, due to bed confinement after an accident
Prolonged sitting
Unaccustomed heavy physical strain
Damage to the vessel walls, e.g. due to accidents or inflammation
Diabetes
Smoking
Operations
Overweight
Drug abuse
Previous thrombosis
Cancer
Body size (in fact, taller people have a higher risk of thrombosis)
Therapy: how is thrombosis treated?
Depending on where the thrombosis is located, different measures are taken to treat it. When treating it, the most important thing is to prevent a thrombus from detaching from the vein wall and moving on through the bloodstream. However, thrombosis can also cause irreparable damage at its site of origin. The following treatments are useful for thrombosis signs:
Elevate affected extremity (i.e., leg or arm).
Apply compression bandage that reduces blood stasis - the bandage should extend well beyond the thrombosis. For example, if the lower leg is affected, apply the bandage (tightly, but not constricting) to above the knee. Special thrombosis stockings are even better.
Medication to prevent further growth and migration of the blood clot.
At best, the medication helps the body dissolve the thrombus.
Particularly in young patients, surgery is also often attempted to remove the clot when the first thrombosis occurs.
Acute thrombosis treatment lasts about five to ten days. After that, the so-called maintenance therapy starts. Those affected are given a drug to prevent a new blood clot and must take this for three to six months. In addition, the so-called coagulation values of the blood must be checked regularly. Many patients are also advised to continue wearing the special thrombosis stockings.
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