Signs And Symptoms Of Blood Clot In Your Legs

Blood is meant to be flowing through your body.  When blood flow stops to a part of the body, there is a chain of adverse effects that will start to deteriorate bodily functions and health condition.  There are several reasons why blood could stop flowing to any part of the body.  One of the basic reasons for blood flow to stop would be a blood clot, when some blood congeals (solidifies or becomes gel-like) and creates a blockage in the blood vessels (arteries, veins, or capillaries).  When blood clots form near the skin, they are superficial and normally resolve themselves after a week or more.  Superficial blood clots are not often a cause for concern.

However, if the blood clot occurs in a vein deeper in the body, referred to as a Deep Vein Thrombosis or DVT, this would be cause for concern.  Aside from the symptoms that come with Deep Vein Thrombosis, which will be discussed in the subsequent pages, complications can occur, sometimes even leading to death.

Deep Vein Thrombosis can happen in any part of the body, but they more often occur in the limbs, usually in the thighs or legs.  There are several symptoms known to indicate DVT, but in some cases, not all the symptoms occur.

Because DVT can lead to fatal complications, it is important to know these signs and symptoms, so you can seek medical guidance and treatment if necessary.  If treated early, the risk of complications and death due to the condition can be greatly reduced.

So, to help you detect DVT before complications occur, read on and learn the signs and symptoms of Deep Vein Thrombosis.

SWELLING

Of the several symptoms of Deep Vein Thrombosis, a more common one would be swelling of the affected part.  For example, if the DVT is in the leg, which is the usual occurrence, there would likely be swelling in the affected leg.  Swelling in the legs would usually be more easily noticed on the lower leg, but the thighs can also swell.  If you feel a tightness in one leg, like it was filling up with fluid, check your legs to see if they’re larger than normal.  If you are not sure if they are larger than normal, assuming you normally have same sized legs, compare your legs and see if their sizes are still the same.  If their sizes are still the same, but the feeling of filling up with fluid is still persistent, observe the leg every few minutes.

With a blood clot in a deep vein, that clot would block or impede the flow of blood from that body part going back to the heart.  As a result, the blood builds up in the affected body part.  Therefore, the feeling of filling up with fluid could be exactly that:  fluid blood building up in the affected part.  If enough blood fills up and the blockage that is the blood clot is not unclogged, the continued buildup of blood will eventually distend the blood vessel and limb, thereby causing the swelling.  With enough fluid pressure building up in the vein, this swelling would likely come with pain.