Symptoms of blood clots?!
Question: Symptoms of blood clots.?
what does a blood clot feel like.? I have a bad pain in my calf that just started today. It hurts when I bend my leg or foot...it's not as bad when I'm walking.
My mom said a blood clot would be excruciatingly painful and I wouldn't be able to walk. it would also be hot and/or discolored in the area of the clot which I don't have.
I worry because
A. I had two surgeries on my ankle, the last one feb of 2008
B. I fell a few days ago and broke several ribs... and probably hurt my leg too.
I don't know if I just slept wrong, or if I hurt it when I fell, or if there is a possibility of a clot.Health Question & Answer
My mom said a blood clot would be excruciatingly painful and I wouldn't be able to walk. it would also be hot and/or discolored in the area of the clot which I don't have.
I worry because
A. I had two surgeries on my ankle, the last one feb of 2008
B. I fell a few days ago and broke several ribs... and probably hurt my leg too.
I don't know if I just slept wrong, or if I hurt it when I fell, or if there is a possibility of a clot.Health Question & Answer
Answers:
Blood clots are common and in most cases are not of any concern. It is how the blood stops leaking out into the tissues, by sealing off the injury to the blood vessel. These are the scabs that form over open injuries (cuts, abrasions, lacerations, etc) and the bruises the form over the deep injuries.
The blood clot that IS of concern and potentially life threatening is the "Deep Vein Thrombosis", or a clot in the deep veins of the leg.
In some cases, Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) is asymptomatic - that is to say, people don't notice anything and it is found by doctors while they are looking for something else.
Signs and symptoms of DVT include:
sore/red/swollen/inflamed leg
pain on moving knee or ankle
dilation of the veins of the leg
There are many other conditions that can look like DVT so, just because you have leg pain, it doesn't mean you have a life threatening illness. However, it might be worthwhile getting checked out. The conditions that mimic DVT include: cellulitis (infection in the skin) of the leg
gout
peripheral oedema (fluid swelling) in the leg(s)
ruptured Baker's cyst
leg trauma
The reason for DVT to be of concern is that clots can travel with the rest of the blood (coming back from the leg, going through the heart and out to the lungs to get oxygen). The clot can travel to the lung and block off blood going to the lung to get oxygen - Pulmonary Embolism (PE).
Have a look at the wiki page.
Given your recent fall, it is quite possible that your sore leg represents a ruptured Baker's cyst or trauma to the leg (strain or sprain). However, if you have been fairly immobile since the fall, it might predispose you to having a DVT.
If you are concerned, you should go and see a doctor.Health Question & Answer
The blood clot that IS of concern and potentially life threatening is the "Deep Vein Thrombosis", or a clot in the deep veins of the leg.
In some cases, Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) is asymptomatic - that is to say, people don't notice anything and it is found by doctors while they are looking for something else.
Signs and symptoms of DVT include:
sore/red/swollen/inflamed leg
pain on moving knee or ankle
dilation of the veins of the leg
There are many other conditions that can look like DVT so, just because you have leg pain, it doesn't mean you have a life threatening illness. However, it might be worthwhile getting checked out. The conditions that mimic DVT include: cellulitis (infection in the skin) of the leg
gout
peripheral oedema (fluid swelling) in the leg(s)
ruptured Baker's cyst
leg trauma
The reason for DVT to be of concern is that clots can travel with the rest of the blood (coming back from the leg, going through the heart and out to the lungs to get oxygen). The clot can travel to the lung and block off blood going to the lung to get oxygen - Pulmonary Embolism (PE).
Have a look at the wiki page.
Given your recent fall, it is quite possible that your sore leg represents a ruptured Baker's cyst or trauma to the leg (strain or sprain). However, if you have been fairly immobile since the fall, it might predispose you to having a DVT.
If you are concerned, you should go and see a doctor.Health Question & Answer