Do you think you have a blood clot in your leg? If you’re wondering about this, seek medical attention immediately! Blood clots are serious, and can be deadly if they break loose and travel through your veins and into your lungs, heart, or brain.

How can you tell if you have a blood clot?

• A blood clot often will have you feeling symptoms only in one limb or side (leg or hip area).
• The pain will feel similar to a charley horse, like the muscles are all knotted together.
• Your leg may also swell. If ice and elevation and anti-inflammatories are not reducing the swelling, it is likely a blood clot.
• The area may feel warmer around the clot, especially as it grows.
• The leg may even start to turn red/blue in that area if circulation has begun to be cut off.
• If movement or resting doesn’t relieve the pain, there’s a good chance it’s a clot.

Sometimes there are superficial clots that are associated with varicose veins that do not travel or cause pulmonary embolisms (PE). With most varicose veins, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and PE are often not a risk because varicose veins are close to the surface of the skin, but if you have a severe case of varicose veins, there is a risk of these conditions occurring. In DVT, a blood clot forms in deep veins in the body (could be varicose veins) usually in the legs. It’s a serious condition because these blood clots can break loose and lodge themselves in the lungs, heart, or brain and block blood flow in those areas.

A blood clot in the heart can cause a heart attack; a blood clot in the lungs is a PE; a blood clot in the brain can cause a stroke; and a blood clot in the abdomen can cause internal damage to the intestines.

If you have a venous insufficiency, you are at a higher risk of developing blood clots. If you think you may have one, contact a medical professional immediately or go to the ER. For more information on vein issues, contact vein specialist Dr. Peter Mikhail. Dr. Mikhail is based in New Port Richey, Florida, and treats patients in the Tampa and Clearwater areas. If you’d like to book a consult or learn more, click here or call 727-312-4844.

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