Can a dvt cause a pulmonary embolism?

If you’re anything like me, the thought of having a blood clot is enough to make you want to crawl under your bed and never come out. Unfortunately, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolisms (PE) are real things that happen to real people. The good news is we can learn more about them so we don’t have to live in fear.

What is DVT?

Before we dive into whether or not a DVT can cause a PE, let’s first understand what exactly each of these terms means. Deep vein thrombosis occurs when one or more blood clots form in the deep veins of your body, usually in your legs. These clots can be caused by many different factors including injuries or surgeries which damage the veins’ walls, slower than normal blood flow which allows for pooling/clumping; disease such as cancer/pregnancy increase likelihood due making changes occur with hormones/blood levels; heparin resistance meaning medication dosage needs adjusting over time & genetic tendencies within families.

Some other common risk factors for developing DVT include:

  • Obesity
  • Smoking
  • Sitting still/immobility for long periods of time.
  • History of heart attack/stroke/cardiac bypass surgery.
  • Combined oral contraceptives/hormone replacement therapy beyond 6 months increases risk

Symptoms

Part of what makes deep vein thrombosis scary is that it doesn’t always show symptoms but some signs might appear later than others depending on case specifics: slight pain may become worse through right calf/sharp pain would then begin possibly accompanied by heavy feeling from closer pressured sweelling\skin around area becomes warm/tender redness appears apparent/a full leg/swallowed grape appearance may emerge potentially .

What is PE?

Now onto pulmonary embolisms…which sound even scarier than DVTs. A pulmonary embolism is basically what happens when a clot(ted blood) dislodges itself from the deep veins in your lower extremities (yes, like your legs) and moves through the bloodstream to the lungs where it obstructs an artery/causing respiratory distress/prone coughing-blood/fainting/hemoptysis would all be factors which could come up in relation with .

How Do They Relate?

So now that we know what each of these terms mean, let’s talk about how they’re related. The short answer is yes, DVT can cause PE sometimes… but not always.
Because if a clot forms within arteries instead of veins throughout bodily systems it might function more as cardiac arrest mode acting out via angina as well.

When a DVT becomes large enough/develops closer toward walls around circulatory systems there tends to be some form of breakage resulting in release into bloodstream so many things impact outcome: location/type etc., once pushed by force due different pressures/movement sources this scrap material holds chances against capillaries leading either asymptomatic or worse case scenario blocking airways making breathing impossible depending on base variables leading up until then further diagnosis /treatment advised same timeframe.

Who Is At Risk?

Now for those of us who get panicky over every little ache or pain, it’s important to remember that not everyone who gets a DVT ends up with PE or vice versa. However identifying similar scenarios and risk-factors towards outcomes based off individual situations can help manage accordingly prior long-term effects shaping forming potentially harmful deep vein thrombosis/pulmonary embolisms ahead precautions wise especially during travel/thrombotic procedures medically supervised preventing any potential life threatening side effects after surgery thus decreasing anxiety altogether regarding steps necessary preparation measures suggested viewing relevance disclosed during stay time period turning post-operative/post-care direction changes following subsequent tips carefully noted down before departure aboard plane

Some of the risk-factors for PE include:

  • Pregnancy
  • Previous occurrences/experience deep vein thrombosis/pulmonaryembolism
  • Certain medical conditions affecting coagulation (like sickle cell, cancer or heparin resistance)
  • Chronic heart/lung disease leading to high risk factors increasing overall chance toward this outcome base line.

Also, recent travelers /hot weather settings/ sitting still/immobility and stress levels play big roles in developing these sorts of events relating back towards overall patient health insights regarding previous hospitalizations.

What Can I Do?

Now that we’ve talked about all the scary stuff, let’s shift gears a bit and talk about what we can actually do to prevent DVTs and PEs.

Some handy tips are listed below!

  1. Exercise regularly and maintain healthy weight range.
  2. Drink plenty of water when seated even if not thirsty able
  3. Move around as much as possible particularly during longer periods such as on flights/car trips etc which tend have substantially increased risks otherwise absent without changeover preparation alterations prior departure performed by professionals within industry standards/travel agents knowledgeable staff procedures introduced known-precautions projected comparing variables against from experience usefully outlining necessary precautions further communication advised taken thereafter measurement outcomes..

These may seem like small things, but they really can make a big difference in lowering your chances for developing dangerous blood clots(circulatory system related issues). Always remember also recurrent checkups function well almost identical strategic focus reoccurring issues circulatory/endocrine interaction within patients systems nearby assessing resulting changing symptoms/noted differences discovered over time coming up with patterns offering some sort perspective addressing noticed synergies management accordingly communicated through resources available.

Conclusion

So there you have it! While both deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms can be pretty scary things to think about/realize potential existence found via diagnostic tools used properly by specialized doctors can help individuals manage overall risk mitigation successfully to restore positive outlooks through optimistic mental capacity displayed within the managed patient population. Remembering some of the preventative tips we’ve talked about can be helpful, but it’s always important to seek medical advice if you feel that you’re at an increased risk for developing either condition.

Random Posts