Why do you get blood clots in your legs?

Do you sometimes feel like your legs are swollen and heavy? Do they turn red or blue, or do you experience pain when walking or standing? If so, it’s possible that you have a blood clot in your leg – yikes!

But fear not, dear reader. This article will explain the ins and outs of blood clots in the legs – what causes them, how to prevent them from happening in the first place, and what to do if one pops up.

The Basics: What is a Blood Clot?

Let’s start with the basics. A blood clot is simply a clump of blood that has formed into a gel-like substance. Sometimes this can happen inside your body when there isn’t an injury present – scary stuff!

The good news is that our bodies are clever machines that know when something like this happens and immediately get to work trying to break the clot down before it causes any damage.

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) & What Causes It

Sometimes though, our bodies aren’t able to break down these pesky little clumps on their own. A deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurs when a large lump of blood forms in one of the veins located deep within your body^1.

There can be many reasons behind why someone might develop DVT; factors such as age^,2 weight^,3 sex ^,4, family history ^,5 medications 6 smoking 7 all play big roles in determining whether someone develops DVT.

One factor stands out above all else though — sitting for long periods at different intervals without moving around much^8. So if you’re planning on doing some long haul flights sometime soon please take note because by golly those tiny seats offers little space for exercise!!

Let’s Break It Down Further: What Happens When You Develop DVT

When blood clots form in your veins^9, they can do a few different things; either they’ll stay put and simply cause some pressure changes to the affected leg, or move up towards your lungs, causing severe breathing difficulties often leading to death^10. Both incredibly unpleasant.

Who Is Most Susceptible To Developing Blood Clots In Legs?

As previously mentioned, there are several factors that contribute to someone being more susceptible to developing blood clots when compared to others.

Age: The Culprit of Many Health Woes

Age as always is a factor with increased susceptibility for this issue usually starting from the age of 60 due to changes in our body’s metabolism functions over time^,11.

Overweight? Then Watch Out!

Being overweight or obese increases one’s risk significantly. Extra weight could lead not only directly but through associated negative impact on physical activity levels during daily life – people dealing with obesity typically have lower quality diets & less structured sleep patterns too so there goes any chance nature had at compensating these risks ^,12.

Gender Does Matter…Apparently!

It turns out that gender plays quite heavily into this discussion with women often naturally having smaller vein systems which means their internal mechanics become strained alot quicker than males – this puts them at higher risk for DVT development 13.

Sitting Still For Long Periods Of Time Known As ‘Immobility’

Excessive amounts of immobility is by far the largest culprit implicated strongly in DVT development; whether it be long flights, driving excessive periods without breaks etc., anything where you’re not moving around enough! So let’s all make sure we get up every once in awhile!!.

Prevention Tips And Guidelines

Just how much power do we mere mortals wield over whether or not we develop these pesky little lumps in our veins^14? Well, there’s both good news and bad.

The Bad News

The truth is that many of the factors linked with DVT development are actually things we don’t have much autonomy over; so if you’re predisposed genetically or work in a job where you can’t move around often — then your chances just went up regardless of what next comes to mind 15.

The Good News!

Understanding the importance of increased movement throughout the day may limit some risks associated with immobility as well maintaining proper bodyweight and regular excercises will all contribute significantly in maintaining a healthy lifestyle which has been shown to lessen chances developing these clots at all ^,16.

Conclusion

That’s it for now folks! You might not be able to control every factor that contributes towards DVT but Lord knows trying hard towards avoiding certain triggers will pay off tremendously overtime. Take breaks more often during sitting periods especially those long haul flights & commutes; eat healthier, maintain proper weight levels and regularly exercise! Remember – motion equals lotion!! 🙂

Random Posts