A blood clot is simply blood cells that have massed together in an area. They form a clot in order to stop or slow bleeding. For example, when you get a cut, the blood cells will form a sticky mass that will stop any more bleeding from occurring out of the wound. It's your body's natural way to deal with certain health situations. While most blood clots are good, there are some negative blood clot symptoms and conditions to watch out for.
Normally helpful blood clots turn can dangerous when they do not dissolve when their mission is complete or when they become detached into healthy blood vessels and travel from one part of the body to another. These blood clots are causes of such conditions as strokes, heart attacks, gangrene, and even blindness. A blood clot moving to another organ can cause you to lose the use of that organ. That's why you need to watch out for blood clot symptoms.
Key Points
- Blood clots can turn dangerous if not dissolved on their own or if they become detached.
- Serious conditions can arise from blood clots including stroke, heart attack, gangrene, and even blindness.
- It's important to contact your healthcare provider immediately if you think you may have a blood clot.
- Not all symptoms of blood clots are obvious, some can suddenly appear.
Common Symptoms of Blood Clots
Many times there may be no obvious blood clot symptoms. The symptoms may be confined to the area of the blood clot and they may appear all of a sudden. It's good to recognize the blood clot symptoms that relate to these different areas.
Dizziness can be a sign of a clot in your cerebral artery that brings on a stroke. Complete and sudden blindness in one eye can be a symptom of a blood clot in your retinal artery. If you feel a bulge in a vein or artery and numbness or pain in an area then you may be experiencing a blood clot in that area. Just remember, gangrene can set in if an organ or part of the body is deprived of blood for too long.
If you think you might have a blood clot in an area, you should visit your doctor right away for immediate treatment of any possible blood clot symptoms.
The content of this article should not be considered professional medical advice. Exercise due diligence when seeking relevant health information. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any medical decisions.