Blood Clot Pain

Blood clot pain is most often caused by a condition doctors call ischemia. Ischemia occurs when blood flowing through a blood vessel becomes blocked or obstructed somehow. When this happens to the arteries in the heart, chest pain (also known as angina) occurs.

But ischemia can occur elsewhere in the body too - and it can occur due to a blood clot.

When a clot forms, whether it's in an arm, a leg, or elsewhere, it can cause localized pain and swelling (see below for a list of other symptoms).

What causes blood clot pain?   

When there is lining to the lining of a blood vessel, your body reacts by sending blood platelets to the injured area. These platelets release a chemical that starts a process in which blood cells begin to clump together. This process protects the injured artery or vein and helps the injury repair itself.

In the medical word, a blood clot is known as a thrombus. Unfortunately, A thrombus can also form if blood is blocked and it remains stagnant. When blood "back ups" in a blood vessel, the clot that's formed can become dangerous.

Blood clots are categorized in several different ways.

Venous thrombosis (or plural: thrombi) These are clots that occur in a vein. They happen when you become immobilized and your blood doesn't circulate as well: it's not getting any help from muscles that normally contract facilitate the movement of blood back to the heart. Your blood stagnates in certain areas. Over time, tiny clots form and begin to grow. Eventually, these clots obstruct blood flow even more, contributing to additional growth.

Venous thrombi tend to occur in the following circumstances:

• you're hospitalized or bedridden after an illness or surgery.
• you have to sit in one spot for many hours without moving much during travel. This is one of the reasons it's important to take breaks often if you're on a long driving trip, or to get up and walk of stretch if you're on an airplane..
• injuries in which you must remain in one place or part of your body has been put in a cast.
• you're pregnant, because the growing uterus may block the circulation of blood in certain veins.
• you're born with a genetic condition in which blood clots faster than it should. When this occurs you are said to be "hypercoagulable."

Arterial thrombi are blood clots in an artery. Usually, there are not due to an injury or immobilization like venous thrombi. These form because plaque has built up on the wall of an artery. The artery becomes narrow, and blood flow is obstructed. This is the process that causes heart attacks and strokes.

An arterial thrombus can also result when an artery that has been constricted by plaque ruptures. A clot forms and blocks blood flow even more.

You're at risk for arterial thrombi if you have high blood pressure (hypertension), high cholesterol, diabetes, are a smoker, or have a family history of circulatory issues.

Blood clot dangers

Blood clots can be life-threatening.

A condition called deep venous thrombosis or DVT occurs when a blood clot forms somewhere in the body, then breaks away and travels through your veins back to the heart. It is then pumped by your heart to your lungs, where it becomes lodged in a blood vessel. This can cause two possibly fatal problems:

• The clot can cut off the supply of blood to the lungs, causing an area to "infarct" or die.
• The block caused by the clot may decrease the ability of the lungs to provide oxygen to the rest of the body, resulting in a condition called hypoxia.

Blood clots can also cause a condition called atrial fibrillation. This happens when small clots form along the walls of the upper chambers of the heart. Such clots can get into in the bloodstream, blocking an artery and artery and causing necrosis or "tissue death." When this happens, it is most likely to occur near the brain (resulting in a stroke), or in the blood vessels that supply the intestines (resulting in something called mesenteric ischemia).

Blood clot symptoms

When a clot forms in a limb, you may experience pain, chronic swelling and limited function. This condition is known medically as chronic thrombophlebitis. In addition to pain, the limb may start to look pale or white, become weak and lose sensation. Paralysis is possible.

When blood clots appear elsewhere in the body, they may cause redness and a feeling of warmth,

Bloody diarrhea and intense pain may be symptoms of mesenteric ischemia.

Obviously, having a blood clot can result in serious, even dire consequences. To learn more, click on blood clot formation, blood clot diagnosis, blood clot treatment and blood clot prevention.