Thrombosis

Causes

• Getting older.
• Not being able to move about freely.
• Heart attack or stroke.
• Cancer and its treatment.
• Pregnancy.
• Long-distance travel.
• Known thrombophilia.
• Previous deep-vein thrombosis (acquired or inherited).
• Using the combined oral contraceptive pill or hormone replacement therapy.
• A recent stay in hospital, especially for hip or knee surgery.

When someone has a venous thrombosis, it is usually because they are affected by more than one risk factor at any one time. Someone may have been born with an inherited thrombophilia, but will not have a thrombosis until they have other risk factors which increase the risk. 

Symptoms

Deep-vein Thrombosis (DVT) 

• Pain, tenderness and swelling of the leg (usually the calf).
• Sometimes accompanied by discolouration of the leg (pale blue or reddish purple colour).
• If thrombosis affects the thigh veins (common in pregnancy), the whole leg may be swollen.
• However, 80% of DVTs have no symptoms.

Pulmonary Embolism

• Shortness of breath, either severe and sudden or coming on gradually.
• Chest pain, which may be worse when breathing in.
• Suddenly collapsing.
• The symptoms of deep-vein thrombosis may also be present.

Causes

The most common cause of ACS is development of a blood clot in a coronary artery that blocks the supply of blood to the heart. These clots can form as a result of atherosclerosis. In this slow, progressive process, atherosclerotic plaques composed of fat, cholesterol and other substances build up in the walls of the arteries. These plaques harden over time, narrowing the opening of the arteries and restricting blood flow. If these plaques break open, they form a blood clot.  Atherosclerosis is the main underlying cause of cardiovascular disease.

Symptoms

The main symptoms of ACS include:

• Pain, pressure or an aching sensation in the chest or arms that can spread to the neck, jaw or back.
• Shortness of breath.
• Nausea, indigestion, heartburn or abdominal pain.
• Lightheadedness or sudden dizziness.
• Fatigue.
• Cold sweat.

If you experience these symptoms, immediately call emergency services. If a heart attack is occurring, it is vital to get treatment as soon as possible to restore blood flow to the heart and prevent further damage to the heart. 
 

For more information about each of these conditions please click the relevant link below to access the NHS website.