Blood clots in the legs may not seem like a serious issue, but in fact they can lead to many serious medical complications. Proper blood flow through your body, including your legs, is essential to preventing clots. Leg blood clots have specific causes and risk factors associated with the development. Blood clots which begin in the leg are often able to travel to other parts of the body and do damage. One of the most common organs that these clots travel to are the lungs, where they can cause significant harm, and in some cases even death.
Each year over 50,000 people in America will die of complications due to a leg clot which has traveled to their lungs. These clots are known as pulmonary thromboembolisms, or simply a PE. Although PEs are not always caused by leg blood clots, this is the most common source of pulmonary embolisms. Because of the significant risk, it is important to understand how leg blood clots are caused and what you can do to reduce your risk.
Leg blood clots have a tendency to develop with three specific conditions that can exist within your veins. The first of these conditions is known as stasis. Stasis is a fancy medical term for blood that is not flowing properly and is sitting still. The second condition is damage to the lining of the veins. This damage can lead to turbulent blood flow, which often causes clots to form. The third condition that can lead to increased tendency to form like blood clots, is known as a hypercoaguable state. Smoking, cancer, or pregnancy are some common medical conditions which put a person in a hypercoaguable condition.
The above three conditions are all very general, with each condition having many potential causes. Let’s take a look at some specific risk factors for developing leg blood clots. As we proceed, be aware that each of these specific medical problems ultimately cause a leg blood clot by one of the three previously mentioned mechanisms.
People who travel and remain sitting in one place for a long period of time are at increased risk for developing a leg blood clot. If you take a long drive or a long trip on an airplane, it is important to get up and move your legs around at reasonably regular intervals. Failure to do so can allow the blood to pool in your legs, where it will stop moving properly and have a tendency to clot. These clots can and travel up your legs, into your lungs, and cause a pulmonary embolism.
People who smoke are at increased risk for developing a leg blood clot. The smoke will do damage to the inner lining of your veins, increasing your risk of developing a leg blood clot.
People who are obese are at increased risk as well. Obesity causes numerous problems with your circulation. Extra weight around the veins, especially in the legs, will decrease the ability of the blood to flow properly. This creates stasis of the blood, and the tendency for it to clot.
If you have recently had surgery, you are at increased risk for developing a leg blood clot. Many people who have surgery often remain in bed for many days after the operation. In effect, this is much like what happens when you travel and do not get up and move. The blood will pool in your lower legs, leading to an increased tendency to clot.
People with cancer have an increased tendency to develop leg blood clots. The reasons for this are somewhat complex, but are related to various chemicals that cancerous tissues will release. These chemicals will cause your blood to have an increased tendency towards clotting.
Leg blood clots can often be seen more frequently in women who use hormone replacement therapies and birth control pills. In combination with smoking these hormones can significantly increase the risk of developing a leg blood clot. Women who use oral contraceptives or hormone replacement of any kind, should most certainly not be smoking.
The last significant cause of leg blood clots I will mention here is a broader category. Heart failure due to any cause can increase your risk for developing leg blood clots. Heart failure will reduce the ability of your heart to pump blood around your body. If the blood flow slows down, it has a tendency to clot more quickly. People with heart failure are often put on blood thinners, which reduce the ability of the blood to form clots.
If you have questions or concerns about leg blood clot causes and how they may affect you, be sure to speak with your doctor. There are many causes of leg blood clots, some of which are less common and not directly addressed in this article. This article is a general overview of leg blood clot causes, but is not intended to be comprehensive in nature. Because of this, it is very important to work with your doctor to determine if you are at risk for developing a like blood clot and subsequent pulmonary embolism.
