Deep vein thrombosis, also known as DVT, is the formation of a blood clot, or thrombus, in the deep veins. Though it can occur anywhere in the body, most of the times clot forms in a deep veins of the legs and pelvic area. Sometimes an entire process can go unnoticed, but oftentimes clot impedes blood circulation, causing symptoms to occur. An extremity can become swollen and painful, compelling the person to seek medical attention. When recognized and treated promptly , most cases of DVT are not life threatening, although damage caused by thrombus to the vein may result in a development of a Post-Thrombotic Syndrome in approximately one third of the cases . The most serious complication of a DVT arises when the blood clot in a deep vein breaks loose, thus becoming an embolus, and travels up the vein until it lodges in the lung artery. Unfortunately, this condition, known as pulmonary embolism, is potentially life-threatening, being the second leading cause of sudden death in North America.
Essentially, all underlying mechanisms leading to blood clot formation in deep veins could be narrowed down to three major ones , which are
Ø slow blood flow in deep veins
Ø personal predisposition to blood clotting
Ø inflammation of the inner lining of the vein
Usually, DVT is caused by combination of any of those factors, but improving even one of them will ultimately lead to a better outcome.
Who suffers from DVT?
- Recent major surgical procedure
- Temporarily or permanent immobility
- History of DVT
- Hormonal treatment , including oral contraceptive pills
- Pregnancy and delivery
- Previous or current cancer
- Congestive heart failure
- Coagulation abnormalities
- Obesity
- Smoking
- Advancing age
