Blood Clots

When blood comes in contact with air and damaged tissues, the platelets in the blood re activated and the process of blood clotting begins. This normal process helps the body to naturally control bleeding and hasten the healing process. However, when this coagulation process occurs within an organ or within the circulatory system, it can lead to a lethal condition called a thrombus formation.

A thrombus is the result of a blood clot within the body of an uninjured person. When this clot is free floating in a large vessel, the blood flow through the vessel is decreased. When the clot reaches a small artery, the blood flow to certain organs or body parts supplied by that artery can be blocked off. A free floating blood clot is known as an embolus.

A blood clot may be present in a vein that carries blood towards the heart or in an artery that carries blood from the heart. Symptoms of blood clots in a vein include swelling, warmth and redness in affected body parts. In severe cases, bluish discolouration and sever pain and swelling may be observed.

When a blood clot obstructs the artery, then tissues may die in parts of the body in which the blood supply has been blocked off. The initial signs are severe pain and discolouration of the affected part. Gradually the cells of the affected part begins to die. The affected area becomes non-functional. The symptoms associated with a blood clot in an artery vary based on the artery that is affected. If an artery that supplies blood to the brain is affected, brain cells will be damaged and signs associated with a stroke will set in. If the artery that supplies blood to the heart is affected, the patient may experience chest pain or a heart attack. This kind of clot can also cause liver failure, kidney failure and damage to other organs throughout the body.

The venous clot formation is a slow process, while the clot of an artery happens so fast that a patient could die very quickly without emergency treatment.