Worried about blood clots? Here’s what you need to know
Every 37 seconds, someone in the Western world dies from a venous thromboembolism (VTE), where a blood clot forms, most often in the deep veins of the leg, groin or arm. While clotting is a normal process that can prevent us from losing too much blood when wounded, clots that don’t dissolve can be dangerous, and even life-threatening in some instances.
Blood clots have also become a talking point recently, after the MHRA launched investigations into a potential link between AstraZeneca’s Covid vaccine and a spate of blood clotting events. We asked doctors to answer some of our most common questions:
What kinds of things put you at risk?
“If you’re obese, bedridden after an operation, have very prominent varicose veins, are pregnant or are on an oestrogen oral contraceptive pill, then you may have an increased risk of blood clots,” says Dr Paul Ettlinger of London General Practice (thelondongeneralpractice.com).
They can also be associated with long lengths of time being inactive, and longhaul flights.
What are the signs that you might have a blood clot?
It’s not always easy to spot whether you have a blood clot, because the symptoms are different depending on where you think you have it. But there can be some warning signs, especially for deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
“A DVT is commonly found in the leg, so look out for a painful swelling in the calf,” says Ettlinger. “This often happens after a period of immobility, which is why being on a long-haul flight or surgery can often cause an incident.
“Breathlessness and chest pain on breathing can be a sign that a clot has broken off and has entered the lung,” he adds (known as pulmonary embolism).
“I’d also look at severe migraines too as a potential warning sign,” he adds.
How are blood clots treated?
“Medical experts often treat blood clots with blood thinning medication, such as anticoagulants,” explains Ettlinger.
“In more severe cases, we use percutaneous coronary intervention to treat blood clots. If a blood clot is caused by something more serious and it has occluded in a vessel, then we can perform surgery.”
Should we be worried about the risks with the Covid-19 vaccine?
“While there have been some reports of people suffering blood clots after receiving the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, the risk is minimal and the benefits outweigh the risk by a long way,” assures Ettlinger. “With a risk of only four in one million, people should not be worrying about developing blood clots following the vaccine and, on the whole, blood clots occur for a number of reasons, including lifestyle factors.”
What can you do to try to prevent blood clots?
As with many conditions, living a healthy lifestyle is one of the best preventative measures we can take. “It’s difficult to say whether you can completely prevent any clots from occurring, but if you keep your weight down, your cholesterol down, and control your blood sugar levels, then these can all contribute to reducing your risk,” says Ettlinger.
If you have any concerns about your health and blood clot risk, speak with your own doctor or nurse.