In 2005, Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) sponsored a bill that declared March “Deep Vein Thrombosis Awareness Month.” The bill was in honor of David Bloom, an NBC News journalist who died from a pulmonary embolism in 2003 while covering the war in Iraq.
A pulmonary embolism is a blood clot that forms in your leg or arm (also called deep vein thrombosis, or DVT) and travels to your lungs. As in Bloom’s case, pulmonary embolisms can be fatal.
The National Blood Clot Alliance renamed the month when a survey revealed that few people knew the meaning of “deep vein thrombosis” or “pulmonary embolism.” However, 82% understood the meaning of “blood clot.”
Every day, an average of nearly 275 people in the United States die from blood clots. Only one in four people know about blood clots or are aware of their signs and symptoms.
Blood clots can occur in almost anyone at any age. If you have varicose veins, you’re at an increased risk for blood clots. Most clots related to varicose veins are superficial, not deep, but severe varicose veins run the risk of forming a DVT.
At Texas Heart and Vein Multispecialty Group, vein expert and top surgeon Jon-Cecil Walkes, MD, advises you to know your blood-clot risk. If you have varicose veins, he offers evaluation and treatment at our three offices in Houston, Texas.
Here are the warning signs of a blood clot:
Most of the time, varicose veins are an aesthetic problem but don’t cause you any physical difficulties. If that changes, and you start to notice differences in the way one or both legs look or feel, you may have a clot. Signs of a DVT include:
Contact us if you have any of the above symptoms. Leg cramps in combination with one of the other symptoms or signs is especially troubling.
If you have chest symptoms, you may have a pulmonary embolism. A pulmonary embolism can be deadly, regardless of your age, and can include the following symptoms:
Call 911 immediately if you have the symptoms of pulmonary embolism.
Even if you’re young and healthy, you could be at risk for a blood clot. Certain conditions and behaviors add to your risk:
The more risk factors you have, the more careful you need to be about preventing clots.
You don’t have to be on the wrong end of the statistics. By reading this blog, you’ve already increased your awareness of blood clots so that you can take steps to prevent them, such as:
If you’d like to know more about your risk for DVT or if you wish to remove your varicose veins, call us at our office nearest you or schedule an appointment online. We service Greater Heights, Pearland Market, League City, Lake Jackson, Manvel, Rosharen, Alvin, Fresno, Missouri City, Arcola, Friendswood, South Houston, Kingwood Market, Humble, New Chaney, Atascocita, and Northeast Houston, Texas.
