Why clots form

Products and services. Thank you for Subscribing Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information. Please try again. Something went wrong on our side, please try again. Show references Blood clots. American Society of Hematology. Accessed April 18, Your guide to preventing and treating blood clots. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Longo DL, et al. Bleeding and thrombosis. In: Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. New York, N. Understand your risk for excessive blood clotting. American Heart Association. What causes excessive blood clotting? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The doctor may order a blood test to send to the lab.

A blood test also can diagnose an autoimmune disorder or certain infections. The test involves inserting a small needle into a vein in your arm to draw a sample of blood. There are several lab tests that can check for abnormal clotting and for the presence of antibodies that interfere with clotting. Blood clots are highly preventable. To prevent or avoid a blood clot, know your personal risk factors and control the risks you can. For example, if you smoke, stop. If you are obese, lose weight.

If you take birth control pills, talk to your doctor about an effective alternative. If you are inactive, get moving.

If you have a family history of blood clots, talk to your doctor. Your doctor may determine whether you should be taking blood-thinning medicine to prevent clots. A blood clot is treated based on where it is located. Oral blood thinner medicines are the most common treatments for blood clots. Some medicines can be given through a catheter a long, thin tube inserted into the area of the clot. Some clots can be surgically removed.

Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant. Medicines may involve risks to your unborn child. If your blood clot is due to an infection, your doctor may be able to treat the infection and reduce the risk of a clot. If detected early, a blood clot can usually be treated successfully. If it was not treated early, your quality of life depends on the seriousness of the damage. For example, a blood clot can cause stroke, even death. In that case, living with blood clots involves focusing on prevention.

If you are being treated with blood thinner medicines, you have to be careful not to cut yourself even when shaving. The medicine can make it difficult to stop the bleeding. American Society of Hematology: Blood Clots. This article was contributed by: familydoctor. This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone.

If the plaque bursts open, platelets rush to the scene to heal the injury, forming a blood clot. Some types of cancer can lead to tissue damage or inflammatory responses that may activate blood clotting. Some cancer treatments such as chemotherapies can also increase your risk for blood clots. In addition, having surgery to remove a cancer can put you at risk. People with diabetes are more likely to have plaque buildup in their arteries.

A family history of blood clots or an inherited blood-clotting disorder such as one that makes your blood clot more easily can put you at risk for developing blood clots. Typically, this condition on its own will not cause blood clots unless combined with one or more other risk factors. In heart failure , damage to the heart prevents it from pumping as efficiently as it should. Blood flow slows, and clots are more likely to form in the sluggish blood.

Being immobile, or not moving for a long period of time, is another risk factor. Immobility is common after surgery, but extended air travel or car travel can also lead to immobility. If you have an irregular heartbeat , your heart beats in an uncoordinated way. This can cause blood to pool and form clots. Pregnancy also increases your risk for blood clots. As your pregnancy progresses, your growing uterus can compress your veins.

That can slow down blood flow, especially to your legs. A decrease in blood flow to your legs can lead to deep vein thromboembolism DVT , which is a serious form of blood clot. Clotting is important following childbirth as it will help prevent the loss of too much blood.

However, this improved ability to clot can also increase your chances of blood clots prior to delivery. Moving around and staying hydrated can help prevent clots during pregnancy.

People who are overweight or obese are more likely to have plaque in their arteries. Any symptoms of a blood clot that you do experience will depend on where the clot is in your body. Ones that form in deep veins can travel to other parts of your body and cause a life-threatening blockage. Blood clots are a medical emergency. If you suspect you have a blood clot, you should contact your doctor or local emergency services immediately regarding treatment.

Blood thinners may be used to treat many different types of blood clots. Examples include warfarin Coumadin and apixaban Eliquis , which belong to a group of blood thinners known as anticoagulants.