SIGN IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT FEATURES

FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD?

FORGOT YOUR DETAILS?

AAH, WAIT, I REMEMBER NOW!
24/7 HELPLINE (903) 212-7500
  • PATIENT PORTAL LOGIN

PhyNet Health PhyNet Health

  • Home
  • Find a Clinic
    • Hughes Springs, TX
    • Longview, TX
    • Jefferson, TX
    • Kilgore, TX
    • Lindale, TX
    • Linden, TX
    • Gladewater, TX
    • Lone Star, TX
    • Tatum, TX
    • Marshall, TX
  • Health Services
    • Primary Care Services
    • Physical Therapy / Rehab
    • Allergy Testing & Treatment
    • Chronic Care Management
    • Remote Monitoring Program
    • Virtual Visit
  • Resources
    • MedlinePlus Wiki
      • Health Topics
    • Home Health Coordination
    • Transitions of Care
    • Insurance Help
  • About Phynet
    • About Phynet
    • PhyNet News
    • Better Together Stories
    • Careers
  • Billing

Health Topics

Skip navigation

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( Lock Locked padlock icon ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

National Institutes of Health National Library of Medicine
MedlinePlus Trusted Health Information for You
  • Health Topics
  • Drugs & Supplements
  • Genetics
  • Medical Tests
  • Medical Encyclopedia
  • About MedlinePlus
  • About MedlinePlus
  • What's New
  • Site Map
  • Customer Support
  • Health Topics
  • Drugs & Supplements
  • Genetics
  • Medical Tests
  • Medical Encyclopedia
Español
You Are Here:
Home →
Health Topics →
Blood Clots
URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/bloodclots.html

Blood Clots

Also called: Hypercoagulability
On this page

Basics

  • Summary
  • Start Here
  • Diagnosis and Tests
  • Prevention and Risk Factors
  • Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

  • Related Issues
  • Specifics
  • Genetics

See, Play and Learn

  • Videos and Tutorials

Research

  • Statistics and Research
  • Clinical Trials
  • Journal Articles

Resources

  • Find an Expert

For You

  • Children
  • Women
  • Patient Handouts

Summary

What is a blood clot?

A blood clot is a mass of blood that forms when platelets, proteins, and cells in the blood stick together. When you get hurt, your body forms a blood clot to stop the bleeding. After the bleeding stops and healing takes place, your body usually breaks down and removes the blood clot. But sometimes the blood clots form where they shouldn't, your body makes too many blood clots or abnormal blood clots, or the blood clots don't break down like they should. These blood clots can be dangerous and may cause other health problems.

Blood clots can form in, or travel to, the blood vessels in the limbs, lungs, brain, heart, and kidneys. The types of problems blood clots can cause will depend on where they are:

  • Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot in a deep vein, usually in the lower leg, thigh, or pelvis. It can block a vein and cause damage to your leg.
  • A pulmonary embolism (PE) can happen when a DVT breaks off and travels through the bloodstream to the lungs. A PE, especially if it is large, can damage your lungs and prevent your other organs from getting enough oxygen.
  • Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is a rare blood clot in the venous sinuses in your brain. Normally the venous sinuses drain blood from your brain. CVST blocks the blood from draining and can cause a hemorrhagic stroke.
  • Blood clots in other parts of the body can cause problems such as an ischemic stroke, a heart attack, kidney problems, kidney failure, and pregnancy-related problems.

Who is more likely to develop blood clots?

Certain factors can raise your risk of developing blood clots:

  • Atherosclerosis
  • Atrial fibrillation
  • Being overweight or having obesity
  • Cancer and cancer treatments
  • Certain genetic disorders
  • Certain surgeries
  • COVID-19
  • Diabetes
  • Family history of blood clots
  • Overweight and obesity
  • Pregnancy and giving birth
  • Serious injuries
  • Some medicines, including birth control pills
  • Smoking
  • Staying in one position for a long time, such as being in the hospital or taking a long car or plane ride

What are the symptoms of blood clots?

The symptoms for blood clots can be different, depending on where the blood clot is:

  • In the abdomen: Abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting
  • In an arm or leg: Sudden or gradual pain, swelling, tenderness, and warmth
  • In the lungs: Shortness of breath, pain with deep breathing, rapid breathing, and increased heart rate
  • In the brain: Trouble speaking, vision problems, seizures, weakness on one side of the body, and sudden severe headache
  • In the heart: Chest pain, sweating, shortness of breath, and pain in the left arm

How are blood clots diagnosed?

To find out if you have one or more blood clots, your health care provider:

  • Will do a physical exam.
  • Will take your medical history, which includes asking about your symptoms.
  • May order blood tests, including a D-dimer test.
  • May order imaging tests, such as
    • Ultrasound.
    • X-rays of the veins (venography) or blood vessels (angiography) that are taken after you get an injection of special dye. The dye shows up on the x-ray and allows the provider to see how the blood flows.
    • CT Scan.

What are the treatments for blood clots?

Treatments for blood clots depend on where the blood clot is located and how severe it is. Treatments may include:

  • Blood thinners.
  • Other medicines, including thrombolytics. Thrombolytics are medicines that dissolve blood clots. They are usually used where the blood clots are severe.
  • Surgery and other procedures to remove the blood clots

Can blood clots be prevented?

You may be able to help prevent blood clots by:

  • Moving around as soon as possible after having been confined to your bed, such as after surgery, illness, or injury
  • Getting up and moving around every few hours when you have to sit for long periods of time, for example if you are on a long flight or car trip
  • Wearing compression stockings after surgery or during a long flight
  • Regular physical activity
  • Not smoking
  • Staying at a healthy weight

Some people at high risk may need to take blood thinners to prevent blood clots.

Start Here

  • Blood Clots Video (American Society of Hematology)
  • Blood Clots (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
  • Blood Clots (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
  • How Does Blood Clot? From the National Institutes of Health Video (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

Diagnosis and Tests

  • Coagulation Factor Tests From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
  • D-Dimer Test From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
  • MPV Blood Test From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
  • Partial Thromboplastin Time (PTT) Test From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
  • Protein C and Protein S Tests From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
  • Prothrombin Time Test and INR (PT/INR) From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

  • Understand Your Risk for Excessive Blood Clotting (American Heart Association)

Treatments and Therapies

  • Blood Thinners: MedlinePlus Health Topic From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
  • Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

  • Blood Thinners: Can I Still Get Blood Clots? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
  • Understanding Your Risk for Blood Clots with Travel (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Specifics

  • Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS) From the National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish
  • Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis (CVST) (Johns Hopkins Medicine)
  • Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) From the National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
  • Hypercoagulation (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
  • Thrombophlebitis (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
  • Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP) From the National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish

Genetics

  • Factor V Leiden thrombophilia: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Hereditary antithrombin deficiency: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Learning about Factor V Leiden Thrombophilia From the National Institutes of Health (National Human Genome Research Institute)
  • Protein C deficiency: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Protein S deficiency: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)
  • Prothrombin thrombophilia: MedlinePlus Genetics From the National Institutes of Health (National Library of Medicine)

Videos and Tutorials

  • Blood clotting Video (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Statistics and Research

  • Blood Clots Explained: Clearing Blockages in the System From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Thrombophlebitis From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health)
  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Thrombosis From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health)
  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Venous Thrombosis From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

  • Article: Development and validation of a nomogram risk prediction model for PICC-related...
  • Article: Association between ex vivo thrombogenicity and ischemic outcome in off-pump coronary surgery.
  • Article: Application of multigene panel testing for bleeding, thrombotic, and platelet disorders...
  • Blood Clots -- see more articles

Find an Expert

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Also in Spanish
  • Find a Hematologist (American Society of Hematology)
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute From the National Institutes of Health

Children

  • Blood (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Women

  • Blood Clots and Pregnancy Video (March of Dimes Foundation) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

  • Arterial embolism (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Blood clots (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • D-dimer test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Prothrombin time (PT) (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Stop the Clot, Spread the Word® Campaign Resources Easy-to-Read Infographic (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
  • Superficial thrombophlebitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Thrombophlebitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Topic Image

Blood Clots

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

  • Antiphospholipid syndrome - APS
  • Antithrombin III blood test
  • Arterial embolism
  • Blood clots
  • Blood clotting
  • Cavernous sinus thrombosis
  • Congenital antithrombin III deficiency
  • Congenital protein C or S deficiency
  • D-dimer test
  • Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)
  • Fibrin degradation products blood test
  • Fibrinogen blood test
  • Fibrinopeptide A blood test
  • Partial thromboplastin time (PTT)
  • Protein C blood test
  • Protein S blood test
  • Prothrombin time (PT)
  • Renal vein thrombosis
  • Superficial thrombophlebitis
  • Thrombophlebitis

Related Health Topics

  • Bleeding Disorders
  • Deep Vein Thrombosis
  • Platelet Disorders
  • Pulmonary Embolism

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Blood Clots is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Other Languages

Find health information in languages other than English on Blood Clots

NIH MedlinePlus Magazine

  • An Almost Perfect Storm
  • Basics of Blood Clots: What You Need to Know

Disclaimers

MedlinePlus links to health information from the National Institutes of Health and other federal government agencies. MedlinePlus also links to health information from non-government Web sites. See our disclaimer about external links and our quality guidelines.

The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.

  • About MedlinePlus
  • What's New
  • Site Map
  • Customer Support
  • Subscribe to RSSRSS
  • Connect with NLM
  • NLM Web Policies
  • Copyright
  • Accessibility
  • Guidelines for Links
  • Viewers & Players
  • HHS Vulnerability Disclosure
  • MedlinePlus Connect for EHRs
  • For Developers
National Library of Medicine 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health
Last updated December 29, 2023
Return to top

Patients

  • Find a Clinic
  • Health Services
  • Complex Case Management
  • MA / Medicare Assistance

Quick Links

  • Billing Information
  • Careers
  • About Phynet
  • PhyNet News

Network Links

  • PrimeCareHomeHealth.com
  • PrimeCareNet.com
  • PrimeCareManagers.com
  • Core-Rehab.com

Home Office

4002 Technology Center Longview TX 75605
Phone: (903) 247-0484
Fax: (903) 247-0485
[email protected]
  • PrimeCareHomeHealth.com
  • PrimeCareNet.com
  • PrimeCareManagers.com
  • Core-Rehab.com
  • GET SOCIAL

© 2021 PhyNet Health • All rights reserved
YOUR LIFE. YOUR CHOICE.

TOP