Warning Signs Of Deep Vein Thrombosis

Chest Pain Worsens Upon Breathing

Individuals with deep vein thrombosis may experience chest pain that worsens upon breathing. The pain that occurs in affected individuals is best described as a sudden and sharp pain in or around the chest or ribcage. This type of pain occurs in individuals with deep vein thrombosis when a part of a clot that has formed in the deep veins of the leg has broken loose and has become lodged in the lungs.

Because the clot in the lung stops the flow of blood through some of the individual's lung tissues, the tissues suffer damage. When living tissue incurs damage, the body responds with a defense mechanism to prevent further injury and infection. This response is the job of the immune system that sends proteins, fluids, and leukocytes to the site of the damaged tissue. In cases of deep vein thrombosis precipitated by pulmonary embolism, the inflammatory response summoned to the location of the tissue damage is what causes the individual to feel these sudden and sharp sensations of pain in the chest.

Rapid Pulse

Deep vein thrombosis patients can experience a rapid pulse or tachycardia as a sign or complication of their condition. A fast heart rate is a typical symptom that accompanies the others that occur when an individual's deep vein blood clot breaks off and travels to their lungs. When the clot becomes lodged in the lungs, it causes reduced lung function. This is because there is not an adequate amount of blood flow through the lung. When there is diminished blood flow in the lung, the blood is not able to undergo oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange.

This malfunction causes an overall reduction in the amount of oxygen concentration in the blood flowing throughout the body. The individual's brain can detect this poor oxygen concentration in the blood. In response, it releases hormones that signal the heart to work faster and harder. This is intended to compensate for the shortage of oxygen by using the heart to pump blood more quickly into the lungs for oxygenation, and then back out to the tissues of the body. A fast heart rate is a common indication of a blood clot that has become lodged in the lungs.