Everything You Should Know About Pulmonary Embolism

Symptoms

The most common symptoms of a pulmonary embolism include a sudden or sharp chest pain, especially when a person coughs or inhales. Chest pain can be confused with a heart attack; however, each condition requires immediate attention. Symptoms that may occur over time include rapid breathing or difficulty catchingthebreath; a dry cough; dizziness; and an increased, irregular, or rapid heartbeat. Other symptoms include shortness of breath even without physical exertion, such as during exercise or when climbing stairs, and a cough that results in a pink, foamy mucus. It is important to seek treatment at the first signs of breathing trouble or chest pain to determine whether the condition is life-threatening. Very severe cases may result in loss of consciousness, shock, cardiac arrest, and death.

Risk Factors

Some people are born with blood that clots too quickly, which increases the risk of developing a pulmonary embolism. Other risk factors include being inactive for extended periods of time, such as during a long car ride, or being bedridden after surgery or during pregnancy; recent surgery of the brain, hips, stomach or legs; certain diseases, such as heart failure, stroke, a severe infection, or cancer; or taking birth control or hormone therapy pills. Smoking and pregnancy may also increase the risk, especially if a woman has had a cesarean section. Being obese or over the age of seventy significantly increases the risk. Other risk factors include having a family history of blood clots, supplements that enhance estrogen, catheters in the veins, certain cancers, and receiving a diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease.