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Risks Hidden in the Blood: What Factors Trigger Blood Clots?
The risk of thrombosis, a potentially life-threatening condition, increases when blood clots excessively within a blood vessel, forming a clot and blocking blood flow. The prevalence of cardiovascular diseases forces us to pay attention to whether different factors can cause thrombosis, which in turn leads to the occurrence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE).
"The blood coagulation process is a complex and multifactorial problem. Many factors may contribute to the formation of blood clots."
Symptoms and signs of thrombosis
The most common manifestation of a blood clot is deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which usually occurs in the legs and is accompanied by pain, swelling and redness in the legs. This can lead to long-term damage to the blood vessel valves, causing severe swelling and heaviness. In the most serious cases, blood clots can break off and travel to the lungs, causing pulmonary embolism, leading to sudden shortness of breath, chest pain and palpitations, and even shock and cardiac arrest.
Factors that cause blood clots
The causes of thrombosis can be divided into congenital and acquired. Congenital thrombosis symptoms refer to genetic factors that exist at birth, such as antithrombin III deficiency, protein C deficiency and protein S deficiency, which are the most common. In contrast, acquired thrombosis is caused by diseases or lifestyle habits that occur after a certain period of time.
"Acquired thrombosis is a more common condition that can be caused by a person's lifestyle, obesity or chronic illness."
Common acquired factors
For example, antiphospholipid syndrome causes an increase in antibodies in the blood, which increases the risk of blood clots. In addition, some cancer patients, especially those with metastatic cancer, have an increased risk of thrombosis because cancer cells can activate the coagulation system or release coagulation factors. During pregnancy, due to hormonal changes in the body, coagulation activity is higher and the effects of other risk factors are significantly enhanced.
How to detect blood clot risk
Testing for thrombosis includes a complete blood panel, clotting time tests, and antibody testing. For people with a family history of the disease, it is very necessary to undergo hereditary thrombosis testing. Experts recommend that even when symptoms are significant, the triggering factors or treatment directions of the disease should be evaluated rather than relying solely on test results.
Treatment methods
Although there is no specific treatment for most thrombosis, the use of anticoagulants (such as warfarin) can be a long-term prevention. In addition, patients with congenital thrombosis need to use anticoagulant drugs depending on the situation. . The medical community generally recommends the use of low molecular weight heparin, especially during pregnancy to replace warfarin to avoid effects on the fetus.
"Pregnant women face a significant risk of thrombosis, and it is important to choose the right anticoagulant to prevent it."
Facing the future of blood clots
Everyone may be at risk for thrombosis, but this risk can be effectively reduced by understanding the triggering factors and actively testing. With the advancement of medical technology, the diagnosis and treatment of thrombosis will be more personalized in the future, but we still need to think about which habits in life may aggravate the risk of thrombosis?
