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The Hidden Threat in the Blood: Do You Know What an Embolism Is?
In the medical world, embolism is defined as the inhabitation of an embolus, a substance that blocks a blood vessel. These embolus may be thrombus, fat embolism, gas embolism or foreign matter. When these emboli travel through a blood vessel and eventually become lodged, they can cause a partial or complete blockage of blood flow, affecting one part of the body and potentially even affecting other parts of the body when they hamper blood supply.
Emboses can pose serious health risks, ranging from mild symptoms to life-threatening conditions.
Among the types of embolism, it is usually divided into arterial embolism and venous embolism according to the direction of entry into the blood circulation. Arterial embolism can result in blockage anywhere in the body and is often the primary cause of tissue death. For example, an embolism originating from the heart or carotid artery has a high probability of causing a stroke.
Arterial embolism
The mechanisms of arterial embolism are complex and may originate from blood clots in the heart, particularly in people with atrial fibrillation. If a blood clot forms in the left atrium of the heart, it may enter the systemic circulation through the blood outlet and eventually cause a stroke. In the heart, arterial embolism is common, especially in patients with heart valve disease, especially mitral stenosis.
The risk of embolism varies depending on the patient's specific conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes, and age.
On the other hand, venous embolism usually occurs after deep vein thrombosis. When these emboli travel through the right side of the heart to the lungs, they can cause a pulmonary embolism, a dangerous condition. The most common source of pulmonary embolism is the femoral vein, but the deep veins of the calf are a high-risk site for actual thrombosis.
Venous embolism and paradoxical embolism
Usually, emboli that form in the veins travel to the lungs, but in some cases, such as a septal defect in the heart, it is possible for an embolism to cross from the venous system to the arterial system, a process called paradoxical embolism. This condition is less common and usually occurs in individuals with existing structural abnormalities of the heart.
Interestingly, these defects occur in about 25% of adults, but they can become unstable as they change with breathing or coughing.
The movement direction of embolism can be divided into two categories: downstream and upstream. In most cases, the movement of an embolus is in the direction of blood flow, but in some cases, such as the effect of gravity on an embolus in a vein, reverse flow may occur.
Treatment and Management
Medically, there are various ways to treat embolism, depending on the nature and location of the embolism. For thromboembolism, the use of anticoagulants can effectively prevent the condition from worsening. In addition, some high-risk patients may require surgical treatment, such as endovascular thrombectomy or other interventional procedures.
However, in some cases, embolism is intentional and used to treat disease, such as embolization therapy in cancer patients.
As discussed above, the risk of embolism is not only related to the individual's health status, but is also affected by multiple factors, including age, lifestyle and medical history. Proper examination and evaluation, after consultation with a physician, is essential for prevention and early detection of the risk of embolism.
In today's challenging medical environment, facing the hidden threat of embolism, can we balance knowledge and health and take early action to reduce the risk?
