What is Deep Venous Thrombosis
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What is Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT)?

Deep Venous Thrombosis is blood clot that forms in a vein in the body. Blood clots occur when blood thickens and clumps together.

Clinical manifestation of DVT

When the clot forms, it reduces the speed of blood flow and cause edema( swelling) in the legs. The clot may float in the blood, this could lead to artery embolism, acute pulmonary embolism, myocardial infraction and brain infraction( brain stroke) etc.

Causes of DVT

  • • Damage of the vein wall.
  • • Blood coagulates easily when the anesthetizes muscle is relaxed during surgery by forming blood clot. This is seen in cesarean section or any surgery which requires longer duration of anesthesia. Also long term bed ridden patients are more prone to develop DVT.
  • • Leg edema due to reduced movement of body.

Treatment of DVT

  • Physical therapy: Anti-embolism stockings.
  • Medication: Anticoagulants and antiplatelet drugs, but not for the elderly and hemorrhagic patients.
  • Surgery: In an emergency clot evacuating surgeries under anesthesia.

How can I prevent myself from Varicose veins ?

Raise up the legs when taking a rest or sleeping
Varicose veins are caused from tired vein flexibility so it will be helpful to improve the blood flow back to the heart in order to reduce the varicose veins by raising the legs up higher than the heart.

Compression stockings
Compression stockings when wore on the legs help the blood return from superficial veins into the larger and deeper veins thus reducing the venous pressure.

Avoid wearing high heeled shoes
High heeled shoes reduce the flow of blood to the lower leg muscles when the heel and the legs are stretched.

Keep to an ideal weight
Overweight people are more susceptible to varicose veins.

Prescribed oral contraceptives
Contraceptive drugs may cause vein thrombosis and wider veins.

Avoid bodysuits
The body suits that are too tight causes decrease blood circulation in the body.

Strengthen the muscle of the veins in legs and feet
By doing exercise such as dancing, swimming, running, riding bicycle working out frequently etc.

Leg massage
Patients of varicose veins should avoid leg massage as this may cause thrombosis or slipping of blood clots if present earlier in the varicose veins and may cause an emergency.