What is calf in human body?
Calf is the posterior section of the lower leg. It is the two largest muscles located behind your shin bone. This muscle helps the body to perform activities like walking, jumping, stand fit on your toes etc.
What is Blood clot?
Blood clot can be described as any physical injury that causes an inflammation or swelling of the tissue, a condition that affects the blood vessels. This condition can occur in any part of the body where blood vessels become blocked and stop carrying blood to the right places.
Calf blood clot, often refers to as leg blood clot, occurs when there is a blockage that stops blood from flowing to the blood veins in the calf region. It’s not uncommon for a calf blood clot to be diagnosed many years after any other types of blood clot. Meaning, people diagnosed with some kind of blood clot are likely to develop the calf blood clot later in their life.
The calf as described earlier, is the area of the leg that has thick skin and muscles, is likely to be affected by blood clots. However in the early stage of calf blood clots, certain symptoms and signs are vivid.
Usually pains or cramps in the leg that may feel like a muscle pull, discomfort and soreness are few of the many signs to noticed when experiencing calf blood clot or leg blood clot.
Blood clot in leg veins are termed Deep Vein thrombosis (DVT) whiles blood clot is known as thrombus. Thrombus occurs usually in the leg. Deep leg thrombosis can cause mild leg pains and swelling however in some cases, may show no symptoms at all.
Blood clot can be caused by many factors, including sitting for long periods, certain illness, accident and certain medications.
Irregular exercise that can enable blood flow or lack of exercise can be the underlying factor in people who suffer from obesity. Some conditions that affect how blood flows in your body can trigger blood clot in the body.
Read on for the symptoms to look out for when you have Deep vein thrombosis and some preventive measures
Possible Signs and Symptoms of deep vein thrombosis
Most people who think of calf blood clot are simply thinking of pain. It is true that some blood clots may be associated with pain, however, some people don’t have symptoms at all during the early stage.
Look out for this signs or symptoms. you may be suffering from deep vein thrombosis if you have one of the following;
1. Leg swelling : during early stage of deep vein thrombosis, you will notice an abnormal enlargement around your calf. This is usually refers to as an inflammation in the blood vessels.
Have you ever noticed that when you’re injured and bleed, the affected area becomes swollen and numb? That is exactly what you feel in your calf or leg. Basically, when blood stops flowing to any part of your body, that body part becomes swollen.
2. Pain in the leg: Inflammation and swelling comes with pain. Due to blood flow restriction to the affected part, the vessels become numb and lifeless. There is no blood flow for mobility.
If you noticed pains in any part of your leg accompanied by swelling without any physical known injury, you may be suffering from calf leg clot.
3. changes in skin color: calf and the skin within the section may change to red or purple. Depending on the type of skin discoloration may vary however if you noticed any change in you skin on your leg either than sun burn or known injuries, you might be suffering from calf leg clot.
4. warm feeling on calf or other part of the leg: inflammations are usually accompanied with warm feeling and high in body temperature. Your affected leg will feel warm.
Note: you can still have calf leg blood clot and still show no symptoms. In this case, frequent health screening will be able to detect if you have deep vein thrombosis.
When to see a doctor
It is however, advisable to report any health related issues to your doctor. If you notice blood clot on any part of your body you may want to take immediate action by massaging around the areas with warm water to help warm the clot around the affected area and ease pain temporarily.
Speak to your health professional about it. They will provide the best and appropriate medications to clear the clot completely from your body.
Untreated blood clots effects
Untreated condition can result in complications in the future. Large clots in any part of the body may result in heart failure, chest pain, leg paralysis, among others.
This complications can be fatal. However study shows that people with untreated deep vein thrombosis have higher chance of developing severe pulmonary embolisms(a condition where one of the pulmonary arteries get blocked by blood clots that travels from veins in other part of the body, deep vein thrombosis)
Prevention
The following preventive measures will help prevent blood clot and promote smooth flow of blood to other parts of your body. These are not magic strategies but lifestyles you can adapt to.
- Avoid smoking: smoking has said to have caused numerous illness and health conditions in people. The chemical in tobacco has been said to contain almost 66 chemical substances that can make your body susceptible to different kind illness.
⦁ Put in check your blood pressure: blood pressure has been responsible to many sicknesses in the body. You can speak with your doctor to check if your blood pressure in high, low or moderate. Low or high blood pressure is not the best health condition and can result in many underlying health issues.
⦁ Regular exercise: regular exercise will promote blood flow in your body. Blood can flow to all parts of the vessels and veins in the body thereby preventing clot.
⦁ Do not sit at one place for too long. Allow the body to move. you can walk few distance then continue sitting again.
⦁ lose weight if you are overweight. Obesity can cause many health issues. excessive weight helps no one. before you try to lose weight try to speak to a dietician as they may be able to provide you with the healthy and best options. Do not starve to lose weight. That hasn’t help anyone!
Takeaway
Deep vein thrombosis can occur in any part of your body. Truth is it can occur anywhere blood flows in your body. Inasmuch the above symptoms may be associated with calf blood clot, we advise you consult your doctor before taking any precaution nor even treatment.
Meanwhile, the above signs and symptoms are not limited to only blood clot related health issues, however these symptoms can be some underlying health problems which we suggest you speak with your doctor.
DISCLAIMER
This content is intended to provide and educate the reader. However it must not be used in place of medically proven reports.All issues regarding health, diseases and infections control and treatments should be addressed to the health national authorities. Munoji does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.