A thrombus prevents blood from circulating normally.
Thrombus is a concept used in medicine to name a blood mass that appears within a vein , an artery or a capillary . Before delving fully into analyzing the meaning of the term, we can say that its etymological origin emanates from Greek, more precisely from the word grumo , which can be translated as “clot” .
The development of a thrombus can prevent normal blood circulation and prevent flow from reaching an organ or part of the body, which can cause serious health problems. A thrombus, therefore, can cause the destruction of tissue to cause the death of the victim.
Symptoms of the existence of a thrombus
There are various symptoms that indicate that there is a thrombus somewhere in the body. Specifically, among the most frequent are the following:
- Pain after playing sports that arises spontaneously and that decreases or disappears when the legs are raised.
- Redness of the legs.
- The superficial veins are very marked.
- Sensation of heat and heaviness.
- Specific pain in the extremities.
- Edema.
- Increased heart rate.
- Fever.
- Dyspnoea.
When the clot is created in a certain vessel and stays there, it is called a thrombus. On the other hand, if the clot appears in one part of the body and then moves to another, we are dealing with a case of embolism .
Thrombus can appear for different reasons.
Causes of appearance
Thrombus can appear for various reasons. When a person suffers an alteration in blood flow (due to being at rest for a long time, for example), it is possible that they suffer a thrombus. The same can occur from changes in the composition of the blood or from the rupture of a vessel.
In addition to all of the above, we have to say that there are certain people who are more predisposed to suffering from a thrombus . Specifically, we are referring to those who are older, those who have undergone major surgical interventions, pregnant women or those taking oral contraceptives, those who suffer from inflammatory bowel pathologies...
Of course, we must not forget that, in the same way, it is more common for it to occur in people who spend a lot of time bedridden or immobilized due to heart failure or a stroke, for example.
Various medical treatments are currently being used to prevent the appearance of blood clots in all those individuals prone to suffering from them. Hence, they are prescribed certain medications and advised to take actions regarding nutrition, such as salt reduction.
Types of thrombi
It is possible to classify a thrombus as red or white according to the arrangement of the blood components. The red thrombus , also called coagulation thrombus , exhibits the components disordered and mixed. In the white thrombus , which can be called apposition thrombus , the blood components are organized transversely and alternating with depressed spaces.
It should be noted that the process of developing a thrombus and the clot itself are known as thrombosis , a disorder that can cause a stroke or heart attack.