Deep Vein Thrombosis

Deep Vein Thrombosis – General Information

Deep Vein Thrombosis – Symptoms

Deep Vein Thrombosis – Treatment

Before establishing the diagnosis, your doctor will probably inform about your medical history and he will recommend you to take some tests. In what concerns your medical history, the doctor will ask for information about the overall health, the recent surgeries, any drugs you have been taking recently and whether you suffer of cancer or not. The physical test consists of a short examination of your legs, your blood pressure, your lungs and your heart for any signs of Deep Vein Thrombosis. Other tests which are usually performed in order to obtain a sure diagnosis are discussed below. Ultrasound test: the results of this test consist of some pictures which represents the blood flowing through the veins and the arteries in the affected leg. Venography: this kind of test is recommended when the ultrasound test does not offer clear results. This test consists of injecting a substance in the vein and then taking an x-ray of the leg. The substance will make the vein visible and the doctor can observe whether the blood flows normally or not.

D-dimer test: this test gives information about the possibility of the development o blood clots. It analyzes a substance which is released in the blood when a clot dissolves. If the level of this substance is high, then the patient is more likely to presents deep blood clots. The main purposes of the treatment which is administrated in the case of Deep Vein Thrombosis are to stop the development and growth of the existing clot, to prevent to arrival of the clot to the lungs and to diminish the possibility of having a new blood clot. A common way of treating Deep Vein Thrombosis is the administration of medicines. The most common types of drugs which are administrated are the following:

• Anticoagulants: these substances are used in order to reduce the possibility of the blood to form clots; in addition, they stop the existing clots from getting bigger but hey do not have the power to break up these blood clots. These drugs can be injected under the skin or they can be administrated orally or using s tube which is introduced into a vein. This kind of treatment usually lasts for a couple of months, but there are some situations in which the length of the treatment can be modified: the period can be shorter when the clop appeared after a surgery and it can be longer when the patient suffered from this disorder previously or when he also suffers of other diseases, such as cancer. 
• Thrombin inhibitors:
• Thrombolytics

Another way of treating Deep Vein Thrombosis is using a filter, which is inserted in a big vein. It collects the blood clots which break before they reach the lungs. However, this method can not stop the appearance of new clots.  In order to avoid the appearance of Deep Vein Thrombosis, people should try to organize better their life-style, they should visit their doctor regularly and they should take all the medicines they are prescribed.