Signs and Symptoms
The first indication that someone may have a clotting disorder may be the presence of a blood clot somewhere in the body that is blocking the flow of blood through a blood vessel (thrombotic episode). The signs and symptoms that may develop depend on the location of the clot. For example, when a blood clot is present in the deep vein of a leg (DVT), one of the most common complications, signs and symptoms may include:
- Leg pain or tenderness, usually in one leg
- Leg swelling, edema
- Discoloration of the leg
If the clot occurs elsewhere in the body, it may cause symptoms associated with, for example, a heart attack, stroke, or a clot in a blood vessel of a lung (pulmonary embolism).
A doctor will investigate the underlying cause of the thrombotic episode and will try to determine the person's risk of recurrent blood clots. He may do an extensive workup to find a cause if someone has repeated thrombotic episodes and/or if the affected person is young (less than 50 years old) and/or if the clot occurs in an unusual site in the body.
