Apulmonary embolus(PE) occurs when material lodges in and obstructs (blocks) the pulmonary artery or one of its branches. Most often, the material is a blood clot, but in rare cases, there may be other causes of the blockage.
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Common Cause
If a thrombus (blood clot) that has formed in a major vein in the body breaks off, travels through theright side of the heart, and lodges in the pulmonary circulation, it becomes a PE.
Pulmonary embolus typically occurs when a dislodgeddeep vein thrombosis(DVT) in the arm or leg travels to an artery in the lungs. DVTs have a variety of potentialcauses.
Pulmonary embolus and deep vein thrombosis are so closely tied that if you have one of these conditions, your doctor will order tests to see if you have the other one as well.
Rarer Causes
A PE can occur due to other types of blockage besides a DVT.
Less common causes of PE include:
Blood Clots After Surgery
Risk Factors
Because a PE is almost always the result of DVT, the risk factors for these two conditions are virtually identical.
2:22Common Causes & Risk Factors for Blood Clots
2:22
Common Causes & Risk Factors for Blood Clots
These include risk factors related to lifestyle, including:
In addition to these chronic, lifestyle-related risk factors, several medical conditions can substantially increase the risk of PE.
Some of these risks are temporary or situational in nature; others create a more chronic, long-term risk:
If you have any of these conditions, you should make every effort to reduce your risk of developing DVT or PE. You may be prescribed medications to prevent your risk of blood clots. Getting plenty of exercise and keeping your weight under control are important; not smoking is critical.
Frequently Asked QuestionsIn some women, combination hormonal birth control can increase the risk of blood clots, which can cause a pulmonary embolism (PE, a blood clot that blocks a blood vessel to the lungs). However, the overall risk of a PE is very low and it is actually higher for pregnant women than for nonpregnant women who take hormonal contraceptives. The birth control patch and pills with higher levels of theprogestindrospirenone pose a higher risk compared to other forms of hormonal birth control.Cancer, obesity, pregnancy, and coagulation disorders such as factor V Leiden canincrease blood clotting. Certain medications, including hormonal birth control or hormone replacement therapy, and lifestyle factors such as smoking, being sedentary, and inactivity during long-distance travel or after surgery can also make you more likely to develop blood clots.
Frequently Asked Questions
In some women, combination hormonal birth control can increase the risk of blood clots, which can cause a pulmonary embolism (PE, a blood clot that blocks a blood vessel to the lungs). However, the overall risk of a PE is very low and it is actually higher for pregnant women than for nonpregnant women who take hormonal contraceptives. The birth control patch and pills with higher levels of theprogestindrospirenone pose a higher risk compared to other forms of hormonal birth control.
Cancer, obesity, pregnancy, and coagulation disorders such as factor V Leiden canincrease blood clotting. Certain medications, including hormonal birth control or hormone replacement therapy, and lifestyle factors such as smoking, being sedentary, and inactivity during long-distance travel or after surgery can also make you more likely to develop blood clots.
Pulmonary Embolism Diagnosis: The 3-Step Process
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Data and statistics on venous thromboembolism.American Thoracic Society.Pulmonary embolism.Kosova E, Bergmark B, Piazza G.Fat embolism syndrome.Circulation. 2015 Jan 20;131(3):317-20. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.114.010835Gordy S, Rowell S.Vascular air embolism.Int J Crit Illn Inj Sci. 2013;3(1):73-76. doi:10.4103/2229-5151.109428Thongrong C, Kasemsiri P, Hofmann JP, et al.Amniotic fluid embolism.Int J Crit Illn Inj Sci. 2013;3(1):51-57. doi:10.4103/2229-5151.109422Latchana N, Daniel VC, Gould RW, Pollock RE.Pulmonary tumor embolism secondary to soft tissue and bone sarcomas: A case report and literature review.World J Surg Oncol. 2017;15(1):168. doi:10.1186/s12957-017-1223-3Cleveland Clinic.Pulmonary embolism: Who is at risk.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What is venous thromboembolism?University of Michigan Health.Hormonal birth control: Risk of blood clots.American Heart Association.What is excessive blood clotting (hypercoagulation)?Additional ReadingAlotaibi GS, Wu C, Senthilselvan A, McMurtry MS.Secular trends in incidence and mortality of acute venous thromboembolism: The AB-VTE population-based study.Am J Med.2016 Aug;129(8):879.e19-25. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2016.01.041Søgaard KK, Schmidt M, Pedersen L, et al.30-year mortality after venous thromboembolism: A population-based cohort study.Circulation.2014; 130:829. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.114.009107
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Data and statistics on venous thromboembolism.American Thoracic Society.Pulmonary embolism.Kosova E, Bergmark B, Piazza G.Fat embolism syndrome.Circulation. 2015 Jan 20;131(3):317-20. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.114.010835Gordy S, Rowell S.Vascular air embolism.Int J Crit Illn Inj Sci. 2013;3(1):73-76. doi:10.4103/2229-5151.109428Thongrong C, Kasemsiri P, Hofmann JP, et al.Amniotic fluid embolism.Int J Crit Illn Inj Sci. 2013;3(1):51-57. doi:10.4103/2229-5151.109422Latchana N, Daniel VC, Gould RW, Pollock RE.Pulmonary tumor embolism secondary to soft tissue and bone sarcomas: A case report and literature review.World J Surg Oncol. 2017;15(1):168. doi:10.1186/s12957-017-1223-3Cleveland Clinic.Pulmonary embolism: Who is at risk.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What is venous thromboembolism?University of Michigan Health.Hormonal birth control: Risk of blood clots.American Heart Association.What is excessive blood clotting (hypercoagulation)?Additional ReadingAlotaibi GS, Wu C, Senthilselvan A, McMurtry MS.Secular trends in incidence and mortality of acute venous thromboembolism: The AB-VTE population-based study.Am J Med.2016 Aug;129(8):879.e19-25. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2016.01.041Søgaard KK, Schmidt M, Pedersen L, et al.30-year mortality after venous thromboembolism: A population-based cohort study.Circulation.2014; 130:829. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.114.009107
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Data and statistics on venous thromboembolism.American Thoracic Society.Pulmonary embolism.Kosova E, Bergmark B, Piazza G.Fat embolism syndrome.Circulation. 2015 Jan 20;131(3):317-20. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.114.010835Gordy S, Rowell S.Vascular air embolism.Int J Crit Illn Inj Sci. 2013;3(1):73-76. doi:10.4103/2229-5151.109428Thongrong C, Kasemsiri P, Hofmann JP, et al.Amniotic fluid embolism.Int J Crit Illn Inj Sci. 2013;3(1):51-57. doi:10.4103/2229-5151.109422Latchana N, Daniel VC, Gould RW, Pollock RE.Pulmonary tumor embolism secondary to soft tissue and bone sarcomas: A case report and literature review.World J Surg Oncol. 2017;15(1):168. doi:10.1186/s12957-017-1223-3Cleveland Clinic.Pulmonary embolism: Who is at risk.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What is venous thromboembolism?University of Michigan Health.Hormonal birth control: Risk of blood clots.American Heart Association.What is excessive blood clotting (hypercoagulation)?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Data and statistics on venous thromboembolism.
American Thoracic Society.Pulmonary embolism.
Kosova E, Bergmark B, Piazza G.Fat embolism syndrome.Circulation. 2015 Jan 20;131(3):317-20. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.114.010835
Gordy S, Rowell S.Vascular air embolism.Int J Crit Illn Inj Sci. 2013;3(1):73-76. doi:10.4103/2229-5151.109428
Thongrong C, Kasemsiri P, Hofmann JP, et al.Amniotic fluid embolism.Int J Crit Illn Inj Sci. 2013;3(1):51-57. doi:10.4103/2229-5151.109422
Latchana N, Daniel VC, Gould RW, Pollock RE.Pulmonary tumor embolism secondary to soft tissue and bone sarcomas: A case report and literature review.World J Surg Oncol. 2017;15(1):168. doi:10.1186/s12957-017-1223-3
Cleveland Clinic.Pulmonary embolism: Who is at risk.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.What is venous thromboembolism?
University of Michigan Health.Hormonal birth control: Risk of blood clots.
American Heart Association.What is excessive blood clotting (hypercoagulation)?
Alotaibi GS, Wu C, Senthilselvan A, McMurtry MS.Secular trends in incidence and mortality of acute venous thromboembolism: The AB-VTE population-based study.Am J Med.2016 Aug;129(8):879.e19-25. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2016.01.041Søgaard KK, Schmidt M, Pedersen L, et al.30-year mortality after venous thromboembolism: A population-based cohort study.Circulation.2014; 130:829. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.114.009107
Alotaibi GS, Wu C, Senthilselvan A, McMurtry MS.Secular trends in incidence and mortality of acute venous thromboembolism: The AB-VTE population-based study.Am J Med.2016 Aug;129(8):879.e19-25. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2016.01.041
Søgaard KK, Schmidt M, Pedersen L, et al.30-year mortality after venous thromboembolism: A population-based cohort study.Circulation.2014; 130:829. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.114.009107
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