Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCan You Prevent Them?Prevention in the HospitalPrevention While Laying DownPrevention on MedicationOther Prevention MethodsStopping Them When They StartIf You Suspect a Blood Clot
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Can You Prevent Them?
Prevention in the Hospital
Prevention While Laying Down
Prevention on Medication
Other Prevention Methods
Stopping Them When They Start
If You Suspect a Blood Clot
Blood clotsor thrombosis can happen to anyone, but there are some situations that increase the risk of blood clots. Blood clots range in severity, from mild with pain and swelling symptoms to serious with severe illness and complications. Early detection helps prevent complications such as restricted blood supply to the veins or clotting in the lungs (pulmonary embolism).There are many ways to prevent blood clots, including walking after surgery, wearingcompression socks, and staying ahead of the warning signs.
This article will explain what prevents blood clotting or how to avoid blood clots in the hospital, while laying down, and while taking certain medications, as well as other ways of preventing blood clots.
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Can You Prevent Blood Clots?
Blood clots are preventable and treatable with early detection.Part of preventing blood clots comes down to knowing the signs. The most common symptoms that will occur in the affected body area include:
It won’t always be obvious that someone has a blood clot. About half of all people with deep vein blood clots, known asdeep vein thrombosis, for example, have no detectable symptoms.This is why preventing blood clots comes down to more than monitoring for signs. There are active ways to reduce risk, even if you don’t have symptoms.
Pulmonary Embolism
How to Prevent Blood Clots in the Hospital
If you’re in the hospital after surgery, there are ways to prevent blood clots. Moving around again as soon as possible is recommended, especially if you have been on bed rest or lying down in recovery after an injury, illness, or surgery.
For people with a greater risk of developing blood clots for any reason or for people with deep vein thrombosis (DVT), compression stockings ormedical compression socksare effective to help prevent blood clotting in the legs, as well as the exercises and medications discussed later in this article.
What Causes Blood Clots in Early Pregnancy?
How to Prevent Blood Clots While Lying Down
There are many cases in which you may be lying down for long periods of time, including recovering in a hospital or at home from illness, injury, or surgery. If you are onbed rest for a medical condition (including pregnancy)or you live with a chronic illness that includes extreme fatigue as a symptom, there are ways to prevent blood clots.
General recommendations for people who want to prevent blood clots when sitting or remaining sedentary for long periods, (e.g., while traveling for more than four hours) include:
Exercises you can do while laying down include:
Taking Blood Thinners Before, During, and After Surgery
How to Prevent Blood Clots From Medications
Other medications that may increase the risk of blood clots include:
People who take hormonal birth control and have additional risk factors for blood clots are at a greater risk.
Your healthcare provider may suggest different methods of birth control to prevent blood clots or reduce risk including:
Other Ways to Prevent Blood Clots
Other ways to prevent blood clots include making lifestyle changes to reduce any risk factors and maintain your health. Experts recommend the following other ways to prevent blood clots:
Stopping Blood Clots at Symptom Onset
While blood clots are serious and can lead to disability or even death, there are several ways of stopping blood clots at symptom onset including:
Some people may require blood clots surgery, including those who cannot take medications for blood clots and those experiencing DVT. Surgery can include blood clot removal or the use of an inferior vena cava (IVC) filter, which is a method of implanting a catching or trapping system for blood clots to prevent them from traveling to the lungs.
Can I Take a Natural Remedy for Blood Clots?Certain foods and natural remedies, such ashorse chestnutextract, have been discussed for their potential in treating blood clots due to their effect on blood flow circulation. More rigorous research is necessary before assessing the risks versus benefits of blood clot prevention or treatment.Before taking any natural remedies or herbs for blood clots, remember that there arecontraindications or adverse reactions when taking other medications, such as blood thinners or diabetes medication. Consult with your healthcare provider about any possible reactions to your current medication list.
Can I Take a Natural Remedy for Blood Clots?
Certain foods and natural remedies, such ashorse chestnutextract, have been discussed for their potential in treating blood clots due to their effect on blood flow circulation. More rigorous research is necessary before assessing the risks versus benefits of blood clot prevention or treatment.Before taking any natural remedies or herbs for blood clots, remember that there arecontraindications or adverse reactions when taking other medications, such as blood thinners or diabetes medication. Consult with your healthcare provider about any possible reactions to your current medication list.
Blood Thinners: What You Should Know
Blood clots lead to death for around 100,000 people per year in the United States.If you suspect you have a blood clot, seek medical consultation from a healthcare provider.
When to Seek Emergency CareIf you see signs of a blood clot, consult with your healthcare provider. If you experience any of these following severe signs that could indicate a potential risk for pulmonary embolism, seek emergency care at the ER or call 911.Irregular or faster-than-usual heartbeatShortness of breath (unexplained)Generalized chest pain or pain while deep breathingFeeling faint or dizzy (experiencing very low blood pressure)Coughing up blood
When to Seek Emergency Care
If you see signs of a blood clot, consult with your healthcare provider. If you experience any of these following severe signs that could indicate a potential risk for pulmonary embolism, seek emergency care at the ER or call 911.Irregular or faster-than-usual heartbeatShortness of breath (unexplained)Generalized chest pain or pain while deep breathingFeeling faint or dizzy (experiencing very low blood pressure)Coughing up blood
If you see signs of a blood clot, consult with your healthcare provider. If you experience any of these following severe signs that could indicate a potential risk for pulmonary embolism, seek emergency care at the ER or call 911.
What Is Deep Vein Thrombosis?
Summary
There are many ways to prevent blood clots. Knowing the risk factors and the signs and symptoms of blood clots can help you detect blood clots early and get treatment. Risk factors include things you can modify, such as lifestyle, as well as taking certain medications. Early signs of blood clots include pain, swelling, heat, and redness.
Serious signs of deep vein thrombosis include difficulty breathing and chest pain. Any sign of a blood clot warrants consulting with your healthcare provider. If you’re in doubt or experiencing signs of DVT, go to the ER or call 911. Treatment involves medications and—in some cases—surgery.
14 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.March is blood clot awareness month.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About venous thromboembolism.NIH News in Health.How to spot and prevent deep vein thrombosis.The North American Thrombosis Forum.Under pressure: Compression stockings 101.University of Utah.Exercise after knee replacement surgery.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.FDA Drug Safety Communication: Safety review update on the possible increased risk of blood clots with birth control pills containing drospirenone.UpToDate.Patient education: deep vein thrombosis (DVT) (beyond the basics).National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Women and venous thromboembolism (VTE).U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Your guide to preventing and treating blood clots.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Testing and diagnosis for venous thromboembolism.Texas Heart Institute.Antiplatelet therapy.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Inferior vena cava (IVC) filter placement.National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Horse chestnut.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Impact of blood clots on the United States infographic.
14 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.March is blood clot awareness month.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About venous thromboembolism.NIH News in Health.How to spot and prevent deep vein thrombosis.The North American Thrombosis Forum.Under pressure: Compression stockings 101.University of Utah.Exercise after knee replacement surgery.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.FDA Drug Safety Communication: Safety review update on the possible increased risk of blood clots with birth control pills containing drospirenone.UpToDate.Patient education: deep vein thrombosis (DVT) (beyond the basics).National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Women and venous thromboembolism (VTE).U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Your guide to preventing and treating blood clots.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Testing and diagnosis for venous thromboembolism.Texas Heart Institute.Antiplatelet therapy.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Inferior vena cava (IVC) filter placement.National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Horse chestnut.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Impact of blood clots on the United States infographic.
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.March is blood clot awareness month.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About venous thromboembolism.NIH News in Health.How to spot and prevent deep vein thrombosis.The North American Thrombosis Forum.Under pressure: Compression stockings 101.University of Utah.Exercise after knee replacement surgery.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.FDA Drug Safety Communication: Safety review update on the possible increased risk of blood clots with birth control pills containing drospirenone.UpToDate.Patient education: deep vein thrombosis (DVT) (beyond the basics).National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Women and venous thromboembolism (VTE).U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Your guide to preventing and treating blood clots.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Testing and diagnosis for venous thromboembolism.Texas Heart Institute.Antiplatelet therapy.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Inferior vena cava (IVC) filter placement.National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Horse chestnut.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Impact of blood clots on the United States infographic.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.March is blood clot awareness month.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About venous thromboembolism.
NIH News in Health.How to spot and prevent deep vein thrombosis.
The North American Thrombosis Forum.Under pressure: Compression stockings 101.
University of Utah.Exercise after knee replacement surgery.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.FDA Drug Safety Communication: Safety review update on the possible increased risk of blood clots with birth control pills containing drospirenone.
UpToDate.Patient education: deep vein thrombosis (DVT) (beyond the basics).
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Women and venous thromboembolism (VTE).
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Your guide to preventing and treating blood clots.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Testing and diagnosis for venous thromboembolism.
Texas Heart Institute.Antiplatelet therapy.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Inferior vena cava (IVC) filter placement.
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.Horse chestnut.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Impact of blood clots on the United States infographic.
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