The formation of blood blot is a physiological process that occurs to stop bleeding. The clot is broken down and removed when the bleeding has stopped. Although, this might not occur immediately. A clot that forms inside the vessel, such as the vein, might not dissolve by itself. This kind of situation can be life-threatening and is a medical emergency. Also, some people get too many clots. In other words, some people have blood clotting problems. There are many conditions that can be responsible for this. Some of them include genetic disorders, atherosclerosis, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, smoking, obesity, cancer and so on. Before going into pathologies, it’s important to understand how blood clot forms.

How Does Blood Clot?

The formation of a clot depends on some chemical processes and reactions. Below are some of them;

  1. Platelet plug: Platelet plugs are materials that are formed when a vessel is damaged. These tiny bits in the blood are induced when any vessel is damaged. They attach themselves to the wall of the area affected in the vessel, and aggregate, to block it. On activation, these platelets also release chemicals which further attracts more platelets to the area.
  2. The growth of the clot: There are some proteins in the blood that causes a rapid chain reaction. This process ends with a dissolved substance in the blood that turns into long strands of fibrin. This fibrin together with the platelets forms a plug that is more durable and tough.
  3. Reaction stops its growth: Other proteins causes a reaction that stops the clot from spreading farther than where it needs to be.
  4. Breakdown of clot: The body breaks down the clot, as the damaged tissue heals. The tough and durable fibrin strands breakdown and the blood absorb the platelets and cells of the clot.

 

What Are The Types Of Blood Clots?

The circulatory system constitutes two main vessels. These are the veins and the arteries. While the arteries transport oxygenated blood away from the heart, the veins carry deoxygenated blood to the heart. A blood clot that forms in an artery is known as an arterial clot. This type of clot leads to symptoms that could be life-threatening. Some of the symptoms of this include severe pain, paralysis of the affected parts. Others include heart attack, stroke and so on.

On the other hand, a blood clot that forms in the vein is known as a venous clot. This usually takes a long time to build up. Although, they are still life-threatening. The most severe of this type of condition is deep vein thrombosis.

Deep Vein Thrombosis

This is a condition in which the clot forms in one of the major veins in the body. This is more prevalent in the legs, arms, pelvis, lungs and sometimes the brain. There is no way to diagnose this condition without medical evaluation and test. However, there are some factors and symptoms that develop which can help in seeking professional help.

 

Development of Blood Clot in The Extremities

The most common part of the body where clot develops is in the lower leg and the arm. Some of the symptoms associated with this include the following;

  • Swelling
  • Pain
  • Reddish discoloration
  • Warm sensation
  • Tenderness

The symptoms presented by the patient totally depends on the size of the clot. This explains why people with small sized clots don’t present with any symptom. However, if the clot is large, the entire leg of the patient might become swollen, and with extensive pain. It’s rare to have blood clots in both legs at the same time,

Development Of Blood Clot In The Heart

The formation of a blood clot in the heart leads to a heart attack. Although it’s uncommon for this to happen in the heart, it still occurs. A blood clot in the heart can cause the patient to feel some heaviness in their heart. Other symptoms include lightheadedness and shortness of breath

Development Of Clot In The Brain

The development of a blood clot in the brain leads to a condition known as stroke. Stroke is a condition in which there is an insufficient flow of blood to the brain. It is one of the most leading causes of death in the world. Body tissues and cells begin to die when they don’t receive a good supply of oxygen, however, the duration in tissues differ. As an illustration, brain cells begin to die off in less than five minutes of no oxygen supply. The brain cells that don’t receive sufficient oxygen begins to die off. There are two types of stroke. These are ischemic and hemorrhagic. Blood clots lead to ischemic stroke.

  • Ischemic stroke: The occurs when the brain or some parts of the brain does not get enough oxygen it needs to function. Most times, this could be as a result of substances blocking the vessels. These substances could be fat plaques, blood clots, atheromatous substances, clumps of bacteria or their remnants, thrombus, and embolus etc. Naturally, ischemia occurs when a tissue does not get sufficient oxygen and nutrients to function. The same applies to the brain, except that the brain cells start dying, just in about less than five hours. Stroke affects the cognition, movement, speech, and memories of individuals affected. In severe cases, it can lead to the paralysis of a section of the body.
  • Hemorrhagic stroke: This occurs when there is bleeding in the arteries of the brain. This can be due to rupture of an aneurysm. Berry an aneurysm is the most common one in the brain, and it occurs in the anterior communicating arteries. The rupture of any vessel in the brain lead to fluid accumulation, and subsequently, the compression of important parts of the brain and other blood vessels. This loss of blood and associated compression on the brain and other vessels can lead to stroke and death if not controlled promptly.

What Are Risk Factors Of Blood Clot?

There are some factors that increase the chances of developing a blood clot. Below are some of these factors

  • Age
  • Obesity
  • Pregnancy
  • Cancer
  • Birth control pills.

Treatment

These are drugs that can be used to stop platelets from developing into clots. They include;

  • Aspirin
  • Clopidogrel
  • Dipyridamole
  • Ticlopidine

References

How much of the world do you need for meaningful clinical trials?. (2011). European Heart Journal, 32(24), pp.3057-3063.

Slattery, M. (1996). How Much Physical Activity Do We Need to Maintain Health and Prevent Disease? Different Diseases-Different Mechanisms. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 67(2), pp.209-212.