Blood, one of the vital bodily fluids, is continuously flowing through our arteries and veins; besides this tremendous job of keeping a constant level of blood in circulation, it is also responsible for transporting oxygen and nutrients throughout the body, as well as it represents the way in which waste is removed, with the help of kidneys. Another important role the blood plays in our complex organism is thermoregulation, this process implies that through blood, heat is distributed and absorbed throughout the body as needed, maintaining a normal and constant core temperature. When the continuous flow of blood is disturbed, because the consistency of the blood thickens, blood clots form.
What is a Blood Clot?
A blood clot, also known as a thrombus, represents a mass of fibrin and blood cells, that is formed as a result of hemostasis, commonly known as coagulation. When blood clots, it does so to stop the bleeding and repair the damage, all in order to keep us from bleeding out whenever we injure ourselves. The blood clots’ process of appearance is a very complex one, as it is performed in steps and requires the good functioning of numerous components like the vessels’ musculature, blood cells, and many coagulation factors.
The first step of hemostasis is vasoconstriction, which slows the blood flow, then the platelets cover and repair the tissue damage, and in the final step, the platelets are replaced with fibrinous tissue. The result of this complicated process is the blood clot, and usually, there is another step that includes dissolving the blood clot and eliminating the waste through the bloodstream.
|
Type |
Symptoms present at the affected area |
Onset of symptoms |
Cause of symptoms |
Complications |
|
Arterial thrombus (Arterial embolism) |
cold feeling no pulse lack of movement paralysis pain weakness discoloration of the skin |
Almost immediate |
The blockage of the artery leads to oxygen deprivation in the organs it’s supplying |
intense pain stroke heart attack paralysis |
|
Venous blood clot (Venous thrombosis) |
swelling pain tenderness increased warmth cramps aching red skin |
Late onset (it takes longer for the blood clot in veins to form) |
The blockage of the vein in question leads to swelling of the area, as the venous return is disturbed |
deep vein thrombosis |