the awareness that prolonged sitting can predispose one to this often-painful condition.
Complications of DVT
The most dangerous complication of DVT is pulmonary embolism, a life-threatening medical emergency caused when a piece of a clot in the leg breaks off, travels to the lungs and blocks blood flow to a portion of the lung.
Pulmonary embolism manifests with any combination of the following symptoms:
- Severe and acute shortness of breath (dyspnea)
- Sharp chest pain upon inhaling deeply that can mimic a heart attack (myocardial infarction)
- A cough that may produce blood or blood-tinged sputum
- Rapid heartbeat that may or may not be irregular
- Dizziness
- Pain or swelling of the lower leg (related to DVT)
- Fever
- Skin that is cold or clammy to the touch, and potentially discolored with a blue hue (cyanosis).
Another potential complication of DVT is postphlebitic syndrome, which occurs in approximately five percent of cases. The symptoms of this condition include:
- Changes in skin color
- Itchiness (pruritis)
- Leg edema (swelling)
- Lymphedema
- Numbness
- Leg ulcers
- Skin infections
Diagnosis and treatment
There are several…