Two common conditions can ’cause blood clots’ – NHS warns of ‘very serious’ life threatening

Two common conditions can lead to blood clots in the veins if there has been no injury; is obesity and heart disease. The National Health Service warns that a clot can become stuck in the bloodstream, which can block vital blood flow to organs. For example, if blood flow to the brain is interrupted, a life-threatening mini-stroke can occur.

“Blood clots can be very serious and need to be treated quickly,” says the NHS, so how do you know if you have them?

Symptoms of a blood clot may include “throbbing or cramping pain, swelling, redness, and fever in the leg or arm.”

A blood clot can also lead to “sudden shortness of breath, sharp chest pain (may get worse with inspiration), and coughing or hemoptysis.”

The National Health Service recommends that people experiencing any of these symptoms “call 111”.

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Obesity

If you’re overweight, you’re more likely to form useless blood clots, so losing weight in a healthy way is paramount.

To find out if you can lose a few pounds, measure your waist circumference.

To measure your waist:

• Locate the bottom of the ribs and the top of the thighs.
• Wrap the measuring tape around your waist midway between these points.
• Exhale naturally before measuring.

The NHS recommends losing weight if your waistline is:

• 94 cm (37 inches) or more for men
• 80 cm (31.5 inches) or more for women.

“If you already have cardiovascular disease, staying as healthy as possible can reduce the chance of it getting worse,” adds the National Health Service.

Because cardiovascular disease increases the risk of blood clots, if someone blocks the flow of blood to the heart, a heart attack occurs.

To minimize such a life-threatening risk, people should eat a “balanced diet”.

This means a diet full of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and plenty of fiber.