Can Blood Clots Kill You?

The short answer to the question, "Can blood clots kill you?" is a definite yes.

Blood clots happen when blood thickens and clumps together into a gel-like or semisolid state. A clot, or thrombus, that forms deep in a vein can break off and travel through the bloodstream, blocking circulation to critical organs.

When a loose clot, called an embolus, travels to the lungs, it can cause serious damage or even death. This condition is known as a pulmonary embolism or PE. As many as 900,000 people a year in the United States alone are believed to die of pulmonary embolisms,

Most deep vein blood clots occur in the lower leg or thigh, but they also can occur in other parts of the body. Clots that form in veins closer to the skin’s surface won’t break off and cause a PE.

Blood clots in the thigh are more dangerous because they're more likely to break off and cause a PE than blood clots in the lower leg or other parts of the body.

There are a number of reasons blood clots form. They can happen when there's damage to a vein’s inner lining resulting from injuries caused by physical, chemical, or biological factors. Surgery, inflammation, and certain immune responses can also cause blood clots.

And they can also happen if you’re ill and must lie in bed a lot, or if you’re sitting in one place for a long time, as when traveling.

Sometimes, blood clots can form from unknown reasons.

The purpose of this video has been to provide quick, basic answers to the question, "Can blood clots kill you?"

Keywords
blood clots, can blood clots kill you, embolus, thrombus, pulmonary embolism, deep vein blood clots,

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