When a Leg Cramp is Actually a Blood Clot

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is often mistaken for something else. Since the beginning symptoms can vary and be relatively light, even your doctor might not immediately consider it.

You think you’ve pulled a muscle at the gym, slept funny, or turned an ankle in the heat of competition without realizing it.

Regardless of how you rationalize it, you have a leg cramp or pain in your calf, thigh, or groin that doesn’t go away when you throw your usual bag of tricks at it.

“Maybe I’m just getting older, and it’s gonna take longer to heal,” you think.

Think Again about a Leg Cramp

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 60,000-100,000 Americans die of DVT/PE each year while as many as 900,000 are affected by it.

And while the perception is that blood clots only affect sick or elderly people, the reality is that DVT/PE can happen to anyone, regardless of age and level of fitness.

Things that increase your risk include:

○  Recent travel
○  Dehydration
○  Sitting for extended time periods
○  Trauma
○  Surgery
○  Genetic factors
○  Family history

Seek Immediate Treatment

If you suspect that you might have a blood clot, get medical help immediately. The faster treatment begins, the less damage is likely to accumulate, and the lower your chances are of dying.

PreventionLeg Cramp

Prevention is the best treatment, but if you’re already experiencing signs or symptoms of DVT/PE, don’t try to treat yourself. Get to the emergency room.

You can drink plenty of fluids to help thin your blood slightly.

However, things like calf raises, walking, or using a sequential compression pump (SCD) while you have an active clot and before treatment has started increases your chances of the clot breaking free, traveling to your lungs, and causing a life-threatening pulmonary embolism (PE).

Practice prevention if you are symptom-free, but get to the ER if you have symptoms like leg cramp, pain in your calf, thigh, or groin that doesn’t go away .

To learn more about DVT/PE and receive a free article on “How to See If You Are at Risk” for DVT/PE, go to www.preventDVTnow.com.