Thrombosis - Causes, Diagnosis, Best treatment options, Home

Thrombosis occurs when a blood clot obstructs the blood vessels. Depending on the location of the thrombus or blood clot, thrombosis may include pain and warmth in the area of the clot, or chest pain and difficulty breathing if the clot is near the lungs, among other symptoms.

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There are two types of thrombosis:

Venous thrombosis: It occurs when clots block the blood vessel that carries the blood to the heart.
Arterial thrombosis: It occurs when clots block the blood vessel that carries the blood from the heart to organs.

Some of the most common venous thromboses include:

Deep vein thrombosis or a blot clot in the calf veins that can embolize the lung, causing fatal consequences.
Cerebral venous thrombosis (a blood clot of a cerebral vein in the brain).
Portal vein thrombosis (a blood clot in the portal vein that supplies the blood to the liver).
Cavernous sinus thrombosis (a blood clot that blocks a vein that runs through a hollow space underneath the brain and behind the eye sockets).

Some of the most common arterial thrombosis include:

Myocardial infarction (heart attack).
Cerebrovascular accident (stroke).
Claudication or peripheral arterial disease (thrombus in a leg or arm).

Symptoms

Symptoms may vary from person to person. Symptoms of a thrombosis in the extremities may include:

Pain in one leg (usually the calf or inner thigh).
Swelling in the leg or arm.
Gangrene (a blackened foot or hand).
Numbness or weakness on one side of the body.

Symptoms of venous thrombosis in the leg include:

Warmth.
Tenderness.
Redness of the leg or arm.
Worsening leg pain while bending the foot.
Leg cramps, especially at night, which often start in the calf.
Bluish or whitish discoloration of the skin.

Symptoms of a thrombosis in the heart or lungs (pulmonary embolism) include:

Difficulty breathing.
Chest pain that worsens with a deep breath or lying down
Coughing or coughing up blood.
Rapid or irregular heartbeat.
Lightheadedness.
Decreased bloblod pressure.
Pain in the back.
Sweating profusely.
Shortness of breath.
Discomfort in the arms, back, neck, or jaw.

Symptoms of a thrombosis in the brain include:

Headaches.
Speech changes (slurring, slowing of speech, or unable to speak).
Convulsions.
Paralysis.
Dizziness.
Trouble understanding speech.
Loss of consciousness

Complications of thrombosis

A thrombus or blood clot may cause the following complications:

Seal off the lumen of the artery that supplies the organ. Depending on the organ affected, it may cause a heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, or gangrene.

The thrombus may break off and block an organ at a distant site; this is called an embolus. This may cause fatal pulmonary or cerebral symptoms.

Can thrombosis be prevented?

We can prevent a thrombosis by

Losing weight.
Quitting smoking.
Remaining physically active.
Exercising our legs during long trips.
Treating varicose veins on time.
Managing or controlling other health issues, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
Keep your legs elevated while sitting down or in bed.
Avoiding allopathic birth control pills or hormone therapy unless absolutely necessary.
Eating a healthy, balanced diet.

Diagnose thrombosis

The diagnosis of superficial thrombophlebitis usually is made based upon history, potential risk factors present, and findings from the physical examination. Further risk stratification tools may include scoring systems that can help decide whether a thrombosis is likely.

If the probability of leg thrombosis is low, a D-Dimer blood test may be ordered.

If the D-Dimer is negative, then it is unlikely that a thrombosis is the diagnosis.
If the D-dimer is elevated, then the possibility of a thrombosis exists and an imaging study, usually ultrasound, is required to look for the thrombosis.

Ultrasound

Ultrasound is the standard method of diagnosing the presence of thrombosis. The ultrasound will determine whether a clot exists, where it is located, and how large it is. It also may be possible to know whether the blood clot is new or chronic. If necessary, ultrasounds may be compared over time to see whether a clot has grown or resolved.

Ultrasound is better at “seeing” the veins above the knee as compared to the small veins below the knee joint. Clots in the chest or pelvis may not be identified on ultrasound.

D-Dimer

D-Dimer is a blood test that may be used as a screening test to determine if a blood clot exists. D-Dimer is a chemical that is produced when a blood clot in the body gradually dissolves. The test is used as a positive or negative indicator. If the result is negative, then in most cases no blood clot exists. If the D-Dimer test is positive, it does not necessarily mean that a thrombosis is present since many situations will have an expected positive result. Any bruise or blood clot will result in a positive D-Dimer result (for example, from surgery, a fall, in cancer or in pregnancy). For that reason, D-Dimer testing must be used selectively.

Allopathic treatment and management for thrombosis

Allopathic treatment for deep venous thrombosis is anticoagulation or “thinning the blood” with medications.

The recommended length of treatment for an uncomplicated thrombosis is three months. Depending upon the patient’s situation, underlying medical conditions, and the reason for developing a blood clot, a longer duration of anticoagulation may be required. At three months, the doctor or other health care professional should evaluate the patient in regard to the potential for future blood clot formation.

If the decision is made to continue with anticoagulation therapy for the long term, the risk/reward for preventing clots versus bleeding risks should be evaluated.

What is the allopathic treatment of superficial blood clots

Treatment for superficial thrombophlebitis treating the symptoms with: Anti Embolism Stockings-thrombosis -Types-causes-diagnosis-treatment-Homeopathic-treatment-Best-Homeopathic-doctor in Pakistan-Dr Qaisar Ahmed-Dixe-cosmetics

Warm compresses
Leg compression
Anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen or naproxen.

If thrombophlebitis occurs near the groin where the superficial and deep systems join together, there is potential that the thrombus could extend into the deep venous system. These patients may require anticoagulation or blood thinning therapy.

Allopathic medications

Anticoagulation prevents further growth of the blood clot and prevents it from forming an embolus that can travel to the lung. The body has a complex mechanism to form blood clots to help repair blood vessel damage. There is a clotting cascade with numerous blood factors that have to be activated for a clot to form. There are difference types of medications that can be used for anticoagulation to treat thrombosis:

Unfractionated heparin
Low molecular weight heparin: enoxaparin.
Novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs) also known as direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs).
Warfarin.

Anticoagulant medications might best be used in different situations differently for example, a patient with a DVT, and no active cancer, treatment with a NOAC would be recommended. If active cancer exists, the treatment of DVT would be with enoxaparin as the drug of first choice.

NOACs work almost immediately to thin blood. There is no need for blood tests to monitor dosing.

The medications presently approved for deep vein thrombosis treatment include:

Apixaban.
Rivaroxaban.
Edoxaban.
Dabigatran.

All four are also indicated to treat pulmonary embolism. They also may be prescribed to patients’ anticoagulated with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation to prevent stroke and systemic embolus.

Warfarin

Warfarin is an anti-coagulation medication that acts as a Vitamin K antagonist, blocking blood-clotting factors II, VII, IX and X. Historically, it was a first-line medication for treating blood clots. Warfarin may be prescribed immediately after the diagnosis of thrombosis; it takes up to a week or more for it to reach therapeutic levels in the blood so that the blood is appropriately thinned.

Therefore, low molecular weight heparin (enoxaparin) will be administered at the same time. Enoxaparin thins the blood almost immediately and is used as a bridge therapy until the warfarin has taken effect.

Enoxaparin injections can be given on an outpatient basis. For those patients who have contraindications to the use of enoxaparin (for example, kidney failure does not allow the drug to be appropriately metabolized), intravenous heparin can be used as the first step in association with warfarin. The dosage of warfarin is monitored by blood tests measuring the prothrombin time (PT), or INR (international normalized ratio).

Side effects and risks of allopathic anticoagulation therapy

Patients who take allopathic anticoagulation medications are at risk for bleeding (internal and/or external). The decision to use these medications must balance the risk and rewards of the treatment. Should bleeding occur, there are strategies available to reverse the anticoagulation effects. thrombosis -Types-causes-diagnosis-treatment-Homeopathic-treatment-Best-Homeopathic-doctor in Pakistan-Dr Qaisar Ahmed-Dixe-cosmetics

Some patients may have contraindications to allopathic anticoagulation therapy, for example a patient with bleeding in the brain, major trauma, or recent significant surgery. An alternative may be to place a filter in the inferior vena cava (the major vein that collects blood from both legs) to prevent emboli, should they arise, from reaching the heart and lungs. These filters may be effective but have the potential risk of being the source of new clot formation. An IVC filter is NOT recommended for patients who are also taking anticoagulation medications.

Surgery

Surgery is a rare option in treating large deep venous thrombosis of the leg in patients who cannot take blood thinners or who have developed recurrent blood clots while on anticoagulant medications. The surgery is usually accompanied by placing an IVC (inferior vena cava) filter to prevent future clots from embolizing the lung.

Phlegmasia Cerulea Dolens describes a situation in which a blood clot forms in the iliac vein of the pelvis and the femoral vein of the leg, obstructing almost all blood return and compromising blood supply to the leg. In this case, surgery may be considered to remove the clot, but the patient will also require anti-coagulant medications. Stents may also be required to keep a vein open and prevent clotting. May Theurer syndrome, also known as iliac vein compression syndrome, is a cause of phlegmasia, in which the iliac vein in the pelvis is compressed and a stent is needed.

Complications

Pulmonary embolism is the major complication of thrombosis. With signs and symptoms such as chest pain and shortness of breath, it is a life-threatening condition. Most often pulmonary emboli arise from the legs.

Post-phlebitis syndrome can occur after deep vein thrombosis. The affected leg or arm can become chronically swollen and painful with skin color changes and ulcer formation around the foot and ankle.

Homeopathic treatment for thrombosis

Homeopathic treatment for thrombosis is not only very short term (less than sixty days) but without any side effects for almost any patient and at age.

Here are few medicines for thrombosis:

Apis Mellifica

Abscess. Ankles, swelling of. Apoplexy. Dissection wounds. Dropsy. Ear, erysipelas of. Erysipelas. Erythema nodosum. Eyes, affections of; optic neuritis. Feet, burning of. Gangrene. Gout. Hands, swelling of. Heart, affections of. Heat-spots. Housemaid’s knee. Hydrocephalus. Hydrothorax. Injuries. synovitis. Meningitis. Ovaries pain in; inflammation of; tumors of. Infections on nails/fingers. Pannus. Peritonitis. Phlebitis. Hydrothorax. Sensation of soreness in the chest, as from a bruise. Oppression of the chest, shortness of breath especially when ascending; inability to remain in a warm room. Dull aching pain in chest. Expectoration of copious, transparent, frothy, bloody mucus. Every shock from coughing gives pain in the head and some pain through the chest. Sudden pain just below the heart, soon extending toward. violent beats, shaking the whole body; intermittent beats. Region of heart sensitive to least pressure; rasping sounds of systole and diastole unmistakably audible. Palpitation of heart from scanty secretion of urine, perfectly cured by establishing the natural quantity. Pulse: almost imperceptible at wrist; accelerated and full; very frequent and hard; wiry; irregular and slow pulse; intermittent.

Arnica

Dry, short cough, produced by titillation in the larynx. Cough with bloodshot eyes, or nose-bleed. Even yawning provokes a cough. Hemoptysis (Cough with expectoration of blood); the blood is clear, frothy, mixed with coagulated masses and mucus. On coughing, shooting pains in the head, or a bruise-like pain in the chest. Respiration short, panting, difficult, and anxious. Rattling in the chest. Shootings in the chest and sides, with difficulty of respiration, aggravated by coughing, but breathing deeply, and by movement; better from external pressure. Beating, and palpitation of the heart. veins of hands swollen, purplish; sudden pain as if heart squeezed or had got a shock (angina pectoris). Heart strained; irritable; stitches in.

Secale Cornutum

Heavy, anxious breathing, with moaning. Spitting of blood, with or without cough. Feeble voice, inaudible, stammering. Expectoration of blood during violent efforts to breathe. Anxious and obstructed respiration, with sighs and sobs. Dyspnea and oppression of chest. Suffocating oppression of chest, with cramp in diaphragm. Precordial tenderness. Painful sensation over heart. Precordial anxiety. Violent spasmodic palpitation. Pulse small, very rapid, contracted; frequently intermittent; fluttering, slow, depressed.

Phosphorus

Cough excited by a tickling and itching in chest. -Hollow, hacking, spasmodic, tickling cough, especially if caused by tickling in chest. Cough with stitches over one eye. Dry, shaking cough, with sensation as if head were going to burst. Cough in paroxysms, brings up a viscid, muco-purulent expectoration, branched like the bronchial tubes, pale red, rust-colored, streaked with blood. Noisy and panting respiration. Difficult respiration. Respiration oppressed, quick, anxious. Spasmodic asthma. Constrictive spasms in chest. After a cough, asthma. Fits of suffocation. Rush of blood to heart and palpitation, that becomes very violent after eating. Heartbeats/palpitation of different kinds. Palpitation of heart with obstructed respiration; palpitation from every mental emotion. Violent palpitation with anxiety, evenings and mornings in bed; on slight motion. Blowing sounds in heart. Pressure in middle of sternum and about heart. Pulse rapid, full, and hard; small, weak, easily compressed.

Carduus Marianus

Irritation in the posterior part of larynx causing cough. Expectoration: pure blood; mucus mixed with blood. Drawing pain under ribs. Pain during breathing. Cough with stitches in sides of chest and bloody sputum. Splenic or hepatic cough. Pains in chest, going to front part, to shoulders, back, loins, and abdomen combined with urging to urinate. Pain pressure and stitches in region of heart; oppression on deep breathing.

Salicylicum Acidum

Respiration hurried, sometimes deepened, sometimes shallow or sighing and almost panting, as if labored, but no complaint of difficulty of breathing. Dry cough of a hard, racking, spasmodic character. Spasmodic, flatulent asthma; fetid bronchitis; gangrene of lungs. Pulse small, rapid, weak.

Bothrops Lanceolatus

Hemorrhages, the blood being fluid and black. Pulmonary congestion, oppressed breathing and bloody expectoration, more or less profuse. Paralysis of arm or leg. Deep gangrene, bones laid bare and necrotic. Hemiplegia. Dissecting gangrene. Slight shivering followed by very profuse cold sweat.

Convallaria Majalis

Fluttering at heart, lasting about a minute, then face would get red, with sensation as if heart stopped beating and would start again very suddenly, with faint, sick feeling. Pulse full, compressible, intermittent. Pulmonary congestion. Orthopnea. Dyspnea while walking. Endocarditis, with extreme orthopnea. Sensation as if heart ceased beating. Angina pectoris. Extremely rapid and irregular pulse.

Naja

Short, puffing cough, every minute. Dry, hacking cough; blood-spitting. Expectoration of whitish viscid mucus. Spitting of blood. Respiration very slow; shallow, and scarcely perceptible; labored and difficult; gasping for breath. Heavy pain in chest. Lancinating pains, feels better on deep inspiration. Asthmatic constriction of chest; cannot expand lungs; followed by mucus expectoration. Heavy pain over lower half of chest, with stabbing on deep inspiration; cannot cough for the stabbing. Dull pain of sternum. Tenderness over sternum. Feeling of depression and uneasiness about heart. Severe pain in region of heart. Fluttering and palpitation of heart. Audible heart beating. Pulse slow and irregular in rhythm and force; weak and thready, scarcely perceptible. Pulse rapid; and full; 120, some beats tolerably full and strong, afterwards 32, irregular in rhythm and force, some of the beats full and bounding.

Belladonna

Cough with stitches in the chest, in the lumbar region, in the hip, in the uterus; pain in the sternum, with tightness of the chest; with rattling of mucus on the chest. Dry spasmodic cough, with vomiturition. Whooping-cough, with crying, or pain in the stomach before the attack, with expectoration of blood (pale or coagulated), congestion of blood to the head, sparks before the eyes, spasms in the throat, bleeding from the nose, stitches in the spleen, involuntary stool and urine, oppressed breathing, stiffness of the limbs, shaking of the whole body, and dry general heat. Breathing labored, unequal, quick, with moaning. Rattling noise, and crepitation in the branchia. Vehement expirations. Feeling suffocation when swallowing, or when touching and turning the neck. Oppression of the chest, difficult respiration, dyspnea and shortness of breath, sometimes with anxiety. Congestion to the chest. Irregular respiration, at one time small and rapid, at another time slow and profound. Respiration is short, anxious, and rapid. Violent beatings of the heart. Trembling of the heart, with anguish and pressive pain.

Vipera communis

Suffocation. Dyspnea; sticking in heart. Anxious breathing, threatening asphyxia. Breathing ceased suddenly, heart stopped, face became livid. Blood drawn from arm flowed scantily, was dark, mixed with bright streaks. Veins of chest and abdomen thick and hard. Swelling of chest and/or umbilicus. -Edema of lungs before death. Pain in chest; over the ribs on pressure. Oppression, with anxiety; with violent efforts to breathe and swallow.

Sticking in heart; with cold sweat and faintness. Pain in heart with faintness. Dragging pain, becomes faint. Anxiety. The heart’s action: slow; feeble; and no pulsation in radial or carotid arteries, but that in crural was very strong. Pulse: rapid; interrupted; slow, febrile; irregular; weak. Vipera is a very valuable medicine for varicose veins and for acute phlebitis, the vein is swollen, bordered by an area of inflammation, very sensitive to touch, but particularly with the sensation, on letting the leg hang down, as if it would burst from the fulness of the veins.

Aesculus Hippcostanum

Short cough, increased by swallowing and breathing deeply. Hoarseness. Raw feeling in chest. Tightness in chest. Abundant raising of mucus in morning. Cough with a sensation of stiffness in the throat and suffocation in the upper chest. Oppression, stitches, soreness and other chest problems. Catarrhal affections causing hoarseness and cough. Twitching over region of heart. Stitches and neuralgic pains in the region of heart and forehead. Functional disturbances of the heart from hemorrhoidal complaints.

Hamamelis Virginica

Tickling cough, taste of blood on awaking. Dry cough, severe stinging in the uvula, as if it would break. Expectoration thick, yellowish or greenish grey, tasting putrid. Hemoptysis (tickling cough with blood). Tightness of the chest; cannot lie down, because of difficult breathing from congestion; fullness in the head. Stitches in the lower part of lungs. Sensation of constriction across chest. Palpitation. Pricking pain in region of heart and superficial veins of both arms.

Aurum Metallicum

Accumulation of mucus in the trachea and in the chest, which is expectorate with difficulty in the morning. Voice nasal. Cough from want of breath at night. Cough with tough yellow sputum on awaking. Great difficulty of respiration, requiring deep inspirations. Paroxysms of suffocation, with constrictive oppression of the chest, falling, loss of sense, and bluish color of the face. Pain, as if there were a plug placed under the ribs. Continuous aching in the chest. Incisive pain, and obtuse shootings, near the sternum. Great weight on chest. Much congestion in the chest.

Anxious heart palpitation, from congestion to the chest. Beatings of the heart, irregular, or by fits, sometimes with anguish and oppression of the chest. Pain in heart region extending down arm/to fingers. Floundering heart. When walking, the heart seems to shake as if it were loose. Sensation as if the heart stood still. Palpitation compels patients to stop.

Lachesis

Catarrh, with cough, coryza, shooting pains in head, stiffness of nape of neck, and affection of chest. Oppressed breathing. Sensation of pulsation and of choking between larynx and chest. Cough with rawness of chest, difficult expectoration. Frequent attacks of short cough from tickling in pit of stomach. Hemoptysis. Respiration short, frequent, or convulsive or rattling, stertorous, and croaking, or wheezing, moaning, and deep. Frequently want to draw a long breath. Dyspnea and oppression of the chest, with effort to breathe. Shortness of breath. Fits of suffocation. Paralytic orthopnea. Offensive slow, heavy, wheezing breathing. Extravasation of blood in lungs. Pneumonia. Gangrene of lungs. Swelling and bloatedness of integuments of chest. Itching, red places, and miliary eruption on chest.

Palpitation of heart and choking from slightest anxiety. Irregularity of beats. disagreeable pulsation in ears. Stitches in the region of heart, with shortness of breath, faint fits and cold sweat.

Secal Cornutum

Heavy, anxious breathing, with moaning. Spitting of blood. Expectoration of blood during violent efforts to breathe. Anxious and obstructed respiration, with sighs and sobs. Dyspnea and oppression of chest. Suffocating oppression of chest, with cramp in diaphragm. Precordial tenderness. Painful sensation over heart. Precordial anxiety. Violent spasmodic palpitation of heart. Pulse small, very rapid, contracted; frequently intermittent; fluttering, slow, depressed.

P. S: This article is only for doctors having good knowledge about Homeopathy and allopathy, for learning purpose(s).

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