what are Blood Clots

Blood clotting, or coagulation, is an important

process that prevents excessive bleeding when a
blood vessel is injured. Platelets (a type of blood
cell) and proteins in your plasma (the liquid part
of blood) work together to stop the bleeding by
forming a clot over the injury. Typically, your body
will naturally dissolve the blood clot after the
injury has healed. Sometimes, however, clots form
on the inside of vessels without an obvious injury
or do not dissolve naturally. These situations can
be dangerous and require accurate diagnosis and
appropriate treatment.
Blood factors responsible for coagulation
Clotting factors are components
found in plasma that are linked to
the blood clotting process. These
factors are named and numbered
based on their discovery. Though
there are a total of 13 numerals,
there are only 2 clotting factors.
Factor VI was discovered to be part
of another factor.
The liver uses vitamin K to produce
some of the factors such as Factors
II, VII, IX, and X. Normally, vitamin K
can be consumed through the diet
from plant and animal sources. The
normal flora of the intestine also
produces vitamin K.
The clotting factors are Factor I
(fibrinogen), Factor II (prothrombin),
Factor III (tissue thromboplastin or
tissue factor), Factor IV (ionized
calcium), Factor V (labile factor or
proaccelerin), Factor VII (stable
factor or proconvertin), and Factor
VIII (antihemophilic factor).
Additionally, the coagulation
factors also include Factor IX
(plasma thromboplastin component
or the Christmas factor), Factor X
(Stuart-Prower factor), Factor XI
(plasma thromboplastin antecedent),
Factor XII (Hageman factor), and
Factor XIII (fibrin-stabilizing
factor).
to summarise
As platelets Heparin is the (liver)
accumulate at the site, anticoagulant that is a
they form a mesh that highly sulfated form of
plugs the injury. The heparan sulfate. It is
platelets change shape mainly made by
from round to spiny, and connective tissue mast
they release proteins cells as a large heparin
and other substances proteoglycan. It is
that entrap more having an
platelets and clotting anticoagulant property
proteins (fibrin) in the due to which the blood
enlarging plug that does not clot in the
becomes a blood clot. blood vessels.
video showing normal coagulation
Clots can occur in veins or arteries, which are
vessels that are part of the body's circulatory
system. While both types of vessels help transport
blood throughout the body, they each function
differently. Veins are low-pressure vessels that
carry deoxygenated blood away from the body's
organs and back to the heart. An abnormal clot that
forms in a vein may restrict the return of blood to the
heart and can result in pain and swelling as the blood
gathers behind the clot. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is
a type of clot that forms in a major vein of the leg or,
less commonly, in the arms, pelvis, or other large
veins in the body. In some cases, a clot in a vein may
detach from its point of origin and travel through the
heart to the lungs where it becomes wedged,
preventing adequate blood flow. This is called a
pulmonary (lung) embolism (PE) and can be extremely
dangerous.
Arteries, on the other hand, are muscular, high-
pressure vessels that carry oxygen- and nutrient-
rich blood from the heart to other parts of the body.
When your doctor measures your blood pressure, the
test results are an indicator of the pressure in your
arteries. Clotting that occurs in arteries is usually
associated with atherosclerosis (hardening of the
arteries), a deposit of plaque that narrows the inside
of the vessel. As the arterial passage narrows, the
strong arterial muscles continue to force blood
through the opening, and the high pressure can cause
the plaque to rupture. Molecules released in the
rupture cause the body to overreact and form an
unnecessary clot in the artery, potentially leading
to a heart attack or stroke. When the blood supply to
the heart or brain is completely blocked by the clot,
a part of these organs can be damaged as a result of
being deprived of blood and its nutrients.
It is estimated that each year DVT affects
as many as 900,0001 people in the United
States and kills up to 100,000.2 Despite the
prevalence of this condition, the public is
largely unaware of the risk factors and
symptoms of DVT/PE. Do you understand your
risk?
The following factors increase your risk of
developing a blood clot:
Obesity
Pregnancy
Immobility (including prolonged inactivity,
long trips by plane or car), Smoking
Oral contraceptives
Certain cancers, Trauma
Certain surgeries
Age (increased risk for people over age 60)
A family history of blood clots
Chronic inflammatory diseases
Diabetes, High blood pressure, High
cholesterol, Prior central line placement
What are the symptoms of blood clotting

In addition to knowing your risk factors, it is also important to be aware

of the symptoms of blood clots, which vary depending upon where the clot
is located:

Heart - chest heaviness or pain, discomfort in other areas of the upper

body, shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, light-headedness
Brain - weakness of the face, arms or legs, difficulty speaking, vision
problems, sudden and severe headache, dizziness
Arm or Leg - sudden or gradual pain, swelling, tenderness and warmth
Lung - sharp chest pain, racing heart, shortness of breath, sweating,
fever, coughing up blood
Abdomen - severe abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea
How Are Blood Clots Treated?
Blood clots are treated differently depending on the
location of the clot and your health. If you are
experiencing symptoms and suspect you may have a blood
clot, see a doctor immediately.
There have been many research advances that have
improved the prevention and treatment of blood clots.
Some current treatments include:
Anticoagulants - medicine that prevents clots from
forming
Thrombolytics - medicine that dissolves blood clots
Catheter-directed thrombolysis - a procedure in
which a long tube, called a catheter, is surgically
inserted and directed toward the blood clot where it
delivers clot-dissolving medication
Thrombectomy - surgical removal of a clot
Are Blood Clots Preventable?
If you are diagnosed with a venous
clot, your doctor may refer you to a
hematologist, a doctor who
Blood clots are among the most
specializes in treating blood
preventable types of blood
diseases. People diagnosed with
conditions. There are several ways
arterial disease who are at risk for
to decrease your chances of
developing a clot in their arteries
developing a blood clot, such as
may have several doctors involved in
controlling your risk factors when
their care, including a cardiologist
possible. If you think you may be at
(a doctor who specializes in
risk because of genetic or
conditions of the heart), a
behavioral factors, talk with your
neurologist, and possibly a
doctor. Also, make sure your doctor
hematologist.
is aware of all the medications you
For some patients, participating in a
are taking and any family history of
clinical trial provides access to
blood clotting disorders.
novel therapies. If diagnosed, you
can talk with your doctor about
whether joining a clinical trial is
right for you.
most of the text about blood clothes is taken from

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF HEMATOLOGY

2021 L Street NW, Suite 900,

Washington, DC 20036
What you need to know about ot blood clot

institute of
human anatomy
on the other end of the spectrum
Bleeding disorders such as hemophilia and von
Willebrand disease result when the blood lacks
certain clotting factors. These diseases are
almost always inherited, although in rare cases
they can develop later in life if the body forms
antibodies that fight against the blood's natural
clotting factors.Individuals and pregnant women
with a family history of bleeding disorders
should talk to their doctors about detection and
treatment. Symptoms of bleeding disorders may
include:
Easy bruising
Bleeding gums
Heavy bleeding from small cuts or dental work
Unexplained nosebleeds
Heavy menstrual bleeding
Bleeding into joints
Excessive bleeding following surgery
factors and conditions leading to inadequate clothing

Hemophilia (a)
hemophilia (b) inherited
Hemophilia (c)

Von Willebrand disease

Vitamin K deficiency
Hemophilia
Hemophilia is a rare, inherited bleeding disorder
that can range from mild to severe, depending on
how much clotting factor is present in the blood.
Hemophilia is classified as type A or type B, based
on which type of clotting factor is lacking (factor
VIII in type A and factor IX in type B). Hemophilia
results from a genetic defect found on the X
chromosome. Women have two X chromosomes. Women
who have one X chromosome with the defective gene
are termed carriers and they can pass the disease
onto their sons. Due to random chromosome
activation, some women carriers may range from
asymptomatic to symptomatic depending on how
much of their factor VIII or IX is inactivated. In
fact, some women may have “mild hemophilia,”
though this is less common. Men have one X and one Y
chromosome, so if their X chromosome has the
defective gene, they will have hemophilia.
Von-Willebrand disease
Von Willebrand disease (VWD) is a blood disorder in
which the blood does not clot properly. Blood contains
many proteins that help the blood clot when needed.
One of these proteins is called von Willebrand factor
(VWF). People with VWD either have a low level of VWF in
their blood or the VWF protein doesn’t work the way it
should.
Normally, when a person is injured and starts to bleed,
the VWF in the blood attaches to small blood cells
called platelets. This helps the platelets stick
together, like glue, to form a clot at the site of injury
and stop the bleeding. When a person has VWD, because
the VWF doesn’t work the way it should, the clot might
take longer to form or form incorrectly and bleeding
might take longer to stop. This can lead to heavy, hard-
to-stop bleeding. Although rare, the bleeding can be
serious enough to damage joints or internal organs, or
even be life-threatening.
Vitamin K deficiency
Vitamin K is important because it helps the liver make
proteins that allow your blood to clot normally, to prevent
excessive bleeding. It is also important for healthy bones.
Adults usually have enough vitamin K, because normal
bacteria in the gut produce it. It is also in the fat of much of
the food that we eat. Vitamin K gets stored in the liver, so
you don’t need to eat it every day, unlike some other
vitamins.Not having enough vitamin K in the body makes you
more likely to bleed. You may bruise more easily than usual,
or it may be more difficult to stop bleeding after an injury
or surgery.Vitamin K deficiency in healthy adults is rare.
Most adults with vitamin K deficiency have a serious health
problem such as:
cystic fibrosis
digestive disorders that cause fat malabsorption
a blocked bile duct
taking anticoagulants, such as warfarin
People taking antibiotics for long periods of time are also
more likely to develop vitamin K deficiency.