Three major risk factors are:. To learn more about blood clots and to spread the word, visit stoptheclot. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Venous Thromboembolism Blood Clots. Blood clots are highly preventable. To prevent or avoid a blood clot, know your personal risk factors and control the risks you can. For example, if you smoke, stop. If you are obese, lose weight.
If you take birth control pills, talk to your doctor about an effective alternative. If you are inactive, get moving. If you have a family history of blood clots, talk to your doctor. Your doctor may determine whether you should be taking blood-thinning medicine to prevent clots. A blood clot is treated based on where it is located. Oral blood thinner medicines are the most common treatments for blood clots.
Some medicines can be given through a catheter a long, thin tube inserted into the area of the clot. Some clots can be surgically removed. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant. Medicines may involve risks to your unborn child. If your blood clot is due to an infection, your doctor may be able to treat the infection and reduce the risk of a clot. If detected early, a blood clot can usually be treated successfully.
If it was not treated early, your quality of life depends on the seriousness of the damage. For example, a blood clot can cause stroke, even death. In that case, living with blood clots involves focusing on prevention. If you are being treated with blood thinner medicines, you have to be careful not to cut yourself even when shaving. The medicine can make it difficult to stop the bleeding.
Back to Health A to Z. Blood clots can be very serious and need to be treated quickly. Staying healthy and active can help prevent them. They can arrange a phone call from a nurse or doctor if you need one. It normally takes about 25 to 30 seconds. It may take longer if you take blood thinners.
Other reasons for abnormal results include hemophilia , liver disease, and malabsorption. Read more: Prothrombin time test ». Results are given in the number of seconds it takes the blood to clot. Sometimes the PT test uses a calculation called the international normalized ratio INR to compare results of different laboratories. Your doctor will usually order the PT test along with another clotting test called an activated partial thromboplastin time aPTT.
Platelets are cells in the blood that help your blood clot. Other causes of a low platelet count are celiac disease , vitamin K deficiency, and leukemia. Learn more: Low platelet count thrombocytopenia ». Anemia , primary thrombocythemia , or chronic myelogenous leukemia CML may cause an abnormally high number of platelets. Thrombin time measures how well fibrinogen is working. Abnormal results may be due to inherited fibrinogen disorders, liver disease, some cancers, and medications that affect clotting.
This test analyzes how quickly small blood vessels in your skin close up and stop bleeding. A blood pressure cuff will be placed on your upper arm and inflated. Your healthcare provider will make a couple of tiny cuts on your lower arm. Bleeding usually lasts between one to nine minutes. The test is considered safe and carries few side effects or risks. Coagulation tests are conducted the same way as most blood tests.
You may need to discontinue taking certain medications prior to the test.
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