10 Causes Of Blood Clots

By albert

Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky

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Blood flows throughout the body to deliver oxygen and nutrients to all tissues and organs. It also carries away waste and toxins for excretion. However, when an injury occurs, continued flow of blood would drain all the blood from the body and lead to death. To prevent this from happening, a blood clot forms to plug the cut and stop the bleeding. A blood clot is a mass of different types of blood cells bound together by platelets and fibrin.

Blood clots can also form within the circulatory system if blood coagulates into a mass. Such clots may reduce or stop the flow of blood to parts of the body. When this happens, it poses a serious health threat and leads to problems like rupture of blood vessels, embolism, heart attack, stroke or even death. But what are the causes of blood clots?

Cause #1: Sitting for Long Periods of Time

The risk posed by prolonged sitting without activity is similar to that of surgery or injury. According to the CDC, the longer you sit, the higher the chances of getting a blood clot. The risk is even higher in people with a history of deep vein thrombosis, also referred to as DVT, diabetes or inherited blood clot disorders.

When traveling for long distances by air, road, or water, it is advisable to take frequent walks every two or three hours. There are other activities that you can try to keep your legs active. These include stretching and flexing your ankles with legs spread out. These activities increase blood flow to other parts of your body thus reducing the risk of developing blood clots. For people with DVT, anticoagulants and compression stockings may be recommended by your doctor.