| Blood Clot Symptoms
Blood clots are serious complications of bariatric surgery. A blood clot, also known as a thrombus, is the final product of blood coagulation. It is formed when platelets cause the blood to coagulate.
To better understand how blood clots form, let us compare the process to a regular cut on the skin. Initially the cut will bleed but will eventually stop because platelets in the blood cause the blood to form or coagulate. The same goes for blood clots except that the process happens inside the body.
A blood clot can stay attached to the wall of our blood vessels. We may never know it’s there. But when the clot breaks loose it can get stuck in smaller blood vessels. This prevents oxygen from reaching different body organs and may cause serious health problems for post-bariatric patients.
To avoid further complications, you must learn to recognize blood clot symptoms. Blood clots in the legs or arms may cause pain, swelling, redness, discoloration or a warm feeling on the affected body part.
On the other hand, the presence of blood clots in the lungs is more dangerous as they may cause chest pain, difficulty of breathing, shortness of breath and low blood pressure. The patient may cough out blood, and some body parts like lips or skin may turn blue due to lack of oxygen.
There are things you can do to reduce your risk of blood clots. Wear loose clothing and graduated compression stockings after surgery. Start ambulating or walking around the soonest possible time. Exercising regularly also helps. Eat healthy, and make sure you control your cholesterol levels with proper diet and medication. Cut on the salt and quit smoking. Lastly you can ask your health care provider for blood thinners.
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