Right now, as you’re sitting there reading this screen, blood is flowing throughout your body. Your veins carry this blood towards your heart to keep you alive. When something clogs them up, things can get pretty dangerous.
Thrombosis is the term used for the development of blood clots within deep veins in your body. It often occurs in the legs and, more specifically, is called deep vein thrombosis (DVT). It is most often caused by blood clotting disorders, but it can also happen if you stay sedentary for too long. Blood clots are dangerous because they can break apart, travel throughout the body, and cause blockages in the heart, brain, or lungs (leading to heart attack, stroke, or pulmonary embolism, respectively).
Causes of Thrombosis:
Thrombosis is caused by blood clots forming in deep veins, most often in the legs. Blood clots can form whenever there is any condition that prevents blood from circulating or clotting normally. For example, they can happen to people who tend to lack physical movement after an accident, injury, surgery, or during bed rest.
Risk Factors
There are certain variables that increase the probability of developing thrombosis. These include:
- Inheriting a genetic blood-clotting disorder that causes the blood to clot more easily than normal
- Extended periods of bed rest that prevent blood from circulating through the legs properly
- Injury or surgery
- Pregnancy and being overweight or obese, conditions which cause an increase in pressure in the lower body
- Birth control pills or hormone therapy
- Smoking
- Cancer
- Heart failure
