![]() Phlebitis (inflammation of the walls of the vein).Ī DVT is also more likely to occur where there is some factor that makes the blood more likely to clot, including:.Heart disease – particularly heart failure (where a weakened heart doesn't pump blood as well as it should).Surgery – particularly orthopaedic and cancer surgery.Injury to a vein, eg: as a result of a broken bone or severe muscle injury.Other factors that can slow blood flow include: Sitting for long periods of time while travelling, eg: in a bus, train, plane, or car.Having a leg in a plaster cast or splint.Being bedridden, eg: following surgery or due to illness.Paralysis, eg: following a stroke or injury.Immobility is one such factor blood flow is slowed when a person remains immobile for long periods of time as a result of such things as: ![]() Having a family member who has had a DVT.Ī DVT is also more likely to occur when the blood flow through the deep veins is slowed.Being older than 40 years (although DVT can occur at any age).General factors that indicate an increased risk of developing a DVT include: The clot will either partially or completely block the flow of blood through the affected vein.Ī DVT is usually more serious than a blood clot in one of the superficial veins, as there is a much greater risk with a DVT that part of the clot may dislodge and circulate through the body. DVTs can occur in any of the deep veins but most commonly occur in the leg veins. A DVT is a blood clot that occurs in the deep veins. When a blood clot occurs in a vein it is referred to as a venous thrombosis. ![]() Other veins connect the superficial and deep veins, allowing blood to flow between them. Veins that lie just beneath the skin surface are referred to as “superficial veins” while veins found deep inside the muscles are referred to as “deep veins”. Veins are blood vessels that carry blood from the tissues of the body back to the heart. Pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in the lung) is the most common of these serious DVT complications. This can be life threatening, especially when the embolism occurs in the lungs, heart, or brain. Life-threatening complications can arise from DVT when blood clots dislodge, travel in the bloodstream, and then lodge in other veins or arteries causing a blockage (this blockage is called an embolism). It is estimated one in every 1200 New Zealanders will develop a DVT each year. A deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot that forms in the major veins of the body – usually the legs.
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