What is DVT?
Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT) is a serious and potentially life threatening condition. It occurs when a blood clot forms in one of the deep veins in your body, limiting blood flow. It usually occurs in your leg or pelvis, but it can also occur in your arm or chest.

Symptoms of DVT
Although long periods of sitting (such as on an airplane) can cause DVT, it is rare. Most DVT occurs in sick or hospitalized patients who have had surgery, broken limbs, cancer or history of a heart attack, stroke or congestive heart therapy.
Symptoms include:

• Redness or skin discoloration
   
• Calf or leg pain or tenderness, especially when walking or standing
   
• Swelling of the affected body part
   
• Sensation of warmth
   
• Leg fatigue

Why Treat DVT?
There are several reasons to seek immediate treatment for DVT. There is a risk that a portion of the clot could break off and travel to your lungs, blocking the blood flow and damaging your heart and lungs. This condition, called Pulmonary Embolism, can be fatal within a few hours.

There are also long-term consequences of DVT. If the clot is not dissolved within a few weeks, it can permanently damage the valves in your veins creating a condition called Post-Thrombotic Syndrome (PTS). An estimated 50 to 70 percent of patients with DVT eventually develop PTS, which can cause disability and impact quality of life.

The damaged valves do not properly direct the flow to the heart, allowing the blood to pool in the legs. Patients with PTS experience:

• Chronic pain
• Swelling
• Skin ulcerations
• Varicose Veins

The pooled blood also makes the patient more prone to develop another DVT and increases the risk for pulmonary embolism. For DVT below the knee, medical treatment with anticoagulant medication is often sufficient. However, if DVT is located above the knee, ask your physician whether more aggressive treatment is indicated.