Pulmonary embolism, treatment | Revista Women's Health

Pulmonary embolism

Overview

What is pulmonary embolism?

A pulmonary embolism (pull-mun-ary EM-bo-lizm), or eg, a sudden blockage in a lung artery. The blockage is usually due to a blood clot that travels to the lung from a vein in the leg.

A clot that forms part of the body and travels in the bloodstream from another part of the body is called an embolus (em-bo-lus).

Pe is a serious condition that can cause:

• Permanent damage to part of your lung from lack of blood flow to lung tissues
• Low levels of blood oxygen
• Damage to other organs in your body not getting enough oxygen

If a blood clot is very large, or if there are many clots, PE can cause death.

Causes

In 9 of 10 cases, pulmonary embolism (pe) begins as a blood clot in the deep veins of the legs (a condition known as deep vein thrombosis). The clot breaks off from the vein and travels through the bloodstream to the lungs where it can block an artery.

The animation shows how a blood clot in a deep vein in the leg can travel to the lungs causing a pulmonary embolism. Click the ?Start? button to play the animation. Written and spoken explanations for each picture. Use the buttons in the lower right corner to pause, restart, or replay the animation, or use the scroll bar below the buttons to scroll through the frames.

Who is at risk for pulmonary embolism?

Pulmonary embolism (PE) affects both men and women. The risk increases with age. For every 10 years after age 60 doubles the risk of eg.

Certain hereditary conditions, such as factor V Leiden, increase the risk of blood clotting and thus, the risk of eg.

Major risk factors

People at high risk of pe are those who:

• Have deep vein thrombosis (DVT, a blood clot in the leg) or a history of deep vein thrombosis
• Has had before eg

Signs and symptoms

Signs and symptoms of pulmonary embolism (PE) include unexplained shortness of breath, trouble breathing, chest pain, cough or coughing up blood. An arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) also may indicate eg.

In some cases, the only signs and symptoms are associated with deep vein thrombosis (DVT). These include swelling of the leg or along the vein in the leg, pain or tenderness in the leg, a feeling of increased temperature in the area of the leg that is swollen or tender red or spots on the skin in the affected leg. Consult your doctor immediately if you have symptoms of PE or DVT.

How is pulmonary embolism?

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is treated with medications, procedures and other therapies. The main objectives of treatment are eg to stop the blood clot from getting bigger and keep new clots from forming.

Treatment may include medications to thin blood and reduce its ability to clot. If your symptoms are life threatening, your doctor may give you medicine to dissolve the clot faster. Rarely, your doctor may use surgery or another procedure to remove the clot.

Source: http://revistawomenshealth.com/diseases/lung/pulmonary-embolism-treatment.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pulmonary-embolism-treatment

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