Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot in one of the deep veins in the body.
Blood clots that develop in a vein are known as venous thrombosis. DVT is the most common form of venous thromboembolism (VTE).
DVT usually occurs in the deep leg vein, the larger veins that run through the muscles of the calf and the thigh. It can cause pain, swelling and can lead to complications such as pulmonary embolism.
Who is affected by DVT?
Every year, one in every 1,000 people in the UK are affected by venous thrombosis.
Anyone can be affected by DVT, although it usually develops in older people and becomes more common with age. As well as age, risk factors include:
- family history of thrombosis,
- inactivity, and
- obesity.
DVT often has few or no symptoms, therefore it is important to be aware of the signs and risk factors of thrombosis. There are several things that you can do to help prevent the condition occuring.
See your GP as soon as possible if you think you may have a blood clot.
