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Sometimes, more serious blood clots require you to stay in the hospital for treatment. Most people can treat DVT with medicines at home. After menopause, women’s risk is lower than men’s. The chance is higher for pregnant women and women who take birth control pills or get hormone therapy. Sex: Women in their childbearing years are more likely than men to develop blood clots.Medical conditions: A blood clotting disorder, immune illnesses such as lupus, heart problems, cancer, or serious illness such as getting infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can raise the likelihood of DVT.Ask your healthcare provider about prevention plans if you are scheduled for major surgery. The chance of developing a blood clot is highest in the first 3 months after surgery and lowers with time. Not moving for long periods of time: DVT can develop during a long flight or when a person is on bed rest in a nursing home, hospital setting, or after surgery.Family history: Some genes you inherit may raise your likelihood of developing blood clots.Age: DVT can occur at any age, but the chances rise as you get older.Many factors can raise the likelihood of blood clotting in the deep veins of the legs. This test is usually only used if your provider cannot diagnose DVT from the compression ultrasonography results.ĭVT may occur if the flow of blood slows down in your body’s deep veins, if something damages the blood vessel lining, or if the makeup of the blood itself changes so that blood clots form more easily. Your provider will need to give you a special dye through an intravenous tube (IV) before the test. Magnetic resonance venography uses a specialized magnet to take images of your veins.The person doing the test may press on your veins to see whether the veins compress normally or are stiff with blood clots. This test uses sound waves to create pictures of blood flowing in your veins. Compression ultrasound looks for blood clots in the deep veins of your legs.
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These tests may be used as a first step to look for signs of a blood clot in otherwise healthy people. If the test shows high levels of the substance, you may have DVT. D-dimer tests measure a substance in the blood that is released when the fibrin protein (proteins that help stop bleeding) in a blood clot dissolve.Your provider will diagnose DVT based on your symptoms, medical history, a physical exam, and various imaging or blood test results.
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