DVT Full Form in Medical | What is the Full Form of DVT
DVT Full Form - Deep Vein Thrombosis
Deep Vein Thrombosis
- DVT stands for Deep Vein Thrombosis.
- It refers to a blood clot that forms during a vein located deep inside your body, usually within the lower leg or thigh.
- However, it can occur in other parts of the body. Such clots are usually formed when a vein is broken or blood flows slowly or stops flowing during a vein.
- It always affects people aged 50 or more. DVT may be a serious medical condition so you should consult your doctor immediately if you're experiencing symptoms of this medical condition.
Deep Veins of The Leg
Causes
- The following factors can increase the danger of developing thrombosis:
- Damaged vein due to an injury like bone fracture
- Obesity which tends to place more pressure on the veins located within the legs or pelvis
- Family history of DVT
- Use of birth control pills
- Undergoing hormone replacement therapy
- Prolonged bed rest like during hospitalization
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Heavy smoking
- Sitting for an extended duration like when driving or flying for longer durations or the work of a watchman.
Common Symptoms
- Swelling in your leg, foot, ankle usually on one side.
- Cramping pain within the affected area of the leg.
- Severe pain within the foot or ankle.
- Redness over the affected area.
- Warm sensation over the affected area.
Complications
- Pulmonary embolism: It occurs, when the blood clot breaks off and its pieces start traveling within the bloodstream and one among the pieces blocks a vessel that caries blood to the lung.
- Post-thrombotic syndrome: it's chronic venous insufficiency following the DVT. It occurs when the DVT damages the valves of the vein and therefore the blood instead of moving upwards starts accumulating in your lower leg. It causes long-term pain, swelling and ulcers in some cases.
- Limb ischemia: It occurs in severe cases of DVT. During this complication, due to the blood clot, the pressure within the vein becomes very high which tends to block blood within the arteries and thus restricts oxygen supply to the affected area. It's usually painful and should cause skin ulcers and gangrene.
Diagnosis
- One the idea of symptoms if your doctor thinks that you simply may need a DVT, he or she may perform the following tests to diagnose DVT.
Deep Vein Thrombosis Diagnosis
- D-Dimer : It's a blood test that's performed to detect the pieces of blood clot that travel within the bloodstream after the breakdown of the blood clot. An large number of pieces indicate the presence of blood clot within the vein.
- Doppler ultrasound : In this test, sound waves are wont to monitor the blood because it flows through the blood vessels. It's suitable for identifying large blood clots above the knee.
- Venogram : In this test, a special dye is injected into the veins within the foot then X-ray of the veins is taken to see if there's a clot during a vein. It's a perfect test to detect the blood clots below the knee.
Prevention
- Avoid sitting or standing still for long durations
- Make positive lifestyle changes
- Regular exercise
- Avoid heavy smoking
- Maintain ideal weight
- Maintain a healthy diet
- Increase fluid intake