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Blood clots can be very serious and need to be treated quickly. Staying healthy and active can help prevent them.
Symptoms of a blood clot include:
Blood clots can be life threatening if not treated quickly.
111 will tell you what to do. They can arrange a phone call from a nurse or doctor if you need one.
Go to 111.nhs.uk or call 111.
A GP may be able to help you.
Ask your GP practice for an urgent appointment.
Swelling and redness caused by a clot in the left leg
Red and swollen right leg caused by a clot
A blood clot in a leg is called a DVT (deep vein thrombosis).
This could be a blood clot in the lungs (pulmonary embolism), which needs to be treated immediately.
Blood clots are rare in young, healthy people.
You're more likely to get them if you:
There are also other things that increase your risk of clots.
If you're at a high risk of blood clots – for example, you're in hospital – follow the advice of your care team about preventing clots.
This may involve wearing stockings that improve your blood flow or taking medicine to reduce the risk of clots (anticoagulants).
There are also things you can do to help avoid clots.
stay active – taking regular walks can help
drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration – you're more likely to get a clot if you're dehydrated
try to lose weight if you're overweight
wear flight stockings or flight socks to improve your blood flow on long flights – a pharmacist can advise you about this
do not sit for long periods without moving, if you can avoid it
do not drink lots of alcohol – this can make you dehydrated
do not smoke
