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Blood clots

Blood clots can be very serious and need to be treated quickly. Staying healthy and active can help prevent them.

Urgent advice: Get advice from 111 now if you think you have a blood clot

Symptoms of a blood clot include:

  • throbbing or cramping pain, swelling, redness and warmth in a leg or arm
  • sudden breathlessness, sharp chest pain (may be worse when you breathe in) and a cough or coughing up blood

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.

Other ways to get help

A GP may be able to help you.

Ask your GP practice for an urgent appointment.

What a blood clot in a leg can look like

Picture of blood clot in left leg
Swelling and redness caused by a clot in the left leg
Picture of blood clot in right leg
Red and swollen right leg caused by a clot

A blood clot in a leg is called a DVT (deep vein thrombosis).

Immediate action required: Call 999 or go to A&E if:

  • you're struggling to breathe
  • someone has passed out

This could be a blood clot in the lungs (pulmonary embolism), which needs to be treated immediately.

Information:

Do not drive to A&E. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.

Bring any medicines you take with you.

Check if you're at risk of blood clots

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.

How to prevent blood 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.

Do

  • 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

Don’t

  • 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

Page last reviewed: 16 February 2021
Next review due: 16 February 2024