A blood clot might go unnoticed while others trigger symptoms such as pain, swelling and discoloration. The precise symptoms tend to vary depending on whether the blood clot forms in an artery, deep vein or superficial vein.
Blood clots are likely to form in the legs than the arms. Only around 10% of cases involve the deep veins in the arms. Being familiar with the indications of an arm blood clot is vital so that one knows when to seek medical care.
Close look on the indications of an arm blood clot
Pain or discomfort
Pain is one of the usual indications of an arm blood clot. It might be mild if the clot is small or severe if it is large or forms in an artery.
The arterial blood clots are quite painful since blockage of the artery diminishes the supply of oxygen to the site being supplied, thus resulting to malfunction of the cells and even death.
The blood clots in the superficial veins typically cause discomfort in the site right away. The deep vein thrombosis (DVT) clots are likely to cause widespread pain, oftentimes affecting most of the arm. The discomfort with these clots often begin as minor discomfort and becomes progressively severe.
Swelling
Swelling is quite evident with the DVT clots. It is important to note that these clots typically develop in the axillary and the subclavian veins which are the large-sized veins stretching from the superior arm, via the armpit as well as the shoulder area and into the chest.
They are responsible for transporting most of the blood from the arm to the heart. If they are blocked, the blood moves up which causes evident swelling of the hand and arm.
If the superficial veins are involved, the swelling is localized to the site around the arm blood clot. As for the arterial clots, the indications only arise if there is significant cell death in the site being supplied by the artery.
Temperature and color alterations
If a DVT arm clot develops, it disrupts most of the blood flow from the arm, the blood that backs up causes warmth and dark red, purplish or bluish appearance.
A superficial arm blood clot is accompanied by evident inflammation of the adjacent vein. This causes the skin over the vein to turn bright red and warm.
Enlarged or firm veins
An arm blood clot in a superficial vein causes it to become firm than normal. Initially, this is not evident but the clot becomes solid and firm over time. In addition, the vein farthest from the upper arm becomes enlarged as well.