How can blood clots kill you?
1 Answer
Blood clots can kill you by moving to the lungs and blocking blood flow.
Explanation:
Sometimes, blood curdles into a clot (thrombus) that stays lodged in the veins, a condition known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
A clot can break off and travel through the bloodstream. The loose clot is called an embolus.
The clot travels to the lungs and gets stuck in the small pulmonary blood vessels. This blockage of blood flow is called pulmonary embolism (PE).
In 10-15% of cases, the first sign of PE is death.
A blood clot may break into several emboli at the same tome. Hence, many pulmonary blood vessels may be blocked simultaneously.
When more than 50% of the pulmonary circulation is suddenly blocked, the pressure backs up to the right ventricle, which then has to work harder.
The ventricle performs poorly against a sudden obstruction. It is unable to generate a higher pressure, so it dilates instead.
The heart still receives electrical stimulation but does not beat.
Cardiac output falls so rapidly that death occurs almost immediately.
