Health Check
Thrombosis check
Thrombosis is the medical term to describe the formation of a blood clot. This happens when blood coagulates inside a blood vessel.
Causes can include damage to the wall of a blood vessel, a coagulation disorder or a slowdown in blood flow. Thrombosis is a possible complication after operations and extended bed rest. Of course, some people are more susceptible than others. Thromboses may have devastating consequences: if a clot breaks away from the blood vessel wall it may travel through the bloodstream to the lung and cause a pulmonary embolism.
About 40,000 people die of pulmonary embolism in Germany every year. Thus pulmonary embolism is the third most common cardiovascular cause of death after heart attack and stroke[1]. Accordingly, 8 times more people die of pulmonary embolism than die as a result of a road accident: 4,477 people died in road accidents on Germany's roads in 2008[2]
| Questions | yes | no |
| 1. You are over 60? | ||
| 2. You smoke? | ||
| 3. You are overweight? | ||
| 4. You avoid sports? | ||
| 5. You drink less than 2 litres a day? | ||
| 6. You travel a lot by air, rail or car? | ||
| 7. You sit or stand a lot at work? | ||
| 8. Direct relatives have already had thromboses or pulmonary embolisms? | ||
| 9. For women: you practice contraception with hormones (the pill, 3-month injections, etc)? | ||
| 10. For women: you take hormones for menopausal symptoms? | ||
| 11. You often have swollen feet or legs? | ||
| 12. You often have tired, heavy legs? | ||
| 13. You have a blood clotting disorder (thrombophilia = higher blood clotting tendency)? | ||
| 14. You've already had a thrombosis? | ||
| 15. You have had an operation in the last few weeks? | ||
| 16. You heart's performance is limited? | ||
| 17. For women: you are pregnant? | ||
| 18. For women: you had a baby recently? | ||
| 19. You are undergoing chemotherapy at the moment? | ||
| 20. You have (recently) broken a bone or had a serious injury? | ||
| 21. You have had a plaster of Paris or some other form of immobilisation? | ||
| 22. Your mobility is restricted (wheelchair, confined to bed, little exercise)? | ||
| 23. You've already had a stroke? | ||
| 24. You suffer from reddening, overheating, and/or pain in the legs? | ||
| 25. You have venous diseases (varicose veins, inflammation of the veins, a leg ulcer, etc)? |
Our recommendation
If the completed checklist indicates that you are more susceptible to thrombosis - every question answered with "yes" is a risk factor - you must ask your doctor for advice! Physical and medicamentous measures together with mobilisation have proved very effective in the treatment of thrombosis. Medical compression garments are for everyday wear. Thrombosis prophylaxis stockings are suitable for patients confined to bed to accelerate the blood flow. In combination with medicines (e. g. heparin), these can counteract the formation of blood clots.
In any case, please ask your doctor for advice if you have acute or chronic symptoms!
[1] German Angiology Association - Vascular Surgery Association e.V: "Thrombosis - prevention and treatment", p. 2f, Berlin 2009.
[2] German Statistical Office: http://www.destatis.de/jetspeed/portal/cms/Sites/destatis/Internet/DE/Presse/pm/2009/07/PD09__253__46241.psml
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