Blood clots are the body’s way of sealing off a break in a blood vessel. It stops blood loss and is eventually dissolved by the body once the damaged area is healed. Most of us see blood clots often on the skin surface following an injury and in these cases we refer to the clot as a scab. However, blood clots can also form within the bloodstream and this can be deadly if it blocks the flow of blood. When is a blood clot deadly? There are many different types of cells, chemicals and particles circulating in the bloodstream. Some of these substances exist for the purpose of clotting. When activated, these substances trigger a cascade of reactions that leads to the formation of a blood clot. It plugs the break in the blood vessel and bleeding should therefore stop. Eventually the body heals the break in the blood vessel and dissolves the clot. Although a blood clot should form only when there is a break in a blood vessel, sometimes it can form within the blood vessel (artery or vein) even if it is not injured. A blood clot is more correctly known as a thrombus. As the thrombus … Continue reading Deadly Blood Clots (Heart, Lungs, Legs, Brain) Symptoms and Prevention