When is leg pain an emergency?

Call for immediate medical help or go to an emergency room if you: Have a leg injury with a deep cut or exposed bone or tendon. Are unable to walk or put weight on your leg. Have pain, swelling, redness or warmth in your calf.
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How do I know if my leg pain is serious?

While leg pain usually isn't a medical emergency, you should seek immediate medical attention if any of the following applies to your pain:
  1. You're unable to walk or stand.
  2. You develop pain, swelling, redness, or warmth in your calf.
  3. You have a sudden injury with a deep cut or exposed tissue.
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Does a blood clot in the leg hurt constantly?

A DVT blood clot can cause a calf cramp that feels a lot like a charley horse. Like leg pain, the cramping sensation with DVT will persist and even worsen with time.
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What does a blood clot feel like in your leg?

Signs that you may have a blood clot

leg pain or discomfort that may feel like a pulled muscle, tightness, cramping or soreness. swelling in the affected leg. redness or discoloration of the sore spot. the affected area feeling warm to the touch.
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What to do if there is severe pain in legs?

Rest your leg as much as possible, and elevate your leg with pillows. Take an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, to help ease discomfort as your leg heals. Wear compression socks or stockings with support.
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I've had a previous DVT and have leg pain or swelling, should I go to the Emergency Department?



What is vascular leg pain like?

Vascular pain is pain that is caused as a result of interruption of blood flow to a tissue or muscles. If you are experiencing lack of circulation, pain, or heaviness in certain areas, you might be having vascular pain. There also may be numbness, weakness, or a tingling feeling in the affected area.
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Is leg pain a symptom of any disease?

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD), a common medical condition that impacts the blood flow in the lower area of the body, could be causing your leg pain. In addition to discomfort, issues with the circulatory system can cause hair loss, discoloration, leg fatigue, skin temperature changes and skin lesions or ulcers.
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What are the 10 signs of a blood clot?

This is dangerous, so look out for these symptoms:
  • Pain in the side of your belly, legs, or thighs.
  • Blood in your urine.
  • Fever.
  • Nausea or vomiting.
  • High blood pressure.
  • Sudden severe leg swelling.
  • Trouble breathing.
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How do doctors check for blood clots in legs?

An ultrasound is the most common diagnostic test for DVT and uses sound waves to create a picture of the arteries and veins in the leg. Doctors also can order a blood test known as the D-dimer test. Computed tomography (CT) scans are typically used to diagnose PE.
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What are the first signs of 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.
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How can you tell the difference between a blood clot and a sore muscle?

cramp and pulled muscles will cause pain but not necessarily hot skin or redness in the affected area. whereas cramp can be 'walked off' and thus go away, pain caused by a blood clot is more likely to persist.
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How do you check for blood clots at home?

These include:
  1. Swelling in one or both legs.
  2. Changes in the color of the affected leg - typically to a blue or purple shade.
  3. A warm feeling of the skin on the affected limb.
  4. Leg tenderness or pain.
  5. Tired or restless leg that doesn't appear to go away.
  6. Reddening or discoloration of the skin on the leg.
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Does blood clot pain come and go or is it constant?

Does blood clot pain come and go? Unlike the pain from a charley horse that usually goes away after stretching or with rest, the pain from a blood clot does not go away and usually gets worse with time.
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What are the signs of clogged arteries in your legs?

The narrowing of the arteries causes a decrease in blood flow. Symptoms include leg pain, numbness, cold legs or feet and muscle pain in the thighs, calves or feet. The arteries which supply blood to the leg originate from the aorta and iliac vessels.
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Does leg pain indicate heart problems?

Sometimes, leg pain can indicate that a person is at risk of developing heart disease. Peripheral artery disease (PAD) occurs when the peripheral arteries become narrow, and fatty deposits start to build up.
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How serious is blockage in legs?

Atherosclerosis—or clogging—in the peripheral arteries is dangerous. If you have atherosclerosis in your legs, it's almost certainly occurring elsewhere in the body. That's why all patients with PAD, regardless of whether leg pain is present, are at increased short-term risk of a heart attack or a stroke.
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Will I have to stay in hospital with a blood clot?

The length of time you will stay in the hospital for treatment of a blood clot varies. The average hospital stay length is between five and seven days. However, some people may only stay for two or three days while others stay for two to three weeks.
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When should you go to the ER for a blood clot?

You should go to your nearest ER if you experience any of these symptoms or have chest, leg or back pain that does not subside with over-the-counter remedies or home treatment. Or, if any of the following symptoms are present: Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. Loss of consciousness or feeling light-headed.
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How long can you survive with DVT?

After excluding autopsy-discovered cases, the median duration of follow-up was 7.4 years for deep vein thrombosis and 6.1 years for pulmonary embolism.
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How long can you have a blood clot in your leg?

Living with DVT

It is important to start treatment right away for DVT. It takes about 3 to 6 months for a blood clot to go away. During this time, there are things you can do to relieve symptoms. Elevate your leg to reduce swelling.
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Where do blood clots form in the leg?

Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) affects mainly the veins in the lower leg and the thigh. It involves the formation of a clot (thrombus) in the larger veins of the area. Veins in the extremities carry blood to the heart and lungs, where the blood is oxygenated.
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What to do if I think I have a blood clot?

If you think you have a blood clot, call your doctor or go to the emergency room right away! Blood clots can be dangerous. Blood clots that form in the veins in your legs, arms, and groin can break loose and move to other parts of your body, including your lungs.
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What causes severe leg pain?

Most leg pain results from wear and tear, overuse, or injuries in joints or bones or in muscles, ligaments, tendons or other soft tissues. Some types of leg pain can be traced to problems in your lower spine. Leg pain can also be caused by blood clots, varicose veins or poor circulation.
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When should I be concerned about leg pain when walking?

Talk to your doctor about leg pain when walking

The fatty buildup in arteries of the leg might also be accumulating in the arteries serving the heart and brain. This makes a person with PAD far more likely to have a heart attack or a stroke than someone without the condition.
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When should I be concerned about leg pain at night?

If you are experiencing leg pain that lasts longer than a few days, you should seek the advice of a medical professional either your primary care doctor or a specialist like Dr.
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