The natural process of blood coagulation is where blood clots come from. Coagulation is the blood’s natural tendency to clump and plug an injured blood vessel. Blood clots are made of blood cells and fibrin strands. They serve a valuable function in wound healing and stopping the flow of blood after an injury.
For example, when a person is cut, blood will flow from the injured blood vessel for a short period. Almost immediately, however, the clotting process will begin. During this process, blood platelets first gather at the site of the injury and form a loose plug. These platelets release a number of chemicals that enhance and promote blood clotting. Once the loose platelet plug is in place, a mesh of fibrin forms to create a stronger blood clot. This blood clot will remain in place as the tissue injury heals. After it heals, still other chemicals are responsible for dissolving the clot. This process of forming and dissolving blood clots is called hemostasis.
Blood clots are rarely dangerous on their own. As part of the body’s natural healing mechanism, clots that have formed for whatever reason are usually dissolved (lysis) and reabsorbed by the body without danger or need for intervention.
They can be dangerous, however, when they form within arteries and veins and obstruct the normal flow of blood within the body.
A blood clot that forms in a location where it partially blocks a vein or artery is known as a thrombus. These are most commonly found in the veins of the leg and can travel to the pelvis and lungs. A thrombus in the leg or pelvic vein is called a deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
A blood clot that breaks off from the site it was created and travels through the bloodstream until it becomes lodged in a smaller blood vessel and blocks the blood supply is known as an embolus. When an embolus blocks an artery in the lung, it is called a pulmonary embolism.
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