● Birth Control/Hormone Replacement Therapy: If you are taking birth control that has high levels of estrogen, such as birth control pills, or if you are on hormone replacement therapy, especially if you are over the age of 35, the likelihood of a clot rises.
● Pregnancy: If you are pregnant or if you recently had a baby (especially in the first six weeks after childbirth), you are at an increased risk for developing a DVT.
● Obesity: If you are obese or overweight, you may be at an increased risk for developing a clot, because of the strain put on your legs.
● Genetics: If you have a family history of blood clots, you may be at an increased risk.
If you meet the criteria for being at risk, have your blood pressure checked regularly, and be on the alert for any symptoms of blood clots, which can include:
● Swelling in an extremity, often accompanied by heat, throbbing or sharp pain, or tenderness
● Discoloration (reddish or bluish) in an area of skin in an extremity
● Sudden shortness of breath, which may be accompanied by shooting chest pain that may or may not get worse when you try to breathe or cough
● Faintness or dizziness
● Irregular or racing heartbeat
● Clammy or bluish skin
● Pain in the arm, jaw, neck, or shoulder