Could you be at risk for a blood clot?

Did you know that each year blood clots affect more people than AIDS, breast cancer, and car accidents combined?  Blood clots can affect anyone – infants, children, teens, young adults, middle-aged and seniors!  Even the healthiest, elite athletes can be victims.  In the United States, 900,000 people annually develop blood clots in their legs (deep vein thrombosis) or blood clots in their lungs (pulmonary emobolism).  However, blood clots CAN BE PREVENTED and BE SAFELY TREATED!

The first step to prevention is to learn if you are at risk to develop blood clots.  The National Blood Clot Alliance has teamed up with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to share a new campaign called  Stop the Clot, Spread the Word™ to help raise awareness about blood clots, risk factors, signs, symptoms, and prevention measures.

Risks Include:

• Hospitalization
• Surgery
• Cancer
• Cancer treatments
• Pregnancy
• Use of estrogen-based birth control
• Hormone replacement therapy
• Family history of blood clots
• Bedridden or being immobile for long periods
• Sitting too long on an airplane or at your desk without moving around

Up to 8% of individuals in the United States are estimated to have one of several genetic risk factors that can increase their risk for blood clots!

Signs and Symptoms of a Blood Clot Include:

• Pain
• Swelling
• Tenderness
• Redness or discoloration of the skin
• Shortness of breath
• Sharp chest pain that worsens with deep breathing
• Coughing up blood

On average, 1 person dies every 6 minutes due to a blood clot.

Help Stop the Clot, Spread the Word™ and share this valuable and lifesaving information with friends and family!

Here’s how:

• Visit www.stoptheclot.org/spreadtheword to download a checklist of blood clot risk factors and a chart listing the signs and symptoms of blood clots in your leg and lung
• Send a Tweet: Could I be at risk for a blood clot?   Tweet this
• Share this infographic on social media

This post was written for social good.  All information and graphics used with permission.  No compensation was received in exchange for this post.