Table of Contents
Characteristics of pulmonary embolism
Symptoms: Cough, tachycardia, shortness of breath, fainting, pain when breathing in, cardiac arrhythmia and pain in one leg.
Treatment: Non-surgical treatment of patients is only possible in the form of blood thinners.
Prevention: Sport and a healthy diet are good preventive measures. If you sit for a long time, it is advisable to wear thrombosis stockings.
A pulmonary embolism or pulmonary artery thrombosis is now considered one of the most dangerous diseases of all. It often has a life-threatening or even fatal outcome. Between 40,000 and 100,000 Germans die of a pulmonary embolism every year. You can find out from us what happens in the body, what symptoms indicate a pulmonary embolism and what preventive measures you can take.
Before we go into more detail about the pulmonary embolism, it must first be clarified how it develops in the first place. The culprit is a plug (called a thrombus ) in the blood. This usually consists of a blood clot, but can also have its origin in other things. A thrombus can be a small gas bubble that occurs after a diving accident or during open surgery. In rare cases, a thrombus also consists of a clump of fat that has formed in the blood. Most of the time, the person is overweight. However, a thrombus usually consists of a blood clot that blocks blood vessels in the lungs.
Where does a pulmonary embolism occur?
Even if the disease is triggered in the lungs, it does not originate there. In most cases, a thrombus forms in the deep veins of the leg or pelvis. There is an increased risk of thrombosis if the legs are bent or bent for a long time, for example on long flights or if a leg is broken. The specialist then speaks of leg vein thrombosis or vena cava thrombosis. The resulting thrombus travels through the body and into the heart. There it is pumped from the right ventricle into the lungs, where it usually blocks the fine ramifications of the lungs. An embolism occurs. The larger a thrombus, the larger the affected area in the lungs and the more severe the pulmonary embolism. An embolism can have completely different strengths. Some thromboses are so small that the person concerned does not notice them at all. Others are so large that they cause symptoms such as tachycardia or dizziness on their way to the lungs.Our guide gives tips on how to strengthen your veins.
Why is a pulmonary embolism so dangerous?
Depending on the size of the thrombosis, a pulmonary embolism can lead to direct death. In particularly severe cases, both lungs can be affected. But even with minor embolisms, the affected person often suffers a heart attack, since the blood pumped from the right ventricle into the lungs can no longer spread there and causes blood congestion. Even if this doesn’t happen, breathing will still be severely hampered. Apart from this severity, the blockage of a few pulmonary vessels is enough to cause serious physical damage. Once a pulmonary artery is blocked, it cannot be saved. The affected area of the lung dies and is lost. In turn, dead areas of the lungs are susceptible to numerous other diseases, such as pneumonia.
Symptoms of pulmonary embolism and prevention
The problem with diagnosing a pulmonary embolism is the general symptoms. A pulmonary embolism is often not recognized in time because other symptoms are assumed. Signs of an incipient embolism are coughing, tachycardia (over 100 beats at rest), shortness of breath, fainting, pain when breathing in, cardiac arrhythmia, one-sided leg swelling or general pain in one leg. A dramatic pulmonary embolism – also known as a fulminant pulmonary embolism – can quickly lead to severe shortness of breath and circulatory failure. What does your pulse say about you? Do our test.
So how can you prevent a pulmonary embolism? Unfortunately, there is no sure way. However, a healthy diet and exercise are good ways to minimize an embolism. Exercise at regular intervals is recommended on long flights or train journeys, if you have a broken leg or other ailments that require hospital treatment. Thrombosis stockings also offer protection against a pulmonary embolism that should not be underestimated. It should not be forgotten that pulmonary embolism unfortunately occurs more frequently with age. If the first signs of an embolism are present, the body’s coagulation system can also be inhibited with blood thinners and heparin.
Contraceptive pulmonary embolism
The pill or other hormone-based contraceptives can also promote pulmonary embolism. In general, healthy women have only a low risk of developing a pulmonary embolism. However, if you have already suffered or are suffering from a pulmonary embolism, you should seriously consider stopping these contraceptives. An alternative would be the copper spiral, for example.
