Information on Pulmonary Embolism -

Pulmonary embolism is a condition that occurs when an artery in your lung becomes blocked. In most cases, the blockage is caused by one or more blood clots that travel to your lungs from another part of your body. Most clots originate in your legs, but they can also form in arm veins, the right side of your heart or even at the tip of a catheter placed in a vein. There are other rare causes of clots as well.

Pulmonary emboli are caused by clots from the venous circulation, from the right side of the heart, from tumours that have invaded the circulatory system, or from other sources such as amniotic fluid, air, fat, bone marrow, and foreign substances. Most pulmonary embolus are caused from clots originating in the lower extremities (deep vein thrombosis), and many resolve on their own. In some cases, pulmonary embolism can cause sudden death.

The symptoms you feel can depend on the location and size of your blood clot. Shortness of breath is the most common symptom. Other symptoms include rapid breathing; anxiety and restlessness; chest pain, which might extend into your shoulder, arm, neck, and jaw; coughing or spitting up blood; feeling lightheaded or fainting; and having a rapid heartbeat.

Half the people who have pulmonary embolism have no symptoms. If you do have symptoms, they can include shortness of breath, chest pain or coughing up blood. Symptoms of a blood clot include warmth, swelling, pain, tenderness and redness of the leg. The goal of treatment is to break up clots and help keep other clots from forming.

A pulmonary embolism (PE) is a blood clot in the lung. It usually comes from smaller vessels in the leg, pelvis, arms, or heart. When a clot forms in the legs or arms, it is referred to as a deep venous thrombosis (DVT). The clot travels through the vessels of the lung continuing to reach smaller vessels until it becomes wedged in a vessel that is too small to allow it to continue farther. The clot gets wedged and prevents any further blood from traveling to that section of the lung.

An embolism occurs when foreign material, such as a blood clot or air bubble, travels through the bloodstream and becomes lodged in a blood vessel, blocking the flow of blood. Embolisms can occur in veins, which carry oxygen-poor blood back to the heart and lungs, as well as arteries, which carry oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the tissues of the body.

Pulmonary emboli are most often caused by blood clots in the veins, especially veins in the legs or in the pelvis (hips). More rarely, air bubbles, fat droplets, amniotic fluid, or clumps of parasites or tumor cells may obstruct the pulmonary vessels.The most common cause of a pulmonary embolism is a blood clot in the veins of the legs, called a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Many clear up on their own, though some may cause severe illness or even death.

When blood supply is lost, tissues are starved of oxygen, causing them to die. If this happens in your brain, it can cause permanent brain damage. After the arteries have carried oxygen to all the body’s tissues, the de-oxygenated blood is returned to the heart in the veins. If the embolus is in a vein, the tube system widens in the same direction as the blood flows, so its unlikely to get stuck.