Can Athletes Get Blood Clots?
Tennis superstar Serena Williams. Olympic speed skater Rebekah Bradford. Miami Heat center Chris Bosh. What do these sports pros have in common? All have suffered from blood clots in their lungs that originated in their deep vein systems.
The deep vein system carries about 80% of blood from the feet back up to the heart. Deep veins are located under the muscle and connective tissue layers in the legs. A blood clot in a deep vein – known as deep vein thrombosis, or DVT – can be dangerous because the high pressure in the system could cause the clot to break free from the vein wall and enter the blood stream. The DVT could then travel up through the legs into another part of the body such as the lungs, where it would become a pulmonary embolism (PE).
Most people, including some healthcare providers, think that blood clots are a problem that occurs in the elderly, not in healthy, often young, athletes. However, in some cases, athletes may be at a greater risk for DVT than others.
Combined risk factors
Being active and fit does not prevent someone from developing blood clots. There are a number of risk factors that are not uncommon among athletes, including trauma, bone fractures, major surgery, and immobilization with a brace or a cast following a traumatic injury.
Athletes, coaches, and trainers should be aware of these risk factors:
- Traveling long distances to and from a sports competition
- Dehydration (during and after a strenuous sporting event)
- Significant trauma
- Immobilization (in a brace or cast)
- Bone fracture or major surgery
- Family history of DVT or PE
- Presence of an inherited or acquired clotting disorder
Additionally, athletes, coaches, and trainers need to consider how these risk factors can compound to increase the likelihood of a clot. For example, athletes often travel long distances to get to and from a competitive event. Traveling long distances in a car, bus, or on an airplane can result in some immobilization that results in poor circulation, plus could follow events where the athlete may have become dehydrated or experienced some traumatic injury. It is important to note that having multiple risk factors does not mean that you will definitely get a blood clot, it just means you are at a higher risk.
Stopping blood clots in their tracks
DVT or PE symptoms are often misinterpreted as something less serious. A blood clot in the leg may feel like a “Charlie horse,” shin splints, or a twisted ankle. Symptoms from PE are often attributed to a pulled muscle in the chest, costochondritis (inflammation of the joint between ribs and breast bone), asthma, or a “touch of pneumonia.”
So what are some of the signs that athletes should look for? For DVT, the leg may be warm to the touch; swelling in the leg (can also occur in the arm, especially in weightlifters, gymnasts, and rowers); leg (or arm) pain or tenderness; reddish or bluish skin discoloration.
For PE, be aware of a sudden shortness of breath; sharp, stabbing chest pain (may get worse with deep breath); rapid heart rate or breathing; feeling lightheaded or fainting; unexplained coughing, sometimes with bloody mucus.
In half of DVT and PE cases, no symptoms present at all – but both conditions are medical emergencies. Any of these symptoms should be regarded as a DVT or PE until proven otherwise, especially if someone is in a risk category (including whether there is a history of blood clots in your family).
As with all health disorders, treatment of blood clots depends on many variables, including the individual’s health background and the extent and location of the clot. Prevention, of course, remains the best medicine. To prevent DVT, active people should, first and foremost, recognize that DVT and PE can occur in athletes. They should stay well hydrated before, during, and after athletic events; stretch legs and pump feet when traveling long distances, and consider wearing graduated compression stockings; know the risk factors and whether your family has a history of DVT. If you have had a trauma or major surgery, or if a cast or brace renders your leg immobile, discuss with your doctor the possibility of prophylactic treatment for DVT.
Whatever your sport, be aware of your body as you train, compete, and travel. Know the symptoms of DVT and PE and if they occur take them seriously and seek medical attention, sooner rather than later.
Dr. Cindy Asbjornsen is the founder of the Vein Healthcare Center in South Portland, Maine. Certified by the American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine, she cares for all levels of venous disease, including spider veins, varicose veins and venous ulcers. She is the only vein specialist in Maine to be named a Fellow by the American College of Phlebology. You can contact Dr. Asbjornsen at 207-221-7799 or: [email protected].
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