Jalen Hurts Suffers From Blood Clots: What to Know
- Blood clots can block blood flow and cause life-threatening conditions, including deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, heart attack, and stroke.
- Blood clot symptoms vary by location and include leg swelling, sudden shortness of breath, chest pain, facial drooping, arm weakness, and speech difficulty.
- Staying active, exercising, staying hydrated, and using compression socks when traveling or as medically advised may help reduce blood clot risk; treatment often includes prescription blood thinners.
By: Krysten Brenlla
Jalen Hurts, quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, was recently diagnosed with bilateral pulmonary emboli, a serious medical condition where blood clots block blood vessels in both lungs. Treatment typically includes blood-thinning medications, which help prevent clots from growing and reduce the risk of new ones forming.
His diagnosis highlights the importance of knowing the symptoms and risk factors, which can be life-threatening if left untreated.
What Are Blood Clots?
Blood clots are gel-like clumps of blood cells and proteins that form in your veins and arteries to stop bleeding after an injury. If clots form abnormally, or don’t dissolve, they can prevent normal blood flow and lead to serious medical emergencies.
Types and Locations of Blood Clots:
There are several different types of blood clots including:
- Deep vein thrombosis: A clot that forms in a deep vein, commonly in the leg or arm.
- Pulmonary embolism: A life-threatening condition that forms when a deep vein thrombosis clot breaks, travels to the lungs, and blocks blood flow.
- Arterial clots: Clots that form in arteries (located in the heart or the brain), which can lead to a heart attack or stroke by blocking oxygen-rich blood from reaching vital organs.
Symptoms of Blood Clots:
Typical symptoms of blood clots include swelling, redness, or warmth to the touch. However, depending on the type of blood clot, symptoms can include:
- Deep vein thrombosis symptoms: Intense swelling, sharp pain, tenderness, inflammation, redness, or warmth to the touch.
- Pulmonary embolism symptoms: Shortness of breath, sharp chest pain, rapid heart rate, or coughing up blood.
- An arterial clot in the brain: Oxygen is cut off from the organ, causing a stroke. Symptoms include facial drooping, arm weakness, and speech difficulty.
- An arterial clot in a coronary artery: Cuts off blood flow to the heart. Symptoms include intense chest pain, pain that radiates to the jaw, neck, back, stomach, or arms, shortness of breath, cold sweats, nausea, or lightheadedness.
You can reduce your risk of life-threatening blood clots by being active, exercising, staying hydrated, and using compression socks when traveling or if advised by a medical professional. Treatment for blood clots typically involves prescription blood thinners prescribed by your doctor.
Jalen Hurts’ story sheds light on blood clots, risk factors, and life-saving treatment options. If you suspect that you have a blood clot, Jackson Medical Group can help diagnose and treat you. For more information and to make an appointment, visit https://medicalgroup.jacksonhealth.org/.
Image credit: All-Pro Reels, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
