What are the symptoms of a leg DVT, and when is it an emergency?
Deep vein thrombosis can cause swelling, pain, warmth or colour change in one leg, but may occur without obvious symptoms. New symptoms need urgent assessment. Sudden breathlessness, chest pain or coughing blood may indicate pulmonary embolism and requires emergency care.
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Who is at higher risk?
Risk may increase after surgery or prolonged immobility, during pregnancy or after delivery, and with some hormone treatments, cancer or previous clots. Absence of these factors does not rule out DVT, and leg swelling can have other causes.
How is it diagnosed?
The clinician assesses symptoms and risk factors before choosing tests. Ultrasound commonly forms part of the assessment. A D-dimer blood test may help within a diagnostic pathway, but a raised result alone does not establish DVT because several conditions can raise it.
What should you do now?
Do not delay assessment of new one-sided swelling, massage the leg or start a blood thinner independently. If breathing symptoms or chest pain develops, call emergency services and do not drive yourself. Establishing the diagnosis guides treatment and helps reduce the risk of a clot travelling to the lungs.
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