The human body has its way of coping with diverse situations but sometimes it may face a condition that may appear trivial yet this condition could result in death if it is not diagnosed and managed quickly.
One of such conditions is pulmonary embolism. This is a sudden blockage of a major blood vessel in the lung, usually, by a blood clot.
A large clot can stop blood flow to the lungs and could cause sudden death. Fortunately for us, the clots are often small and may only result in various degrees of lung damage and reduced oxygen supply to body tissues.
These blood clots that cause the blockage of vessels in the lungs commonly originate from the deep veins of the legs but may also come from other parts of the body. This condition is referred to as deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
When the clot moves from its origin then it is referred to as an embolus. Though blood clots commonly cause the blockage of the vessels, other causes include; fat from a broken long bone, parts of a tumour, air bubbles and even amniotic fluid.
Pulmonary embolism (PE) may present general symptoms such as anxiety, increased sweating, faintness or lightheadedness and sometimes the heart begins to beat faster. Classically, we may experience one or more of the following:
Source: GhanaWeb
