A blood clot in the arm can cause redness, tenderness, warmth, and swelling. If left untreated, it can lead to severe pain, skin ulcers, and blisters. The clot can also travel to other organs, such as the lungs, causing difficulty breathing, chest pain, and coughing up blood. Emergency treatment should be sought if these symptoms occur.
Recognizing and treating a blood clot in the arm is important as it can break off and travel to other areas of the body, such as the lungs, which can make breathing difficult. One of the first symptoms of this problem is redness where the clot is, which is often accompanied by tenderness and warmth in the same area. In fact, mild tenderness sometimes gradually becomes a dull ache or even a constant pain if left untreated. Some patients also notice swelling near the red area, although it is also possible for the entire arm to swell. If the blood clot travels to the lungs before being treated, patients may cough up blood, experience chest pain, and have difficulty breathing.
One of the first symptoms of a blood clot is often a red, inflamed area, which marks the location of the clot. The redness is usually accompanied by a feeling of warmth. If left untreated soon after the red spot appears, patients may feel some tenderness, which can turn into severe pain the longer the clot is undetected and untreated. Eventually, skin ulcers and blisters may develop over the red spot, and the skin may start to leak due to the continued presence of the blood clot in the arm.
The swelling may be evident in the red, tender part of the arm, although in some cases the entire limb may swell. The vein surrounding the clot usually becomes inflamed, which is why the arm can swell. While sometimes the swelling is evident with just a glance at the arm, some patients don’t notice it until they compare one arm to the other. In general, the amount of inflammation tends to depend on the size of the blood clot in the arm.
The most serious problem with a blood clot in a limb is the possibility that it travels to important organs. For example, a blood clot in the arm can break off and end up in the lungs. This complication often leads to difficulty breathing, rapid heartbeat, and chest pain. Some patients may start coughing up blood and may also notice feelings of weakness and dizziness in general. When these symptoms occur in combination with other less serious signs of a blood clot in the arm, emergency treatment should be sought.
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