Symptoms of Embolism

Health encyclopaedia - Alphabetical Topic List

| A |

| B |

| C |

| D |

| E |

| F |

| G |

| H |

| I |

| J |

| K |

| L |

| M |

| N |

| O |

| P |

| Q |

| R |

| S |

| T |

| U |

| V |

| W |

| X |

| Y |

The symptoms of embolism depend on where in the body it occurs and how big it is. If the embolism is small and in a minor blood vessel, it wonâ€™t cause any immediate symptoms. If itâ€™s large, the embolism can completely block the flow of blood to part of the body, which can be life threatening.

An embolism in an artery causes symptoms in the affected area and may include the following:

pain;
numbness;
tingling;
coldness;
mottled or pale skin; and
muscular spasms (twitches) or paralysis (unable to move).

An embolism in an artery in the brain can cause a transient ischaemic attack, or a stroke. An embolism in a coronary artery (an artery on the surface of the heart) can cause a heart attack.

An embolism in a vein doesnâ€™t always cause symptoms. However, there may be:

tenderness in the calf or upper leg, which may get gradually more painful;
a mild fever, with the skin feeling hot in the area where the embolism is;
swelling in one leg and not the other;
redness of the leg; and
swollen veins.

Deep vein thrombosis is an example of an embolism that forms in a vein â€“ in this case, a blood clot. If the blood clot breaks away, it can be carried in the bloodstream up to and through the heart, before enterring one of the main arteries to the lungs. This can cause the following symptoms:

chest pain;
rapid heart beat;
shortness of breath and fast breathing; and
coughing (sometimes bringing up blood).

A blockage in the lungs is called pulmonary embolism and can cause of sudden, unexpected death. (See separate article on pulmonary embolism).

Symptoms of a fat embolism, which can occur around 48 hours after a major bone fracture, include:

confusion;
rash;
sleepiness;
rapid heart beat;
breathlessness; and
bluish tint to the skin (cynosis).