Broken Finger And Blood Clots
If you were involved in an accident at work that left you with a broken finger, you may develop a blood clot. Although blood clotting is an essential part of the normal healing process, it can become dangerous. The reason being that if your blood clots too much following a broken finger injury, it can be life-threatening and must be dealt with by a doctor as a matter of urgency.
What Are The Symptoms of a Blood Clot in a Broken Finger Injury?
The symptoms of a blood clot and a bruise can often be similar. However, if you have developed a blood clot as a result of a broken finger, certain types of blood clots can have a serious and life-threatening impact.
Symptoms associated with bruises:
• Initially a bruise appears reddish, but then it starts to change colour turning a dark blue, purple and/or blackish as time progresses. This change of colour is a part of the healing process and as time goes by, the lighter in colour a bruise becomes until skin colour turns back to normal. Although a bruise may be painful to the touch as the healing process progresses, the discomfort dissipates as time passes. To find out more about broken finger information and treatment you can view The Health Experts website and also check out the broken finger treatment guide.
Symptoms of blood clots forming in a broken finger:
• If a deep tissue blood clot has developed or several clots (haematomas) have formed in your finger, you may experience various symptoms depending on the extent to which a blood vessel has been blocked. The most common symptoms can include the following:
Sudden pain and discomfort in an affected finger
Swelling around an affected area of the finger
Discolouration which can be anything from “red to purple to black”
The affected finger is tender to the touch
What Are The Consequences of a Blood Clot in a Broken Finger Injury?
When a blood clots forms in a broken finger, as previously mentioned it blocks blood flow and oxygen does not circulate to surrounding tissue. A blood clot of this type can prove life-threatening because it causes tremendous and irreversible damage to cells causing them to die. The consequences of a blood clot forming in a broken finger can result in the following:
• Suffering a stroke – should the blood clot travel to your brain
• A heart attack – should the blood clot travel to your heart
• A pulmonary embolism – should the blood clot travel to your lungs
• Mesenteric ischemia – should the blood clot travel to your intestines
• Deep vein thrombosis – should the blood clot form in a deep vein, more typically in your leg
The Definition of a Blood Clot
The medical term for a blood clots is “thrombus” and as previously mentioned, blood clotting is a vital part of a healing process because the process prevents excessive bleeding following an injury which includes if you have sustained a broken finger. Small blood clots that develop normally disappear, but if they get larger or develop on their own without an injury having been sustained because of hypercoagulation, medical attention must be sought as soon as possible because a blood clot can travel to other parts of your body, including your vital organs.
What Causes a Blood Clot in a Broken Finger Injury?
A blood clot can form in a broken finger injury for the following reasons:
• Trauma
• Damaged blood vessels in an affected finger
• Ruptured cholesterol plaques found in blood vessels which as a result produce bleeding that can then trigger the blood to clot
When a blood clot forms in a broken finger, blood can leak out into the surrounding tissue. The leaked blood collects and forms clots which are referred to as a haematoma, However, if the clot forms and the flow of blood is negatively impacted. When this occurs, your finger would turn a strange colour which can be red, purple and right through to black.
Is it a Blood Clot or a Bruise?
Both blood clots and bruises typically develop because you have sustained damage to the blood vessels found in your fingers. However, there is a big difference between a bruise and a blood clot which is explained below:
• A bruise will resolve itself with the passage of time with your skin changing colour during the healing process
• A blood clot forms in deeper tissue or in the blood vessel itself and is not generally visible
Health experts would recognise whether you have developed a blood clot in your finger or whether it is badly bruised before deciding on the best treatment. If the doctor finds that a clot has formed in your broken finger, it would mean that you have developed thrombus which must be treated as a matter of urgency.
What Are The Symptoms of a Blood Clot in a Broken Finger Injury?
The symptoms of a blood clot and a bruise can often be similar. However, if you have developed a blood clot as a result of a broken finger, certain types of blood clots can have a serious and life-threatening impact.
Symptoms associated with bruises:
• Initially a bruise appears reddish, but then it starts to change colour turning a dark blue, purple and/or blackish as time progresses. This change of colour is a part of the healing process and as time goes by, the lighter in colour a bruise becomes until skin colour turns back to normal. Although a bruise may be painful to the touch as the healing process progresses, the discomfort dissipates as time passes
Symptoms of blood clots forming in a broken finger:
• If a deep tissue blood clot has developed or several clots (haematomas) have formed in your finger, you may experience various symptoms depending on the extent to which a blood vessel has been blocked. The most common symptoms can include the following:
Sudden pain and discomfort in an affected finger
Swelling around an affected area of the finger
Discolouration which can be anything from “red to purple to black”
The affected finger is tender to the touch
What Are The Consequences of a Blood Clot in a Broken Finger Injury?
When a blood clots forms in a broken finger, as previously mentioned it blocks blood flow and oxygen does not circulate to surrounding tissue. A blood clot of this type can prove life-threatening because it causes tremendous and irreversible damage to cells causing them to die. The consequences of a blood clot forming in a broken finger can result in the following:
• Suffering a stroke – should the blood clot travel to your brain
• A heart attack – should the blood clot travel to your heart
• A pulmonary embolism – should the blood clot travel to your lungs
• Mesenteric ischemia – should the blood clot travel to your intestines
• Deep vein thrombosis – should the blood clot form in a deep vein, more typically in your leg
What Are the Symptoms Associated with Thrombus?
The symptoms commonly associated with thrombus can vary because it depends which organs and tissue are affected, but can include the following:
• Your speech becomes slurred and you experience a weakness and numbness of one side of your body which are typical signs of suffering a stroke
• A pain in your chest together with a shortness of breath, which could be a sign that you are experiencing a heart attack or suffering a pulmonary embolism
• A pain in your abdomen, fever with blood found in your stool which could be a sign that you are suffering from mesenteric ischemia
• Pain and swelling in your leg which are typical signs of having developed deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
Should you experience any of the above symptoms following a broken finger injury, you must seek medical attention as a matter of urgency.
How Do Doctors Diagnose Blood Clots and Bruises?
A doctor would carry out a thorough examination of your broken finger injury and read up on your medical history before carrying out specific imaging tests to establish whether it is a bruise or a blood clot that has formed. The imaging tests that would be done could include the following:
• An ultrasound
• A CT scan
• An MRI scan
These imaging tests would help a doctor when it comes to looking for blood clots that may have formed in your blood vessels, in tissues and internal organs.
When diagnosing a bruise, a doctor can usually do this by carrying out a physical examination which would also typically identify whether small blood clots have formed under your fingernails which are referred to as subungual haematomas.
How Does a Doctor Treat a Blood Clot in a Broken Finger Injury?
A doctor would carry out a thorough examination of your finger before prescribing blood thinning medication that would prevent blood clots from forming. To find out information on broken fingers on the NHS website visit the NHS link. Occasionally, a blood clot may need to be treated by surgical intervention which would require a stay in hospital.