How Does a Blood Clot Form?
Our blood is a liquid and remains so as long as it is in the body. It has a group of proteins called coagulation factors that remain inactive as long as the blood vessels are healthy, and the blood keeps flowing in the body.
They are counteracted by another group of proteins called anticoagulants. Blood clotting is essential to repair injured blood vessels, and without it, a small injury in any blood vessel may cause us to bleed to death.
This delicate balance of coagulation and anticoagulation can be disturbed in many disorders, some of them are genetic and others are acquired throughout life. It can result from changes in the flow of blood in a blood vessel, from changes in the coagulation factors themselves or the viscosity of blood. Next lets look at the causes of blood clots in the legs..