Symptoms
Some blood clots in the leg veins do not cause any symptoms. However, when the blood clots involve larger veins, they generally cause redness, warmth, tenderness, swelling (edema), and a sensation of heaviness in the leg, particularly when you've been standing. You can check for edema by pressing your finger into your lower leg. If you have edema, the pressure from your finger will create a small dent in your lower leg for several seconds.
A pulmonary embolism may not cause any symptoms, mild symptoms, or serious symptoms that indicate a life-threatening emergency. Symptoms tend to be more severe when the blood clot is larger. Symptoms with a larger clot include sudden shortness of breath and chest pain. The pain tends to be knife-like, and often is worse when you take deep breaths. If the pulmonary embolus is very large, symptoms may be more dramatic, such as a fainting spells, severe shortness of breath, and coughing up blood. A large pulmonary embolims can cause sudden death.
