If you’re over 40, you may be carrying a silent danger inside your veins: blood clots. They affect millions of people each year and can trigger life-threatening conditions like heart attacks, strokes, and pulmonary embolisms.

Understanding the risks—and how to prevent them—can save your life.

Why Blood Clots Are Dangerous

A clot that forms inside a vein or artery can block blood flow to vital organs, creating a medical emergency. Common warning signs include:

• Swelling, pain, or tenderness in the leg or arm

• Warmth or redness on the skin

• Sudden chest pain or shortness of breath (possible pulmonary embolism)

• Weakness, numbness, or paralysis on one side of the body (possible stroke)

If untreated, blood clots can be fatal, which makes early recognition and prevention critical.

COVID-19 and the Elevated Risk

Recent research has shown a strong connection between COVID-19 and blood clots. Severe cases often lead to venous thromboembolism (VTE), including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE).

Scientists believe the hyperinflammatory response triggered by the virus disrupts normal clotting, damages blood vessels, and activates platelets—all of which increase clot risk.