By. Brittany List
Pulmonary embolism is the third most common cardiovascular disease. The first and second being heart attack and stroke. Pulmonary embolism is the blocking of a major blood vessel in the lung. This blockage is typically caused by a blood clot. If the blood clot is large enough to stop the blood flow to the lung it causes a loss of oxygen to the heart. This in turn can cause a heart attack or stroke and you could die. There is a lot of overlap in heart failure and pulmonary embolism.
The best and most common form of treatment is the use of blood thinner medications. These help prevent blood clots. Your doctor will likely also encourage use you move your body regularly and exercise. You will likely also have to wear compression stockings that are basically very tight socks that go up to your knees or thighs.
Pulmonary embolism is very rare in people under 40. No one knows for sure how many people are affected by PE, but the CDC estimates that the number could be close to 1 million in the United States. Of that, around 80,000 are fatal episodes. The CDC also states that,"10-30 percent of people will die within one month of diagnosis".
References:
https://www.epainassist.com/chest-pain/lungs/risk-factors-for-pulmonary-embolism-or-pe
https://vascular.org/patient-resources/vascular-conditions/pulmonary-embolism
https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-entertainment/architecture/2015/06/10/beating-the-odds-a-first-person-account-of-pulmonary-embolism/
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