A blood clot in the deep veins of the leg is called deep vein thrombosis. It can cause symptoms in the leg.

If the clot breaks loose and travels through the bloodstream to the lungs, it can cause symptoms and serious health problems in the lungs and heart. This is called pulmonary embolism.

So let's talk about these different symptoms.

A clot in the leg
A clot in the leg can cause cramping pain. This is most often in the lower part of the calf. The cramping pain usually gets worse over several days. If the clot is very large and blocks blood flow in a large vein, it also can cause swelling of the leg. Blood clots tend to form in one leg only. It's unusual to have a clot in both legs at the same time. So having new pain in the calf and new swelling of just one leg is worrisome.

A clot in the lungs
When a blood clot from the legs travels to the lungs, it can cause:

• Shortness of breath
• Sharp pain in the chest when taking in a deep breath
• Dry coughing
• Coughing up blood
• Rapid heartbeat

If the clot is very large and blocks a major blood vessel in the lungs, it can cause fainting and even sudden death.

Sounds pretty bad, I know. And blood clots in the leg can be bad, too. But a lot of other things cause pain in the leg besides blood clots. Perhaps the most common would be a pulled muscle, and that could be the case with you.

Or you could have a skin infection. If your leg gets tender and red and causes leg pain, you may have a condition called cellulitis.

If a cyst behind the knee ruptures, it can cause sudden, severe pain, most often in the knee and upper part of the calf. This is called a ruptured Baker’s cyst.

I think people who have new pain in the same place in the calf of one leg should go to their doctor to check it out. It probably is not a blood clot, but it's worth having the doctor make sure.