According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), symptoms of DVT only occur in about half of the people with this condition. Common DVT symptoms include:
- swelling in your foot, ankle, or leg, usually on one side
- cramping pain in your affected leg that usually begins in your calf
- severe, unexplained pain in your foot and ankle
- an area of skin that feels warmer than the skin in the surrounding areas
- the skin over the affected area turning pale or reddish, or bluish color, depending on skin tone
People with an upper extremity DVT, or a blood clot in the arm, may not experience symptoms. If they do, common symptoms include:
- neck pain
- shoulder pain
- swelling in the arm or hand
- blue- or darker-tinted skin color
- pain that moves from the arm to the forearm
- weakness in the hand
If you develop symptoms of a pulmonary embolism (PE) — a life-threatening complication of deep vein thrombosis — seek emergency medical help. The warning signs and symptoms of a pulmonary embolism include:
- Sudden shortness of breath
- Chest pain or discomfort that worsens when you take a deep breath or when you cough
- Feeling lightheaded or dizzy
- Fainting
- Rapid pulse
- Rapid breathing
- Coughing up blood
A pulmonary embolism can happen when a DVT clot has moved from the arm or leg into the lung. When an artery in the lung becomes blocked, it’s life threatening and requires emergency care.