We smoke, we spend a lot of time driving, we don't drink enough water. We have just outlined the circumstances in which a blood clot is most likely to form in the veins of the legs.

Just as alcohol dehydrates the body, so does smoking. Inside the veins, the vessels that carry deoxygenated blood to the heart, the action of smoking is not just about dehydration.

Dr. Florin Bloj, interventional radiology physician: "In the veins, it causes irritation to the venous endothelium, resulting in inflammation of the endothelium, which leads to the development of thromboses due to dehydration and reduced flow".

Continued dehydration caused by smoking means that the blood circulates more slowly. Its viscosity increases. The risk of forming clots increases.

Dr. Florin Bloj, interventional radiology physician: "Thrombosis means the appearance of blood clots in a deep venous system. Most often in the legs. A limb swells significantly. It's clearly a circulatory disorder, ultrasound quickly diagnoses it".

Treatment is feasible within any emergency medical system. This typically entails administering anticoagulant medications. Nonetheless, research indicates that 50% of patients suffering an acute episode will experience post-thrombotic syndrome. While the blood clot in the veins shrinks, a residual portion remains attached to the vein wall.

Through interventional radiology, the blood clot dissolves rapidly.

Dr. Florin Bloj, interventional radiology physician: "A specialized catheter, resembling a whistle with multiple perforations, is threaded through the blood vessel, and an agent capable of dissolving the clot inside is injected".

The blood flow returns to normal. Subsequently, daily movement becomes mandatory. At least 5,000 steps. In fact, movement is vital for each of us.

In the calf, we have 7 main veins. If we contract the muscles - climb stairs, ride a bike, walk briskly - we press the veins. And we help the blood circulate against gravity.

Deoxygenated blood rises to the heart. However, unlike the heart, the veins do not have a pump to propel the blood as it circulates. Instead, they rely on another source for propulsion. The muscles. Hence, daily movement is crucial for them. Without movement, blood stagnation in the veins becomes likely.

Platelets, that's what the blood cells responsible for clotting are called. They don't like it when you sit either. For hours on end. Or when you stand for hours on end. This behavior is amplified by smoking.

To remain seated allows platelets to form clots. This is the process of venous thrombosis. Which results in blood clots within the veins.