Can You Get a Blood Clot or DVT in a Finger?
Are you worried you have a blood clot or deep vein thrombosis in your finger?
This question pertains to the finger itself, rather than a bruise under the nail from bleeding.
You probably already know a little something about deep vein thromboses, particularly that they can break off, travel to the lungs and cut off airflow.
Though every DVT is a blood clot, not all blood clots are a DVT.
“Most blood clots in the fingers are caused by trauma to the area,” says J. Mark Anderson, MD, DABFM, of Executive Medicine of Texas and who is board certified in family medicine.
“This is will not lead to DVT. DVT, by definition, is a deep vein thrombosis.
“Deep veins, like those found in the arms or legs, are much larger than those found in the fingers and toes.
“If a clot in the finger does not go away on its own and becomes more painful, see a doctor to have it drained.
“DO NOT DRAIN YOURSELF.”
A blood clot in a finger, then, is not deep, and hence, is not a deep vein thrombosis.
It also cannot travel to the lungs.
“Blood clots in either the hand or arm can cause weakness, tingling, numbness and coldness in the hands and fingers,” says Dr. Anderson.
“It can also lead to blue coloring of the skin.”
A blood clot in the neck can significantly swell up an arm, making it seem as though the blood clot is in the arm itself somewhere. The fingers may look like sausages.
But a blood clot in just a finger will not swell anything up.
“An upper extremity DVT can form in the upper arm, but not in the finger,” says Dr. Anderson.
“An extremity blood clot can put a person at risk for a pulmonary embolism.”
Dr. Anderson is coauthor of the award-winning book, “Stay Young: 10 Proven Steps to Ultimate Health,” and host of the nationally syndicated Staying Young Show which goes to podcast as Staying Young Show 2.0.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/Image Point Fr
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Can Mental Stress Make Chronic Heart Failure Worse?
Chronic heart failure in the elderly has a poor prognosis, but is this made worse if one is subjected to chronic stress vs. if they weren’t?
We surely know that chronic stress can contribute to the development of coronary artery disease.
You may also know that coronary artery disease is a risk factor or can lead to chronic heart failure.
However, what about a direct causal relationship between anxiety or stress, and a worsening of a pre-existing longstanding heart failure?
Another intriguing point to consider is the effect of a new-onset, deeper level of chronic stress on chronic heart failure that’s already been in the severe range.
An analogy might be this: How damaging can jumping with a knee – that’s already been mangled through-and-through from a ski accident – actually be?
In other words, the knee is so shredded that it couldn’t get any worse even if the patient began jumping.
What Exactly Is Chronic Heart Failure?
• An ongoing situation in which the heart does not pump enough blood with each beat for optimal oxygenation of the body.
• The heart’s “squeezing” is weak. Each beat ejects an inadequate amount of blood. The lower the left ventricular ejection fraction, the less blood that is pumped out. This is systolic heart failure.
• However, in diastolic heart failure, the pumping action is okay, but the heart does not fill with enough blood to be pumped out.
The net result, then, is an insufficient amount of blood being pumped out.
Can a person’s longstanding heart failure be bad enough such that new stress in their life would have no effect, just like jumping on a destroyed knee joint would not make it any worse because it’s so damaged already?
“This is a challenging question to answer with great certainty,” begins George Ruiz, MD, former chief of cardiology at MedStar Union Memorial and MedStar Good Samaritan Hospitals, with expertise in the care of adults with advanced heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, congenital heart disease and heart disease during pregnancy.
Dr. Ruiz explains, “I think it’s more helpful to understand how the mind and the heart impact each other.
“Heart failure often impacts a patient’s ability to meet their daily demands – this can lead to escalating mental health issues which we know can adversely impact prognosis.
“Providers of care often overlook mental health issues in CHF patients. Treating these issues can improve patients’ quality of life, which is super important for both patients and their families.
“Regular health maintenance can also have an impact – a focus on diet, sleep habits, avoidance of alcohol and other depressants can also improve patient’s overall well-being.
“Heart failure impacts all aspects of a patient’s life. Therefore, it would not be far-fetched that improving mental health would also improve the body’s resilience and ability to cope with CHF.”
Baseline Mental Stress vs. Worsening Mental Stress
The patient may have always been a worry wart of sorts, rather than the type who has a “mellow as a clam” disposition.
So the variable then becomes a new situation in their life that intensifies their baseline stress and anxiety levels.
There are no conclusive studies that can quantitate a causal relationship between the worsening of chronic heart failure with additional mental stress or anxiety in the person’s life (e.g., losing home to foreclosure; just learned grandchild is dying from cancer; adult child with two preschoolers loses job/evicted from apartment and moves into the patient’s home).
The inconclusive nature is especially true with subsets of longstanding heart failure, such as stage 4 disease, or in patients over 80, or in patients who do very little exercise.
Dr. Ruiz has also treated patients with congenital heart disease and heart disease during pregnancy. From 2006 to 2007 he served as a White House Fellow and was a special assistant to the Secretary of Veteran Affairs.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Ultrasound Shows Blood in a Breast Cyst: Cancer or Benign?
What does it mean when an ultrasound shows blood in a breast cyst? Is this likely cancer or more likely a benign finding?
What prompts women to have an ultrasound of their breasts in the first place, since ultrasound is not a standard screening tool for breast cancer?
• She or her doctor have discovered a palpable lump (i.e.. via fingertips), and the ultrasound is ordered for further investigation.
• She wants a supplemental ultrasound for breast cancer screening after learning that she has dense breast tissue.
• She wants the ultrasound for supplemental screening due to a genetically high risk of breast cancer.
The ultrasound can pick up a cyst in a breast. The patient may already know that when a mass is detected on an ultrasound, the technician will then run a test to see if the mass has a vascular network, since tumors do have their own vascular supply.
Absence of a blood supply to the mass is a reassuring sign. Hence, when the patient learns that there is actual blood in a cyst, this brings on fear.
How Likely Does Blood in a Breast Cyst Indicate Cancer?
“Not typically; usually breast cancer has a solid appearance on ultrasound, while cysts or hematomas have fluid or blood,” says Mark Levandovsky, MD, Founder and Medical Director of Preventive Medicine and Cancer Care. Dr. Levandovsky is a board certified internist and oncologist/hematologist in practice for 20 years.
Dr. Levandovsky continues, “So seeing blood inside a cyst is more likely to be due to bleeding into the cyst than cancer.”
This is not the same as a blood supply TO the cyst (also known as angiogenesis).
Breast Cancer: Four Points You Must Know
Shutterstock/Billion Photos
• Speak to your doctor about the best screening protocol for your age and medical history.
• Yearly mammograms never replace monthly self-exams.
• A 3D mammogram (tomosynthesis) is more sensitive to detecting cancer than is a 2D mammogram, but a biopsy is always required for an official diagnosis.
• A cyst is not a forerunner to breast cancer.
Dr. Levandovsky provides personalized care to health conscious individuals as well as cancer patients and survivors, focusing on an integration of genetic/molecular risk assessments, prevention, education, nutrition and psycho-oncology.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: ©Lorra Garrick
Can GERD Cause a Brief Pulling Sensation in the Chest?
Do you ever get a brief pulling or tugging feeling in your chest and wonder if this can be caused by GERD or momentary acid reflux?
A variety of sensations can affect the chest.
• Pain (throbbing, sharp, pulsing, continuous)
• Aching
• Tightness
• Pressure or heaviness
• Soreness
• Burning
• Food stuck feeling
• Numbness (e.g., permanent after a mastectomy)
But it doesn’t stop there. Some people do occasionally feel a tugging or pulling sensation. It may occur only once or come on from time to time.
If they’ve already been dealing with a diagnosed GERD, it will be tempting to blame GERD on the odd sensation.
GERD Symptoms that Affect the Chest
“Typical GERD symptoms include heartburn, regurgitation, sour taste in the back of the mouth,” says Dr. Neil Sengupta, MD, a general gastroenterologist and assistant professor at the University of Chicago, and GI Research Foundation Scholars Award Recipient.
There may also be what’s best described as a pain or ache in the chest, particularly behind the sternum (breastbone).
An esophageal spasm, triggered by acid reflux, may also cause pain – which can have a throbbing or pulsing nature.
But tugging? Dr. Sengupta explains, “GERD does not typically cause a ‘tugging or catching’ sensation.
“GERD can atypically lead to chest pain (non-cardiac chest pain). A pulling sensation (assuming there is no swallowing difficulty) is probably not related to a GI cause.”
Possible Causes of a Pulling Tugging Feeling in the Chest Area
• Overworked muscle that’s going into a harmless spasm, though this is likely to also hurt.
• Fatigued muscle that’s twitching. A big twitch will feel like a painless thumping.
• Some other musculoskeletal issue.
• Heart palpitation (“skipped” or “extra” beat).
If this happens on a recurring basis, take note of what you were doing at the moment it happened.
After several occurrences you may see a pattern such as a certain body position or movement with your arms.
Also take note of anything you did the previous day that might be connected, such as a chest workout at the gym or chopping wood.
There are no serious diseases that are associated with a patient reporting a tugging or pulling sensation in their chest.
But take note: A transient ischemic attack (mini stroke) can cause a pulling sensation on one side of the entire body – as though an unseen force is pulling a person to one side, making them feel off-balance or slightly tipping to the side.
A TIA would not cause a solitary symptom of tugging only in the chest area.
So if your experience is accompanied by other concerning symptoms (clumsiness, weakness in a limb or difficulty walking, chest pain, shortness of breath, a faint feeling, dizziness, nausea, sweating) then see a doctor immediately.
Dr. Sengupta’s research interests involve optimizing the care and outcomes of patients hospitalized with gastrointestinal bleeding. Specific interests include GERD, colon cancer screening and fatty liver disease.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/CHAjAMP
Can MS Cause an Arm to Fall Asleep at Night?
You wake in the middle of the night or early morning to find that your arm feels like a lifeless log: numb and asleep. You also have MS and wonder if there’s a connection.
To some individuals, wakening to the dead sensation of an arm that’s “fallen asleep” is unnerving (no pun intended). It’s so numb to the touch that it feels like it belongs to someone else’s body.
This phenomenon can happen to perfectly healthy people when the arm ends up in certain positions that compress nerves. But can multiple sclerosis – an autoimmune disease – also play a role?
The MS Connection to Arms that Fall Asleep at Night?
“People with MS often develop the sensation of pins and needles in their extremities like they are ‘falling asleep,’” says Mitzi J. Williams, MD, clinical neurologist with Morehouse School of Medicine, an MS specialist and clinical advisor for the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation.
“This symptom of nerve dysfunction is called paresthesia and can occur in one or both arms or legs.
“This occurs frequently in several neurologic conditions including MS, diabetic neuropathy and vitamin B12 deficiency.
“With most of these conditions, the tingling can occur at any time throughout the day. With MS, people notice their symptoms are worse at night because they are still and trying to rest.
“However, it is not as common that people with MS actually have the onset of paresthesias at night. This is more common with carpal tunnel syndrome or with sleep positions that compress the peripheral nerves.”
If you’ve been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and are experiencing a fallen asleep arm at night … it’s very possible that the cause is nothing more than a sleep position.
Or, you just might have carpal tunnel syndrome (which is not related to MS).
Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Numbness or tingling in the fingers or hand that’s not always related to sleep position; can happen during the day.
• The pinky is excluded.
• The numbness or tingling may affect the wrist and forearm, and may especially occur while you are holding something or performing repetitive motions like typing.
• The sensation makes you want to “shake out” your hand.
• The hand may be weak.
• There may be wrist pain.
Sleep Time Nerve Compression
Dr. Williams explains, “The arms fall asleep at night because there is increased pressure on the nerves, and this is usually improved with changing positions.”
Next time this happens to you, simply change position (make sure the arm is not pressed up against anything) and just wait it out.
There is no need to shake out the arm or continuously move it to reverse the numbness – unless that feels better.
“If symptoms are due to carpal tunnel syndrome, your doctor can prescribe neutral position wrist splints to decrease the nighttime symptoms.
“If symptoms are severe and not relieved with wrist splinting a surgical procedure may be needed to relieve the symptoms.”
In summary, the issue of an arm or hand falling asleep at night (that’s relieved by change in position) is much more likely to be related to sleep position or carpal tunnel syndrome than multiple sclerosis.
Dr. Williams is author of “MS Made Simple: The Essential Guide to Understanding Your Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis.” She is a member of the American Academy of Neurology.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/fizkes
Why Elderly Person Can’t Keep Eyes Open During the Day
The reason your elderly loved-one eats with their eyes closed and otherwise can’t keep their eyes open during the day may have nothing to do with lack of sleep.
Take a look at the following checklist to see if it applies to you (if you yourself have the problem) or if an elderly family member suffers from it.
• Inability to keep the eyes fully open much during the day even though drowsiness is not the issue.
• Napping does not correct the problem.
• The elderly individual even eats with their eyes closed.
• Their eyes may be closed during conversation.
• They complain of sensitivity to light, though a dim room does not solve the problem.
• Watching TV or viewing a computer screen for longer than a short while is uncomfortable.
• An accompanying complaint is a feeling of fogginess, heaviness or a dull ache behind the eyes.
• When describing the problem, the person uses a hand to motion around their eyes.
• Despite these complaints, their eyes and lids actually appear normal. They are not bloodshot, and the pupils are not dilated. There is no swelling.
• There are no other symptoms such as discharge from the eye, vision problems, headache, dizziness or nasal congestion.
Elderly Has Hard Time Keeping Eyes Open During the Day Despite Not Being Sleepy
The situation affects quality of life. Though the elderly person’s eyes may not be completely closed at times, they are half closed.
The problem is also new; it’s something that he or she has only been recently complaining about.
When this occurred to my elderly father, I suggested he put lubricating eye drops or “artificial tears” in his eyes. I suspected dry eye.
The situation persisted even though he was using the artificial tears.
BUT WAIT. There is a key point here.
The mistake I made was that of believing my father when he kept saying “Yes” to my question of, “Are you using the eye drops? Are you using them every four hours?”
I believed him and then began thinking that the problem was a chronic sinus infection. To get an appointment with an ear/nose/throat doctor, he had to first see his primary care physician.
I also still suspected dry eye, and by then, began wondering if he truly had been using the artificial tears literally every four hours.
After my father described the symptoms to his doctor, right away the doctor said it was dry eye and urged him to use artificial tears.
I said, “That’s what I’ve been telling him to do, and he’s been telling me he’s been doing it.”
The expression on my father’s face then seemed to be one of “I confess; I have not been doing it.”
As the doctor explained the importance of using the tears multiple times throughut the day, my father slowly nodded his head. He was busted; he had NOT been using the tears!
The doctor explained that for some patients with dry eye, wearing a special contact lens (which does not alter vision) provides comfort because it yields a gentle contact to the cornea.
This is why, continued the doctor, closing the eyes provides comfort to those with untreated dry eye.
My father has since been using the artificial tears and reports that he can now keep his eyes open during the day – even while eating.
For other elderly people with these symptoms, dry eye may not be the cause. This is why a doctor visit is important rather than putting up with the suffering.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified through the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained women and men of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
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Is There a Way to Tell if Fatigue Is Caused by MS?
Multiple sclerosis definitely causes fatigue. But so do many other conditions including cancer and heart disease.
“Fatigue is a very well-described symptom in the MS literature,” says Mitzi J. Williams, MD, clinical neurologist with Morehouse School of Medicine, an MS specialist and clinical advisor for the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation.
Dr. Williams explains, “It can occur very early on in the course of the disease. MS fatigue generally worsens as the day progresses.”
People with severely blocked arteries or chronic heart failure will often feel fatigue the moment they get out of bed in the morning.
Hence, there is no worsening of it as the day goes on; it’s a baseline level of energy depletion right from the start.
It may actually improve as the day goes on due to stimulating activities such as taking a walk or doing yoga.
Or, it may feel worse if one engages in heavier physical exertion. This can also apply to someone with multiple sclerosis.
Thus, levels of energy can swing in both directions depending on the individual, the activity and the environment.
Fatigue related to cancer, anemia or thyroid problems may worsen as the day goes on too, but it’ll probably be evident soon after getting out of bed in the morning.
As for the fatigue of MS, Dr. Williams continues, “People often describe it as having a finite amount of energy and once that energy has been expended (at work or doing daily activities), they hit a brick wall and they can’t do anything else.
“Depending on the person, that energy can be used up by noon or by 5 pm. Sometimes if they take a quick power nap or rest, they can ‘reset’ and get more energy for the rest of the day.”
That tactic can also work with those who have heart disease and other conditions including that of simply being out of shape.
“It is also important to remember that other factors can affect MS fatigue such as insomnia, depression, and some symptomatic medications can also cause fatigue.
“It’s important to discuss with your doctor about other factors than can worsen fatigue related to MS.”
Telling the Difference Between Fatigue from Multiple Sclerosis vs. Other Medical Conditions
Though the fatigue that comes with MS may have some tell-tale signs in some patients some of the time, the net result is that there really is no way to definitively point to the fatigue in every MS patient and declare whether it’s from this autoimmune disease and/or some other condition.
A combination of an aging body that has gotten little exercise, plus MS, can result in a lot of fatigue.
Add heart disease to that duo and you’ll get even more depletion of energy.
A newly-developing level of fatigue that seemingly cannot be explained by multiple sclerosis needs medical attention.
Don’t just brush off worsening exhaustion on MS just because you have MS.
Dr. Williams is author of “MS Made Simple: The Essential Guide to Understanding Your Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosis.” She is a member of the American Academy of Neurology.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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