Pulmonary embolism

A pulmonary embolism is a blocked blood vessel in your lungs. It can be life-threatening if not treated quickly.

See a GP if:

• you feel pain in your chest or upper back
• you have difficulty breathing
• you're coughing up blood

You may also have pain, redness and swelling in one of your legs (usually the calf). These are symptoms of a blood clot, also called deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

Treating a pulmonary embolism

If your GP thinks you've got a pulmonary embolism, you'll be sent to hospital for further tests and treatment.

At hospital, you'll probably be given an injection of anticoagulant medicine before you get any test results.

Anticoagulants stop blood clots getting bigger and prevent new clots forming.

If tests confirm you have a pulmonary embolism, you'll continue with anticoagulant injections for at least 5 days.

You'll also need to take anticoagulant tablets for at least 3 months.

You can expect to make a full recovery from a pulmonary embolism if it's spotted and treated early.

Reduce your pulmonary embolism risk

You can reduce your risk of a pulmonary embolism by taking measures to prevent DVT.

A pulmonary embolism commonly occurs when part of the blood clot dislodges itself from your leg and travels up to your lungs, causing a blockage.

If you're being treated in hospital for another condition, your medical team should take steps to prevent DVT.

You can occasionally develop DVT on journeys lasting more than 6 hours.

You can take steps to reduce your risk of travel-related DVT.