The Symptoms, Causes, Treatment and Information About Blood Clots in the Lungs

Causes. Pulmonary embolisms are caused when the blood clot breaks away from the vein in the leg and is carried through the bloodstream. It moves through the patient’s heart then finds an artery in the lungs and causes a blockage. The blockage can impair the person’s ability to breathe properly and can destroy the tissue of the lungs.

Women who are on birth control or hormone replacement therapy have a somewhat higher risk of developing pulmonary embolisms, especially if they smoke or are overweight. Other risk factors are cancer, inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis and having second or third degree burns. Smokers have a higher risk of developing pulmonary embolisms than people in the general population.