The symptoms of pulmonary embolism, a potentially life-threatening complication of DVT are:

chest pain that worsens with coughing or breathing deeply, coughing up blood, dizziness or fainting, unexplained shortness of breath and rapid breathing with increased pulse rate. A person with these symptoms should seek immediate medical attention, especially if they have a history of deep vein thrombosis.

Depending on the severity, DVT can be treated with drug therapy. Bed rest with legs elevated is required until the condition improves. Gradient elastic stockings, sometimes called compression stockings, may need to be worn for up to a year and the patient should avoid sitting or standing for long periods.

Drug therapy to reduce the risk of blood clots is the most common treatment for DVT. Drugs most commonly used are blood thinners that slow the growth of blood clots. Heparin is a common injectable anticoagulant and is used in conjunction with Coumadin for at least three months.

Patients with severe deep vein thrombosis may receive thrombolytic therapy to try to dissolve clots. Tissue plasminogen activator is the most commonly used thrombolytic therapy. Thrombolytics increases the risk of serious bleeding so this is only used when the patient's vein thrombosis is life-threatening.

Another treatment is a filter that can be inserted into the vena cava to prevent blood clots from reaching the heart or lungs. Filters are more common in patients who cannot use anti-clotting drugs or are at a higher risk of falls or are being treated for multiple traumas. Patients that do not respond quickly enough to drug therapy may also need to be fitted with a filter.

Of course, those at risk for DVT can help themselves immensely by losing weight, quitting smoking, and exercising regularly (especially leg and calf focused exercises). Those who frequently fly or sit for long periods should make it a point to get up from their seated position every 2 hours to stretch and walk around for a few minutes. They should also drink plenty of water during traveling. The idea is to keep the blood flowing, especially in the legs.