Health A to Z: Pulmonary embolism

Symptoms of a pulmonary embolism include:

• difficulty breathing that comes on suddenly
• chest pain that's worse when you breathe in
• coughing up blood

You may also have pain and swelling in your leg (usually the calf) or arm. The skin may become red, blue, or darker than usual – if you have black or brown skin this may be harder to see. These are symptoms of a blood clot, also called DVT (deep vein thrombosis).

If you have symptoms of a pulmonary embolism, you will need urgent medical help.

Call 999 or go to A&E if:

Do not drive to A&E. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.

Bring any medicines you take with you.

Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if:

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

At hospital, you may 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 start anticoagulant treatment.

This may involve anticoagulant tablets or injections, depending on the treatment that's most suitable for you.

You'll need to have anticoagulant treatment for at least 3 months.

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

A pulmonary embolism usually happens when a blood clot travels up to your lungs, causing a blockage.

There are things you can do to lower your risk of getting a pulmonary embolism.

If you're staying in hospital being treated for another condition, your medical team should help reduce the risk of you getting DVT (deep vein thrombosis).

DVT can sometimes happen on long journeys when you are sitting in the same position for a long time. The risk of developing DVT is higher if you are travelling for 4 hours or more by plane, train or car.

There are things you can do to reduce your risk of getting DVT when travelling.