News that Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts has been ruled out of Week 6 with a “superficial blood clot” has tons of fans wondering what Hurts’ condition is and just how serious it might be.
According to Cleveland Clinic, superficial thrombophlebitis, also known as superficial vein thrombosis, is a blood clot that occurs in veins under the skin that usually result in inflammation, pain, redness and swelling in the arms or legs. Though it’s most common in women over the age of 60, it can occur in anyone.
A similar condition known as deep vein thrombosis causes blood clots in the deep veins, which present a serious risk of those clots traveling to the lungs and causing a pulmonary embolism. However, superficial thrombophlebitis occurs in the superficial veins that are closer to the skin. Clots in these veins are uncomfortable and painful, but hardly life-threatening.
Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
There’s no universally recognized cause of the condition but it is likely in people who have suffered an injury to the affected area or received an IV line in the affected vein.
The main symptoms of the condition are pain, redness or discoloration of the skin, swelling and skin that feels extra warm or hot.
Fortunately the condition doesn’t require any sort of surgery. The Cleveland Clinic noted that most healthcare providers recommend a combination of warm compresses, elevating the limb, NSAIDs and compression stockings (if the clot is in the leg).
The condition usually resolves within a few weeks. However, there are “some people” for whom the condition can develop into the far more dangerous deep vein thrombosis.
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So it seems like there’s a very high likelihood that Hurts will be back to normal and at full health in just a few weeks with the help of a few over the counter medications and a little bit of therapy on his leg.
We wish Hurts all the best in his recovery and hope he’s back to full health soon.
