Difference between hemostasis and thrombosis
Introduction
Hemostasis and thrombosis are processes that occur in the human body to prevent excessive blood loss when vascular injury occurs. Both conditions are usually related to each other, but despite this, there are fundamental differences and each of them will be explained in detail in this article.
Haemostasis
Hemostasis is a protective feature of our body which is activated when a blood vessel breaks or is damaged. This process includes three main phases:
- vasoconstriction.
- The formation of a platelet plug.
- Coagulation.
When an injury occurs to a blood vessel, it immediately constricts or narrows to decrease the flow of blood out of it. Platelets then adhere to the injury site and form a plug to prevent blood loss. Finally, coagulation proteins are activated to form a clot.
Thrombosis
thrombosis it is a process pathological that occurs when a blood clot forms in a vein or artery, without there being a previous injury to the blood vessel. This process can lead to serious consequences, as the clot can block blood flow, which can cause damage to the body's organs. Thrombosis occurs in diseases such as deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism and myocardial infarction, among others.
Differences between Hemostasis and Thrombosis
The most important difference between both processes is that hemostasis responds to an injury to the blood vessel, while thrombosis does not. Furthermore, hemostasis is a protective process of the body, while thrombosis is a disease that can cause serious complications. It is important to note that both processes involve the formation of blood clots, but for a different purpose.
In conclusion, it is essential to know and understand the difference between hemostasis and thrombosis, in order to understand the processes that occur within the body and be able to recognize possible risk situations for thrombosis.
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