I was saddened to read that a few days ago, former American Idol contestant, Michael Johns, had passed away due to a blood clot after twisting his ankle. I do not watch American Idol much anymore, but back in 2008 I rarely missed an episode. I do remember Michael Johns competing.
At 35 years old this is a tragic loss. Fortunately, blood clots after twisting an ankle leading to death are very rare. However, blood clots in the legs are not uncommon. The clot in the leg is not what is fatal but instead it is the blood clot "breaking off" and traveling to the lungs that can lead to death. This is called a pulmonary embolism.
How do blood clots form in the legs? Well, there are large veins in the legs and when a person does not move his or her legs for a long period of time there is no muscular activity to help the blood return to the heart. This blood can then pool in a vein in the leg causing a deep vein thrombus (DVT).
I am not sure of the facts but it seems that Michael Johns twisted his ankle and it was causing him severe pain. It was too painful to move and he probably stayed off of it. A blood clot formed and likely traveled to the singer's lungs.
This could have been possibly prevented if the singer sought medical advice. A possible sign of a DVT is severe calf pain and swelling. If this happens seek medical attention right away. An ultrasound can be done to determine if a DVT is present or a blood test called a D-dimer can be done to see if a clotting process is present.
RIP Michael Johns. Hopefully, some good can come out of this tragedy by educating people on the dangers of this condition.
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