The human body is an amazing piece of machinery. It can withstand an incredible amount of pain and punishment before breaking down. One of the most amazing mechanisms of all is the one that keeps us from bleeding to death. But as we all know, massive blood clots can cause a pretty huge amount of damage in their own right.
This week, one Redditor posted a graphic photo of a strange blood clot that was extracted from the lungs of one of his friends’ patients. The patient’s nosebleed lasted for several days, and when he figured out that it wasn’t going to go away on its own, he went to the emergency room. That’s when doctors pulled something absolutely insane out of his lungs.
Warning: NSFW
Seriously, NSFW. Not at all.
The Redditor posted this under the photo: “Eighty-year-old male with nose bleed for two days. Refused to go to ER. Wife finally talked him into going. He coded shortly after arriving. Doctor went to intubate and found this. Pulled it out in one piece. It’s a blood clot that went from his nose, down his airway, and into his lungs. It’s an amazingly beautiful blood clot.”
That’s incredibly freaky. I’m surprised that he was still able to breathe.
(via Reddit)
Sadly, internal blood clots like this can happen to pretty much anyone. Let this be a lesson: if you have a bloody nose that lasts for more than a day, go to a doctor. It might just save your life.