She twisted her her ankle while wearing high heel shoes and died. The woman was 27, and daughter of a Ugandan legislator. It emerged that the young woman suffered a blood clot on the leg during the incident. Many people have lost their lives due to blood clots which many ignore and take lightly. Dr Benjamin Wedro, of Medicinenet, says blood clots form when blood fails to circulate adequately. Blood clots also form when there is damage to the lining of a blood vessel, either an artery or a vein.  When a blood clot is formed as part of a normal repair process of the body, there is little consequence. Unfortunately, there are times when a blood clot will form when it is not needed, and this can have potentially significant consequences, Dr Wedro says. "Blood clots in a vein occur when a person becomes immobilised and muscles are not contracting to push blood back to the heart. This stagnant blood begins to form small clots along the walls of the vein. This initial clot can gradually grow to partially or completely occlude or block the vein and prevent blood from returning to the heart,” Dr Wedro’s says. When blood hardens from a liquid to a solid form then it forms a clump which is a blood clot, according to Dr Tekle G. Egiziabher, a Specialist at the Rwanda Military Hospital. "A blood clot which forms inside one of the veins or arteries is called a thrombus and it can also form in the heart. Sometimes this can lead to a blockage in an artery that may prevent oxygen from reaching the tissues in that area. If not treated right away, it can lead to tissue damage or death,” he adds. Watch out Dr Tekle says blood clots may form especially in situations when one is bed ridden for a long time, which makes the blood flow slowly. Crossing your legs for long periods of time when sitting or when one sits for long periods of time, especially when they can’t stretch their legs, can also cause blood clots. Dehydration and taking birth control pills or estrogen hormones, especially for women who smoke is also one of the situations likely to lead to a blood clot. "Blood clots can lead to serious and life threatening complications. It’s, therefore, advisable that one seeks medical attention as soon as they notice a blood clot. If a blood clot travels to the brain, it can cause a stroke, which is also a serious medical condition,” Dr Taekle adds. According to Mayo Clinic, blood clots may form inside small veins near the surface of your skin resulting in localised redness, pain and swelling. Blood clots that form inside larger, deeper veins may cause more-widespread symptoms in the affected area, usually your leg, and can cause more-serious problems, Mayo Clinic writes. "Blood clots may also break away from their original source and cause damage elsewhere in your body. Those that break away from a deep vein thrombosis and travel to the lungs may cause a potentially life-threatening blood clot in the lungs. Blood clots that arise from within the carotid arteries in your neck may travel to the brain and cause a stroke,” the medical providers say on their web site.