(RxWiki News) He was a former officer who played an officer on TV. Dennis Farina, best known for his roles on Law & Order and Crime Story, has died. He was 69.
According to his spokesperson, Farina was in a Scottsdale, Arizona hospital when he died from a blood clot in his lung.
"If you experience sudden shortness of breath, go to the ER."
A blood clot in the lung, or pulmonary embolism, causes the arteries of the lungs to be blocked.
The blockages can also be caused by fat, air or cancer tumors.
When lung arteries are blocked, the body can’t get enough oxygen.
Symptoms of a pulmonary embolism can mimic a number of other conditions, including heart disease.
A sudden cough that may or may not include blood in the sputum (mucous coughed up from the lungs) is a common symptom. Sudden shortness of breath, chest pain, rapid breathing and rapid heart rate can all be signs of a blood clot in the lung.
Commonly, blood clots in the leg — called deep vein thrombosis — can lead to pulmonary embolism.
Farina started acting after he left his first career as a Chicago policeman. He got a late start to stardom at the age of 37.
He appeared in more than 75 television programs and movies.
