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Sitting Tight Bad Advice For Air Travelers

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Our mothers meant well when they told us to sit tight. They really did. Unfortunately the suggestion to “sit tight” is not good advice if your vacation plans include long flights or extended car trips. Sitting motionless for long periods of time may put some travelers at risk for deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot in a vein deep within a muscle, usually in the calf or thigh. DVT can be serious, even life threatening, because sometimes the clots that form in the deep veins break off, travel through the bloodstream, and obstruct a vessel in the lungs, restricting blood flow. This condition is called pulmonary embolism and it can be fatal.

DVT has been dubbed “the economy class syndrome” because it has been associated with the cramped legroom in economy class airline seating. The longer the flight, the greater the risk.

Only 40 to 50 percent of people with DVT have obvious signs and symptoms of DVT, and the condition often goes unrecognized. When they do occur, signs and symptoms vary depending on the severity of the condition. DVT may cause pain and swelling in one or both legs, or less commonly, in an arm. There may also be tenderness in the affected area, and an increase in skin temperature (compared to the unaffected limb).

An increasing number of airline travelers have become aware of their risk for developing blood clots in their legs. Airline magazines and newspaper articles encourage leg and foot exercises during flight as well as walking around. Many airlines also offer “in-flight yoga” videos.

Bear in mind that the threat of developing a blood clot is not limited to air travel. Sitting for hours in a car, at a computer or in front of a television can also be harmful.

Doctors recommend avoiding socks with very tight elastic bands at the top during air travel. They urge travelers who aren’t able to walk around frequently to exercise their legs by curling or pressing the toes down. This causes the muscles to contract and squeeze on the leg vein, helping to pump the blood along.

If your travel plans include a long flight, you might consider the following tips:

• Wear comfortable, loose fitting clothing.
• Do not place carry on luggage where it may limit leg movement.
• Walk about the cabin at regular intervals.
• Drink plenty of fluids: Dehydration causes blood vessels to narrow and thicken
  which increases the risk of DVT. Reducing alcohol and coffee consumption is
  also recommended as they can lead to dehydration.
• Avoid crossing your legs.
• If you are at high risk for DVT, wear compression stockings, which can be
  purchased in most drug stores. These stockings put pressure on leg muscles
  and help return blood flow from the legs to the heart.

Don’t take a 10-hour car trip without stopping every couple of hours. Get out and walk a bit. Even if you are the driver, you still need to take walking breaks. Pushing on the gas pedal isn’t enough movement for your legs. .

Although anyone can be affected by DVT, there are some groups who are at higher risk. They include:

• The elderly
• Diabetics
• People with blood disorders
• Women who take oral contraceptives (birth control pills) or other medications
  that contain the hormone estrogen
• People with a history of thrombosis
• People who have just undergone major surgeries or have just suffered a bone
  fracture.

So if your travel plans include long flights or many hours in a car, keep moving! Keeping the blood circulating and muscles active can prevent your dream vacation from becoming a nightmare.