A deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot in the veins, it can occur in any deep veins, but most commonly does so in those in the calf.
It has become recognised that flight DVT is a potential complication after any long journey.
The Research on Flight DVT and Flight Compression Socks
The Lancet, a respected medical journal, published a study which compared the number of DVT's found in a group of people after an 8 hour long haul flight who had worn flight compression socks compared to a similar group of people who had done the same fight but not worn flight compression socks. Out of the 116 passengers who had not worn flight compression socks 12 were found to have developed a DVT. None of the 115 passengers who were wearing flight compression socks developed a flight DVT.
Ways to Reduce the Risk of Suffering From Flight DVT
As well as flight compression socks other actions have been shown to decrease the likelihood of a flight DVT after a long journey. These include:
- Staying well hydrated, so drinking plenty of water, but avoiding coffee and alcohol
- Keeping the blood moving so getting up and moving around as much as possible, walking around the airport if in transit, and whilst on the flight doing regular exercises. One suitable exercise is to, whilst sitting, leave the toes on the floor and vigorously lift the heels up and down onto tip toes so pumping the calf muscle, this needs to be done for a few minutes every hour
- Avoiding compressing the veins, so not sitting with the legs crossed.
Certain groups of individuals are more at risk of getting a DVT and so should perhaps plan their journey more carefully, paying attention to the preventative measures above.These groups of people include:
- Those who are pregnant, taking contraception or hormone replacement therapy.
- Anyone who smokes.
- Those who have recently had any trauma to the legs, for instance a bang or sprain.
- Anyone who has had blood clots before, or has close relatives who have had blood clots.
- Anyone who has had any surgery in the previous few weeks.
What to look for if you suspect flight DVT
The classic symptoms of a flight DVT are
- redness of the calf
- swelling of the calf
- pain on pressing on the calf
- pain on stretching the calf ie if pulling the toes up towards the body
The danger with a DVT is that part of the clot breaks off, gets carried away in the bloodstream, but then when it reaches a smaller size vessel it gets stuck and blocks it, cutting of blood flow. Depending where it gets stuck it can cause something called a pulmonary embolism which stops the lungs getting oxygen into the blood and this can be life threatening.
Disclaimer: The information on this page is written to help you understand the condition. A DVT is potentially a life threatening condition and should you have any concerns at all you should always seek immediate advice from a qualified medical person.
