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27 - Risk of Blood Clots or Thrombosis During Air Travel
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PROLONGED immobility, particularly when the individual is seated, leads to pooling of blood in the legs, which in turn causes swelling, stiffness, and discomfort.
Circulatory stasis is a predisposing factor for the development of venous thrombosis (blood clots). Flex thoroughly when you are awake.
Risk increases with time in the air. A flight of less than two hours may be free of risk unless it follows another flight of two or more hours or if you spent two hours in your seat waiting to take off. It is estimated that about 100 air travelers die every year of blood clots.
Blood clots can form in the deep veins that are not visible through the skin of your legs during travel because you are sitting still in a confined space for long periods of time. The longer you are sitting still, the greater your risk is of developing a blood clot.
Part of the clot can break off and travel to the lungs, causing a sudden blockage of arteries in the lung, known as a pulmonary embolism. Though these types of blot clots are rare, they are very serious and can cause death.
Conditions that increase your chances of getting blood clots, include
--Having had a previous blood clot
--Family history of blood clots
--Known clotting disorder
--Recent surgery, hospitalization, or injury
--Use of estrogen-containing birth control or hormone replacement therapy
--Current or recent pregnancy
--Older age
--Obesity
--Cancer or cancer treatment such as chemotherapy
--Serious medical conditions (for example, congestive heart failure or inflammatory bowel disease)