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A blood clot which forms in the deep veins of the leg is otherwise known as a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). DVT causes painful swelling making your legs feel hot to the touch and red in appearance. The primary concern of deep vein thrombosis is that a section of the clot could break away and navigate through your circulatory system and into the lung cavity. If such a thing were to occur the particle could start to form a pulmonary embolism which runs a significant risk of blocking off the major blood vessels supplying the lungs which in turn can prove fatal.

Deep vein thrombosis can manifest itself in a sudden onset of pain in the calf or thigh muscle with one calf swollen to round an inch greater than the other car muscle. If you identify freshly swollen veins in a painful limb this can also be a sign of DVT and in either of these cases you should seek medical advice immediately.

Any activities which makes the blood more likely to clot within the veins will place an individual at risk of suffering from DVT. Some of the common risk factors include long haul air travel, people who are immobile, pregnant women, obesity sufferers, smokers, the elderly, and a people with a family history of deep vein thrombosis. Family histories take place when a genetic malformation is passed from one individual to another within the same family. If you have a mother, father or sibling who showed symptoms of DVT without any specific causes it is a good idea to discuss this with your doctor or medical practitioner and talk through the possibility of taking a blood test to ascertain whether or not you are also prone to suffering from DVT.

One of the most efficient methods of preventing deep vein thrombosis is by keeping active. When taking a long haul flight take time within the journey to get up and walk around and remember to curl your feet and exercise your calf muscles by pulling your feet in different directions thereby helping blood flow. Quitting smoking and losing any excess weight will also help prevent the risk. It is relatively well known that women who take the combined contraceptive pill run a greater risk of contracting DVT. There are many alternative contraceptive pills on the market which are not associated with this increased risk and therefore it may be an option to change your contraceptive method. Do however consult with your doctor or medical practitioner prior to stopping the contraceptive pill.

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Deep Vein Thrombosis, the Travelers Nightmare

By Jan Gamm

There is no need to have recurring nightmares for a month before you travel anywhere about this admittedly worrying condition. Take the time when traveling to do some appropriate exercises and there should not be the remotest problem.

Deep Vein Thrombosis is exactly what it says, the clotting of blood in the deep vein. Contrary to opinion, the condition is rare in travelers. Considering the scale of air travel the small incidence of fatalities through DVT do not constitute an epidemic by any means. That is not to say, however, that it would not be quite nice to eradicate the risks as far as possible though.

Pregnant ladies, smokers and overweight passengers are more at risk than others. If you fall into any of these categories, ask your doctor about precautions to take against risk of DVT.

The inactivity which is necessarily a part of air travel is the main difficulty. Move around every so often, stretch your legs and try to do some simple exercises even while seated. Turn your ankles in circles, then reverse the exercise, and try to lift your knees up and down if the seat in front allows. You can stretch the arches of your feet by applying pressure to the floor on tip toes, and then touch your heels to the floor, pointing your toes back toward yourself. You will feel this has the effect of pulling at your calf muscles.

Try not to sleep in an upright position and try not to consume too much alcohol as it dehydrates your system.

It is tempting for ladies to wear high heels and look elegant while traveling but in fact heels are very bad for circulation during flight. Wear sensible shoes at least while you are traveling, preferably with a little room for expansion in case your feet should swell slightly, a common occurrence in pressurized aircraft cabins.

Finally, support stockings or socks are certainly effective and you can acquire them at all chemists. They do not look very sexy but then, neither does DVT.

Jan Gamm writes reflections on life with an emphasis on world travel. She has lived in many countries and traveled extensively in the Far East, the Middle East, America, South America and throughout the South Pacific. She writes for fun and for money whenever she can manage it.

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