Take care on long flights

When you travel by air, you have to adjust yourself in a stiflingly narrow space, cramping your legs between the seats for hours. At the end of the journey finishes, your feet have swelled up with bloods clot and severe aches.

This condition is called Deep Vein Thrombosis or DVT. Many call it economy-class syndrome that is usually caused by prolonged immobility on long flights.

DVT occurs due to blood clots that block the vein and create acute pains. The condition has to be treated by surgery or proper medication to avoid serious health issues. 

The heart or the veins in the brain and neck can be the source of blood clotting. That is not true for every DVT patient.

Heart disease or previous heart surgery and irregular heartbeats can lead to blocked heart coronary.

Obesity, sitting or lying still at a place for long or fracture or surgery in the legs or back can lead to DVT as well.

The patient should a vascular surgeon as soon as possible.

: Move your legs or walk intermittently in case of long flights

: Drink plenty of water. Dehydration may increase the risk of DVT

: If you are bedridden for any fracture or surgery, try to move your fingers and feet to keep the blood flow normal

: See a physician if there any sign of swelling or blood clotting and pain in your legs during travelling

*Saklayen Russel is a vascular surgeon in Ibrahim Cardiac Hospital. This piece originally published in Prothom Alo print edition has been rewritten in English by Farjana Liakat