What Are the Dangers of Blood Clots in Flights?

If you are planning a long-distance flight, take heed. According to NPR.com, the World Health Organization estimates that 1 in 4,500 people develop a blood clot on flights four hours or longer. Bloods clots of this nature (known medically as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and colloquially as "economy class syndrome"), are extremely dangerous and can be fatal. Although the risk of death is quite small, both the medical and airline industry calls upon the air-traveling public to take the dangers of developing a blood clot seriously and to take preventative measures.

Definition

• A blood clot occurs is liquid blood turned solid. Deep vein thrombosis is when a blood clot occurs in a deep vein in the thigh or leg. The condition itself is not dangerous; it only becomes life-threatening if it breaks off and enters the bloodstream. DVT is the type of blood clot that can develop on long-haul flights.

Causes

• Veins carry blood from the body's various tissues back to the heart. There is no particular mechanism within the veins that performs this function. Blood flows through the veins because it is squeezed by the movement of the large muscles of the body in the normal course of the body's activities. If a person remains immobile during a long flight, the large muscles do not push the blood through the veins, and a blood clot can form.

Symptoms

• Deep vein thrombosis can cause pain, swelling, warmth or redness in the leg or calf. Also, the skin around a DVT can turn bluish and you may feel discomfort if the foot is pulled upward. However, sometimes no symptoms present. If you do have symptoms and they are accompanied by shortness of breath or pain in the chest, this may be an indication that the blood clot has broken loose and embolism, a life-threatening condition, has occurred and you should contact a doctor immediately.

Dangers

• The main complication of DVT is pulmonary embolism, which is when the blood clot enters your bloodstream and travels up through your leg to the arteries of your lungs. This can be fatal. Another complication of DVT is called post-phlebitic syndrome. This condition means that the leg containing the blood clot is showing a collection of symptoms such as swelling, darkened skin, ulcers and pain.

Prevention

• Travelers can lower the risk of developing DVT by walking around during long flights, or at least move their legs. Even just pointing and flexing your toes every hour can help. Wearing compression hose, which puts pressure on the leg muscles, is also a good way of minimizing the risk of blood clot.