There’s an inherent danger in taking long airplane flights – and it has nothing to do with the food. For more than half a century, long distance air travel has been figured to increase the risk of blood clots in the legs. If the clot forms in your leg and passes into your blood stream, it could travel to your heart or brain, respectively causing a potentially fatal cardiac arrest or a stroke. This condition is known as Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT).
However, British researchers report that cabin air pressure is not the culprit as some have speculated. They suggest that the condition is caused by lack of movement. Writing in the journal of the American Medical Association, Dr. William Toff and colleagues from the University of Leicester subjected 73 healthy volunteers in a crimped chamber for 8 hours shift to stimulate the condition of an actual flight. They lowered the air pressure and oxygen level in the chamber to match the flight levels and even put a table in the middle to stimulate the close quarters of a cabin.
“Our study provides, for the first time, a carefully controlled assessment of the effects on blood clotting of the low air pressure and low oxygen level that might be found during a long-haul flight. We found no evidence that low pressure low oxygen were activating the body’s clotting mechanism,” concluded Dr. Toff of the University of Leicester’s Department of Cardiovascular Science. The researchers say that clot formation is probably the result of sitting still for long hours(e.g. 8 hours). Dr. Toff advised travellers that the best solution on any long haul voyage – no matter how you’re travelling – is to be sure you
• stretch your feet and legs
• Get up and walk around the plane once an hour
• Rotate your ankles while seated
• Avoid wearing tight clothing around your waist
• Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration
• Stretch your calves once an hour
• Avoid alcohol and sedatives, which promote immobility
• If you’re at an increased risk of blood clots, speak to your doctor before flying.
Tags: Airplane cabin pressure, Blood Clots, American Medical Association, Vein Thrombosis
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