DVT

[CarolineM 0]

Is it possible to get it while sitting on your ### at work all day?

I know I'm kinda kidding - but I get SO paranoid about it on my flights to Australia. The people around me HATE me cause I get up constantly and stretch. When they tell you to do leg exercises in your seat...I do them. I'm the biggest loser because I actually do them and everyone is looking at me like i'm nuts.

My butt hurts today from too much sitting and so it was just on my mind

[Dixie_Peach 1]

i have not heard of this before... i need to look this up...

[CarolineM 0]

here you go

[Welshcookie 17]

It is always a good idea to get up and move around if you are sat still for lengths of time....I think it is more dangerous during flights because the blood thickens somewhat....keep getting up and stretching and ignore peoples comments....

[Jasman0717 8]

Deep vein thrombosis

Published by BUPA's Health Information Team

June 2003

A deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot (thrombus) that develops in a deep vein, usually in the leg. This can happen if the vein is damaged or if the flow of blood slows down or stops. About one in 2,000 people in the UK develops a DVT each year.

Deep vein thrombosis can cause pain in the leg, and can lead to complications if it breaks off and travels in the bloodstream to the lungs.

Where do DVTs happen?

The are two types of veins in the legs: deep and superficial (see diagram, below). The deep veins pass through the centre of the leg, surrounded by the muscles. It’s here that DVTs most often develop. Less commonly DVTs occur in the deep veins of the arm or pelvis.

Who gets a DVT?

Certain factors make a DVT more likely to occur. They are more common in people aged over 40 and in people who are obese, or who have already had a DVT. Several inherited conditions make the blood more likely to clot than usual, increasing the risk. Other factors include:

prolonged bed rest, (immobility)

major injuries, or paralysis

surgery, especially if it lasts more than 30 minutes, or involves the leg joints or pelvis

cancer and its treatments, which can cause the blood to clot more easily

long-distance travel, because of prolonged immobility. It is unclear whether or not air travel is more risky than other long journeys - for example by car or coach

pregnancy and childbirth - related to hormone changes that make the blood clot more easily and because the fetus puts added pressure on the veins of the pelvis. There is also risk of injury to veins during delivery or a caesarean. The risk is at its highest just after childbirth

taking a contraceptive pill that contains oestrogen. Most modern pills contain a low dose, which increases the risk by an amount that is acceptable for most women

hormone replacement therapy (HRT). For many women, the benefits outweigh the increase in risk.

other circulation or heart problems

Problems caused by a DVT

A DVT below the knee is unlikely to cause complications and may only need to be monitored. But when a clot forms in or above the knee, there is a risk that it will break away and travel up the vein to block a blood vessel in the lung. This is called a pulmonary embolism (PE). Depending on the size of the clot, it can be a life-threatening condition. But with appropriate treatment, it is rare for a DVT to lead to a pulmonary embolism.

A DVT can damage the valves in the vein, so that instead of flowing upwards, the blood pools in the lower leg. This is called post-thrombotic syndrome, and can result in pain, swelling, discolouration and sores on the leg.

Symptoms of a DVT

When a clot forms, it can either partially or totally block the blood flow in that vein. Symptoms of a DVT can include:

swelling of the leg

warmth and redness of the leg

pain that is noticeable, or worse when standing or walking

These are not always a sign of a DVT, but anyone who experiences them should contact a doctor immediately.

Symptoms of pulmonary embolism

These include shortness of breath; chest pain which may be worsened by deep breaths; and coughing up phlegm, possibly flecked with blood.

Anyone with these symptoms should seek emergency medical treatment.

Diagnosing a DVT

If a DVT is suspected, the doctor will take a full medical history and carry out a physical examination. Tests that also may be required include:

the clotting properties of the blood

an ultrasound scan

venography – using X-rays to show the flow of blood when special dye is injected into the veins.

Treating a DVT

Treatment aims to prevent:

the clot becoming larger

the blood clot breaking loose and travelling to the lungs

new clots from forming

post-thrombotic syndrome

Medicines

The most common treatment is anticoagulant (blood thinning) medicines, which reduce the blood's tendency to clot. These are usually taken for three to six months. Regular blood tests are needed to check the levels of the drug in the blood.

Anticoagulants can stop new blood clots from forming and old ones growing. They can’t dissolve existing clots. The body does this itself over time.

The anticoagulants used are heparin (given through a vein as a "drip" or injected just under the skin twice each day) or warfarin (taken as tablets). Anyone taking these medicines should avoid activities that could increase the risk of injury. This is because one of the main ways a wound heals is through clotting, and anticoagulants interfere with this process.

Less commonly, clot dissolving drugs called thrombolytics are used to dissolve a DVT. They carry a high risk of bleeding, so are only used in severe cases, where a life or limb is threatened.

Compression stockings

To relieve pain and swelling, and to prevent post-thrombotic syndrome, some doctors recommend wearing graduated compression stockings (also called TED or thrombo-embolic deterrent stockings), which are tighter at the foot than higher up the leg. These may need to be worn for several months or more.

Putting your feet up

Most people with a DVT are advised to place a cushion under their feet while resting or sleeping, so that the feet are raised higher than the hips. This helps to reduce the pressure in the veins of the calves.

Preventing a DVT around surgery

Surgery and some medical treatments can increase the risk of having a DVT. So, hospitals often do a pre-operative risk assessment for DVT, which takes into account your personal risk factors and the type of surgery you are having. Various measures can then be used to keep the risk as low as possible. These include anticoagulant medicines, compression stockings, and an intermittent compression pump. This is a mechanical device that automatically squeezes the feet and lower legs. This helps the circulation of blood from the legs in the first few days after surgery.

General preventive advice

Anyone who feels they are at high risk of developing a DVT should seek medical advice. There are measures anybody can take to help prevent a DVT:

exercise the legs regularly – take a brisk 30-minute walk every day

maintain a weight that's appropriate for your height

avoid sitting or lying in bed for long periods of time without moving the legs

women, particularly those over the age of 35, should consider the risks and benefits of taking the contraceptive pill

Preventive measures for travellers

Although the added risk of developing a DVT caused by travelling appears to be low, it can be reduced even further by exercising the legs at least once every hour during long-distance travel. This means taking regular breaks if driving, or walking up and down the aisle of a coach, train or plane.

The muscles of the lower legs (which act as a pump for the blood in the veins) can be exercised while sitting by pulling the toes towards the knees then relaxing, or by pressing the balls of the feet down while raising the heel.

Other preventive measures:

don't take sleeping pills. These cause immobility, increasing the risk of DVT

wear loose-fitting clothing

keep the legs uncrossed

keep hydrated by drinking normally (urine should be no darker than a pale yellow). Avoid alcohol to prevent dehydration

wear graduated compression stockings (TEDs). This is particularly important for travellers who have other risk factors for DVT

Some doctors recommend taking aspirin before travelling because of its blood thinning effects. But it is not suitable for children and can have side-effects. If in doubt, seek advice from a pharmacist or doctor.

People who have one or more of the risk factors mentioned earlier should seek medical advice before travelling.

Anyone who develops swelling or pain in the leg, or breathing problems after travelling should seek medical advice urgently.

Further information

Department of Health

http://www.doh.gov.uk/blood/dvt/

[Dixie_Peach 1]

here you go

thank you! i had never heard of that... so now i have something to think about... especially since i am now 40... but, i do some excercises here at the desk... but never knew that i was doing it for this... it is just that like you, sometimes my butt would hurt from having to sit and type for long periods of time... so i will do the foot exercise... putting my heels up while the ball of my foot is on the floor, and vice versa... so i was actually doing good and didn't know it! my son and i have started walking every day too... 30 mins at night... because i work a 2nd job until 9 pm 4 - 5 nights a week...

[CarolineM 0]

tee hee - great minds think alike...i'm not REALLY that worried but I read an article...in Cosmo I think...about this woman's husband who wasn't obese, was about 26, and died from DVT. That flight to Australia is a killer...15 hours or something?? and for me I have to go 6 hours to LA first...then 15 to Oz, (Actually usually New Zealand) then 3 more to Melbourne...

that's a lot of sitting on your ### time

[Dixie_Peach 1]

when i flew to morocco, it was 13 hours... and yes, i am overweight... and the man sitting next to me was more than myself... but i would start getting sharp pains in my legs... kinda like a tingling sensation like when they are asleep... but then it would just become MORE... so i would get up and walk around a bit... go to the bathroom, wash my face.... and my neighbor said... "I wish you would sit down and be still!"... and so I gave him that South Georgia charm... smiled at him and said... "Buzz off Buddy!" hehe

[meddykomp 0]

I use compression stockings for travelling and I stretch often.

[Ameristralian 0]

My Dad got a small bout of it when I forced him and Mom to go over to Oz for my wedding. It wasn't real bad, but the next time he did some more moving and was fine. You don't have to be gung ho about it, but it's definitely smart to move around. I once didn't move much (first flight over) and my ankles swelled just a little. No pain or anything, just bigger feet. So that was enough for me. Just wiggle uncontrollably for a minute and see what kind of response your neighbor gives you.

And for the record, I had the worst neighbor in the world when I went over my last trip. She was some old Italian bird who had on approximately five gallons of perfume on. Then, thanks a lot, the Airline got her to buy 3 more perfumes from the airline magazine thing, and she had to try all three of them! So to make a long story short, my nose got a heavy dose of old woman smell for 14 hours. I couldn't breath half the time. Stink!

[CarolineM 0]

I will maintain my geekieness then

[blackbettie 0]

I'm doing weird leg exercises all the time (when flying) but never got any complaints.

Must be because I'm always lucky enough to sit in the same row like a couple of hyperactive kids who are jumping up and down on their seats and so my exercises probably look like zen meditation compared to them.

[Fuzzness 2]

Even on a 2 hour flight my legs get cramped up so i'm always moving them around when i'm in my seat. if people get pissy with you then ask to be seated somewhere else and tell that person to go to hell.

[CarolineM 0]

hehe I don't know if I can be that mean

[dmd01708 3]

I think about DVT too so I get my son to do the foot exercises with me when we are on a long haul flight (dont wanna look a plank on me own), I also take a low dose aspirin that I got from the doctors for 10 days prior to the flight (people say I am silly but it makes me feel safer )

Donna

Edited February 23, 2006 by dmd01708