Traveling for the Holidays? Don’t Let DVT Ruin Your Trip

Planning to take a long-haul flight or car trip for the holidays? Do not arrive at your destination with swollen legs and the risk of clots- follow these tips to keep your legs healthy as you travel. 

Dehydration, prolonged inactivity, and confined positioning are the enemies of optimal blood flow. Veins must work against gravity to keep blood flowing toward the heart without the help of the calf pump. 

Normal flow occurs with walking & activity, extended air travel or any long-haul trip that keeps you sitting in a limited space longer than 4 hours causes blood pooling in the lower legs.

Whether your holiday travel plans include visiting distant relatives and friends or exploring foreign countries and cultures, our Vascular Vein Centers team is here to help. Read on as our board-certified experts explain how to protect your circulatory health when you travel. 

How long-haul air travel affects circulation in your legs

When you sit still in a tight space for hours, whether in a plane, car, train, or bus, the blood flow in your lower extremities slows down. The longer you remain in a seated position, the more likely you are to experience: 

• Decreased lower extremity flow
• Blood pooling with increased venous pressure 
• Lower leg or ankle swelling (edema) 
• Increased risk of blood clot formation

Basically, hours of immobility cause sluggish blood flow in your legs, increasing the pressure inside your leg veins and making them swell and leak fluid into the tissue. Dehydration and lower cabin pressure, which predisposes swelling, can intensify the problem. 

An increased risk of travel-related vascular concerns

For the average healthy adult, the worst circulatory outcome of a long-haul flight is typically mild leg swelling that resolves within 24 hours of landing. 

Flight-related circulatory challenges come on more quickly, are more severe, and can last longer in adults with risk factors for venous insufficiency, such as: 

• Older age (50+)
• Excess body weight 
• Sedentary lifestyle 
• Pregnancy or recent pregnancy
• Varicose and spider veins
• Smoking
• Family history of vein problems
• Dehydration or use of alcohol pre or during travel

These factors are also associated with an increased risk of  deep vein thrombosis (DVT). DVTs can be dangerous because they have the potential to break free, travel to the lungs, and cause a life-threatening pulmonary embolism (PE).

Long-haul travel is a significant DVT risk factor, leaving you 1.5 to four times more likely to develop a dangerous blood clot. The more venous insufficiency “risk factor” boxes you can check, the higher your DVT risk on a long trip. 

Strategies to keep your blood circulating when you travel

• Luckily, you can do a lot to support healthy circulation when you are on a long trip. Everyone, including those with few or no additional DVT risk factors, should:   
• Pedal the feet with legs extended. One can also do calf raises while the knees are flexed.
• Moving your body or legs is one of the easiest ways to keep blood flow moving. Every 30-60 minutes of flight time, flex your feet and do toe raises or extend your legs and flex your feet. 
• Stay hydrated
• Staying hydrated is important and avoiding significant alcohol consumption prior to or while traveling 
• Exercise your legs
• Every 15-30 minutes, spend a minute or two performing seated heel raises (toe lifts), ankle circles, and knee lifts. By activating your leg muscles, blood flow is increased, protecting against clotting.

Extra protection to help mitigate an increased DVT risk 

If you are older, have varicose veins, or have other factors (i.e., you smoke or are overweight) that increase your DVT risk on a long-haul trip, schedule a pre-travel visit with our team. To promote better vein circulation while traveling we recommend:

Compression therapy

Medical grade, graduated compression stockings [link to Compression page on website] (available by prescription) gently squeeze your lower extremities assisting circulation; keeping blood from pooling and causing swelling.  

Wearing fitted compression stockings or sleeves on a long-haul flight or car trip assists circulation. We can help fit you with the right compression garment for your needs. 

Preventive vein care

If you have swollen, achy, or painful varicose veins, it can be helpful to have them treated and eliminated with minimally invasive procedures for safer and more comfortable traveling.

For more leg health and DVT prevention tips, schedule an appointment at your nearest Vascular Vein Centers office in College Park of Orlando, Kissimmee, Waterford Lakes of East Orlando, Davenport/Haines City, Lake Mary, or The Villages, Florida, today.