Traveling for the Holidays? How to Reduce Your Risk of DVT

November is here, and with it, the start of the year-end holiday season. For many people in the United States, it’s time to hit the road or board a flight to visit with far-flung loved ones. 

If your travel plans have you sitting in a car or plane for longer than four hours, our team at Advanced Vascular Surgery wants you to be aware of how your trip can affect your circulation — particularly, how it elevates your risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), or blood clot formation in a lower extremity vein. 

Let’s take a closer look at how long-haul travel can lead to a dangerous DVT, and what you can do to mitigate your risk before, during, and after your trip. 

How sitting affects your circulation  

Modern travel has been a game-changer for many, enabling people to traverse large distances in relatively little time. The term “long-haul travel” refers to any extended air, road, or rail trip that lasts longer than four hours.  

Unfortunately, the prolonged inactivity, cramped body positioning, and dehydration that often accompany such trips can be detrimental to your circulation. Here’s what happens when you sit for hours on end: 

• Your lower extremity circulation becomes sluggish
• Your blood becomes thicker (and prone to clotting) 
• Blood pools, increasing pressure inside the vein walls 
• Your lower legs and/or ankles swell (acute edema) 

For the average healthy adult, the most common circulatory effect of long-haul travel is mild leg swelling that resolves within a day. People with varicose veins may also notice that their varicosities are tender and inflamed, or their legs feel heavy, achy, or cramped. 

DVT is a hidden circulatory risk associated with long-haul travel. DVTs are serious because they can break free, travel to the lungs, and cause a life-threatening pulmonary embolism (PE) that requires emergency medical care. 

Get to know your personal DVT risk

Long-haul travel is a significant risk factor for DVT, but most healthy people who don’t have other DVT risk factors don’t need to worry too much about developing a blood clot during a long flight or car trip. Additional factors that can raise your DVT risk include:

• Being aged 50 or older
• Carrying excess weight 
• Lack of regular exercise
• Having varicose veins
• Having a recent surgery
• Smoking (tobacco use)

DVT risk factors also include long-haul travel while pregnant or postpartum, or having a personal or family history of venous disease, blood clotting disorders, or DVTs.  

DVT risk is cumulative, meaning the more “risk factor boxes” you can check, the greater your chances of developing a blood clot — especially when another risk, like long-haul travel, suddenly imposes extra vascular strain. 

Effective DVT prevention strategies 

The higher your DVT risk, the more concerned you should be about taking steps to mitigate it during travel. Here’s what we recommend:

Before your trip

If you have multiple DVT risk factors, consult our team before traveling. We may advise you to wear compression stockings, take anticoagulants (blood thinners), or undergo minimally invasive treatments like sclerotherapy to remove varicose veins before your trip.

During your trip 

During travel, your goal is to keep your circulation moving. Wearing compression garments can help, as can opting for a loose, comfortable travel outfit (tight or fitted clothing can limit blood flow to your lower extremities). Once you’re on the go, be sure to:

• Stay hydrated to prevent blood thickening
• Stretch and move your legs when seated
• Every 60-90 minutes, walk for 5-10 minutes
• Avoid crossing your legs for lengthy periods 
• When possible, elevate and extend your legs 
• Steer clear of high-sodium snack options

When you’re in your seat, perform ankle circles, heel raises, foot pumps, and knee lifts to keep your lower extremity circulation moving. However, it’s still important to stand up and walk — in the airplane aisle or at a highway rest stop — for a few minutes at least every two hours; every 60-90 minutes is even better. 

Once you arrive

Once you’ve arrived, continue to stay hydrated, and be as active as your situation allows. For example, if you need to travel to your final destination by car after your long flight, walk around the terminal for 15 minutes before you sit down again. 

Warning signs of a DVT on your trip

It’s also important to recognize the signs of a DVT, which typically involve swelling, redness, and leg pain over the affected vein. Red-flag warning signs of a pulmonary embolism, the most common and dangerous DVT complication, include:

• Shortness of breath
• Pain with deep breathing
• Rapid breathing and heart rate
• Coughing, with or without blood 

Seek immediate medical attention if you experience any of the above, either during your trip or within a few days of long-haul travel. 

Looking to mitigate your DVT risk before you travel? Our team can help — schedule a visit at Advanced Vascular Surgery in Kalamazoo, Allegan, Battle Creek, Coldwater, Sturgis, or Three Rivers, Michigan, today.