Hi everyone,
Recently a young friend of mine passed away, she was only in her mid twenties. The Drs said she died from a blood clot, and the condition is called Deep Vein Thrombosis. I thought I'd mention it here so you could keep it in mind while traveling, and maybe pass a long the information to others so this might be prevented. For work she traveled a lot by plane, and this may have led to it. She was otherwise in perfect health. It can happen to anyone at anytime.
The Dr said the simplest way to prevent it is to stretch your legs regularly during long flights or car rides, and if possible get up and walk around every hour. Also try to not to become dehydrated. Of course diet and excersize help to.
Here's exactly what it is from an article at webmd.com:
"DVT is caused by a blood clot -- or thrombus -- that develops in one of the larger veins in your body, usually in the lower legs. Occasionally, it can develop elsewhere, like in the arms, says Merli. The clot can partially or completely block the circulation in the area around it.
Deep vein thrombosis can cause problems in itself. But its greatest risk is that part of the blood clot will break away and travel through the bloodstream.
The veins carry the clot up the legs, to the heart, and into the lungs. If the clot lodges in one of the arteries of the lungs, it can prevent oxygen from getting into the blood. This is called a pulmonary embolism. It can be treated in many cases. But if the clot completely blocks the artery Bloom's, it can cause death."
So when you are traveling try to keep this in mind a few simple streches could save your life.
-Margaret