{England Travel}

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is one of the scariest of all travel-related diseases. It can affect relatively healthy people, taking relatively short flights. People in their twenties have been known to develop DVT, as have people that are fanatical exercisers and have never had a cardiovascular problem in their life. There is no vaccination for DVT - however there are certain precautions that you can take to protect yourself against it. There are also certain precautions that you can take against the financial loss you might suffer if your trip is disrupted by having to seek medical treatment for DVT, such as travel insurance. We take an in-depth look at the condition.

What is Deep Vein Thrombosis?

Deep vein thrombosis occurs when a blood clot forms in the deep veins of the legs. The reason it is common for air travelers is that gravity makes it relatively hard for blood to get back to the heart. Our body normally utilizes the squeezing action of our legs muscles acting on our veins as we walk to return blood to the heart. When you sit still for a long time, though, blood pools in your veins and can sometimes clot.

If the clot begins to break up, DVT can get serious. Small pieces of clot may block blood vessels in your heart or even brain, leading to a pulmonary embolism or stroke.

A Traveller's Perspective

Here are some common things that passengers and patients say about having a deep vein thrombosis:

I had pain in my calf or leg that wouldn't go away

My pain seemed a lot like muscle stiffness, for example like pulling a muscle

The ache can come and go

Even people who don't smoke, are on oestrogen medication and have no family history of thrombosis can develop DVT

You might be told not to fly for at least a month if you have suffered a DVT

The disruption to your trip is much more severe than simply having to make a doctor's appointment elsewhere. If you are at risk for DVT, both medical travel insurance and logistics-related travel insurance is recommended.

Why Does the Risk of DVT Persist For Weeks?

It is not so much that risk of developing a DVT persists for weeks after your flight, as there is a very real risk that a clot which developed during a flight and was unnoticed, will break up and block a blood vessel up to several weeks later. If you have a leg massage, or sit for a long time for any other reason in the weeks following a flight, you might have a pulmonary embolism or stroke. Also, a small clot which developed during a flight might increase in size and be noticed up to a month later.

If you are at risk of DVT, you can help prevent it by:

Drinking plenty of water during your flight

Doing small exercises with your feet and legs every fifteen minutes while in the air

Wearing support stockings

Use footrests if available

Don't drink alcohol or caffeine, as they dehydrate you

How Travel Insurance Helps

Because DVT can become an acute problem up to a month after your flight, and because there is a such a wide demographic that can develop DVT, holiday insurance is highly recommended. Even those undertaking shorter flights would be wise to take out both medical travel insurance cover and logistics-related travel insurance cover, because of the risk of DVT.

By: Josh I Harrison

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