Can a 2 hour flight cause blood clot?

Most information about blood clots and long-distance travel comes from information that has been gathered about air travel. However, anyone traveling more than four hours, whether by air, car, bus, or train, can be at risk for blood clots.



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DVT or PE may manifest during or shortly after the flight, but often not for several weeks. Prevention includes choosing aisle seating, maintaining hydration, walking frequently, wearing loose clothing, exercising the lower extremities, using a foot rest, and avoiding alcohol and sleeping pills.

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Most people don't need to worry much about clots on short flights. But if you're already at risk for clots and you plan to take a plane trip that's longer than 6 hours, you can do a few things to avoid them. Get up and walk around every 2 to 3 hours.

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In the long-haul flights, if you are not taking any special precautions, in the average population, it is probably up to about ten percent. Some of the risk factors may include: Age (65+) History of blood clots.

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Prevent Blood Clots During Travel
  1. Stand up or walk occasionally. ...
  2. Exercise your calf muscles and stretch your legs while you're sitting. ...
  3. Talk to your doctor about wearing compression stockings or taking medicine before departure if you have additional risk factors for blood clots.


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A person should avoid flying if they have a newly diagnosed DVT due to the risk of related complications during travel, such as part of it breaking free. Healthcare professionals recommend waiting up to 4 weeks from the start of treatment for DVT before traveling.

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Blood clots can form in the deep veins (veins below the surface that are not visible through the skin) of your legs during travel because you are sitting still in a confined space for long periods of time. The longer you are immobile, the greater is your risk of developing a blood clot.

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Remember that anything over 6 hours flying time is considered long haul, but flights of longer than 10 hours are not uncommon either. One important thing to remember is to keep your seat belt fastened at all times in case of unexpected turbulence.

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