First, air pressure changes in the cabin lower the oxygenation of your blood which can trigger a coagulation cascade, the body's natural clotting response. “That's one of the things we think makes people prone to getting DVT's,” says Dr. Bajakian.
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Just as water doesn't flow easily through a kinked-up garden hose, blood can't flow as well through a vein that has a kink. On top of that, changes in air pressure inside the airplane cabin cut down the amount of oxygen you breathe in. Low oxygen in your blood can also make blood clots more likely to form.
Factors that contribute to the increased risk of travel-related DVT include obesity, extremes of height, use of oral contraceptives and pre-existing blood clotting abnormalities. The absolute risk of DVT in healthy passengers per long-haul flight (more than 4 hours) was found to be about 1 in 6000.
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.
There has been considerable attention focused recently on the risk of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) associated with air travel. Despite the lack of evidence among air travelers, a single dose of aspirin has been widely recommended as a means of preventing such thrombosis.
The following are the most common symptoms of DVT that occur in the affected part of the body (usually the leg or arm): Swelling of your leg or arm. Pain or tenderness that you can't explain. Skin that is warm to the touch.
Compression socks come in many different levels of compression but for flying, socks with 8-20 mmHg are going to be your best bet. Many socks will fall in between this range like 8-15 mmHg, 12-14 mmHg or 15-20 mmhg. Compression levels over 20 mmHg are best worn when prescribed by a doctor.