What is Deep Vein Thrombosis? What are the symptoms of DVT? How to avoid getting DVT? Let’s see one by one.

Deep Vein Thrombosis also known as DVT is a state in which blood clot is usually found in deep thigh veins or calves. This can also be developed in chest, arms or any other parts of the body.

The blood clot blocks the circulation of blood in the blood vessels of lungs, brain, heart, or other area. This clot partially or completely blocks the blood flow back to the heart.

Symptoms Of DVT

The person may experience redness, pain or swelling in the leg, which becomes severe when standing or walking. In advanced stage, clot blocks the flow of blood which leads to breathlessness and chest pain in few hours or days after taking travel. In some rare cases, it leads to cyanosis which causes the skin to turn blue.

Preventing DVT

DVT can occur in a few days or weeks after a taking travel especially by airways. Prevention is better than cure. So follow the steps below to avoid getting DVT.

Take Adequate Water

Ensure that you take adequate water to prevent dehydration. It is advisable to avoid liquor during travel. Water deprival paves way for blood clot since it increases the stickiness of blood.

Adopt Healthy Life Style

Follow an active life style. Stop smoking and avoid drinking liquor. Do regular exercise along with anything of your choice like swimming, cycling or walking.  In addition to workouts, follow diet control as well to avoid obesity which is one of the factor for DVT.

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Use Fitting Socks Or Stockings

For persons suffering from varicose veins, firm stockings or elastic socks are of great help. Ensure that the degree of compression ranges between 14 and 17 mmHg to avoid swelling legs.

Use Drugs

You can avoid DVT through herbal means by using ginkgo biloba or bark of pine to avoid blood clotting. Alternatively you can also try anticoagulant medicines like Aspirin or Heparin, after consulting your physician.

You may require to take three tablets of aspirin. Take one tablet a day prior to flight travel, one tablet during the travel and one tablet three days post travel. Anticoagulants are prescribed by doctors for thinning of blood.

Keep Your Doctor Informed

If you have difficulty in breathing or if your calf is swelling and painful, you may be having DVT.  But if swelling or pain is of little extend there is nothing to worry, since it happens due to travel.

In addition to this if you have any of the below conditions, then it is better to keep your doctor informed. If you have either cancer, heart failure, stroke or undergone cancer treatment.

If you had major injury in leg or underwent any surgery which made you bed ridden or immobile for a long time. If you are an aged person and you are inactive and immobile. If you have personal or family history of blood clots.

If you are female and you are using contraceptive pills or taking HRT(Hormone Replacement Therapy). If  proper medical attention is not given,  then it may also lead to fatal condition. So take adequate care to avoid getting this deadly disease.

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