Page 29 - November 2017

Flying and Your Body  Pregnancy or on birth control pills
By Blaine Mackie
Flying, our means to get from point A to point B. To
travel the world or to re-unite with family members.
Flying has changed our world, flying also changes our
bodies.
My priority for this article is Deep Vein Thrombosis
(DVT) which is a blood clot in a vein. Most commonly
found in the deep veins of the lower legs.
How does a DVT occur? Essentially with cramped
seating and inactivity for multiple hours results in
slowed circulation. The slowing of circulation results
in edema (medical term for swelling). The knees are
bent which compresses the blood vessels behind the
knee. These stressors create the perfect environment
for a clot to form. The cabin pressure is low, and this
has a dehydrating effect on the body resulting in a
thickening of blood which makes you more
susceptible to clots. This is made worse with
ingestion of alcohol. All these characteristics increase
the risk of forming clots in the lower legs.
According to WEB MD, “About 350,000 Americans are
diagnosed with these blood clots each year”
Anja Schreijer at Academic Medical Center and Leiden
University Medical Center studied thrombin in
sedentary people vs air travelers and found that
thrombin had a 223% increase in air travelers
compared to 46% increase due to immobility. Seems
that something occurring in air travel affects
Thrombin levels more than just being sedentary.
More research is required to further understand this
difference.
The actual DVT can cause severe pain, swelling in the
affected leg and redness in the region and
occasionally they can be painless.
According to the Mayo Clinic, characteristics that
predispose you to blood clots:
 Prolonged bed rest
 Injuries or surgeries
 Being overweight or obese
 Smoking
 Family history of DVT’s
 Age (older that 60 yrs increases your risk of
DVTs)
 Sitting for long periods of time
 Inflammatory bowel disease
 Heart failure
Any of these above conditions along with long plane
flight increases your risk of a DVT and medical
complications from the DVT.
Major medical risk of DVT is a pulmonary embolism.
This is a case in which a clot breaks free or a piece of
clot breaks free and becomes lodged in the lung.
Signs of this are, sudden shortness of breath, chest
pain which worsens with a deep breath, lightheaded
or dizzy, rapid pulse, if you experience any of these
symptoms please seek medical attention.
My recommendations:
1. Stretch and walk as much as you are able
prior to, during (which is difficult) and after to
promote good blood circulation.
2. During a flight, visit the bathroom 1-2 times
which will help with blood circulation and to
pump your ankles (heel raises) throughout
the flight will also promote blood flow from
the lower parts of your legs.
3. Drink lots of water to maintain a healthy
hydration level and this will also stimulate
you to use the bathroom to exercise the
lower legs.
4. Avoid alcohol and stop smoking
5. Exercise every day to assist in pumping the
blood from the lower extremities to the
heart, if you are in better shape you are less
likely to have blood clotting issues
6. Last, but not least, prior to your flight,
purchase a pair of sexy compression stockings
to wear to decrease pooling of blood in your
lower legs.
Blaine Mackie B.Sc.(bio), B.Sc.PT, Dip.Manip.PT, FCAMPT, CFT II
President of Mackie Physiotherapy P.C.Inc.
3012 Arlington Ave.
Saskatoon Sk., S7J2J9