Many people hit the road or take to the skies for the holiday. But with long trips could come the risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis, or DVT.
A DVT is when there is a clot or a thrombus that forms, most commonly, in the deep veins of the legs.
According to Dr. Heller, it occurs in about 1 per 1000 people here in the United States. The risk goes up for travelers to about 3 to 5%.
Dr. Jennifer Heller,Director of the Vein Center at GBMC, sat down with ABC2 for a Facebook Live on the topic and talks about symptoms to look for.
"New pain. And it can be very non-specific so if you feel sort of an aching pain, a sharp pain. There could be an area of warmth, tenderness along a specific area of your leg. Sudden swelling. Any one of those things I would definitely go to the emergency room if its after hours or call your doctor so they can get an ultra sound and have you checked out," says Dr. Heller.
When traveling, Dr. Heller recommends drinking plenty of water. If you're on a trip longer than about four hours, try to get an aisle seat if possible, and get up and walk for a bit every 30 minutes.
You may also want to consider compression stockings.
For other tips to stay safe while flying, check out AirHealth.Org.
