Meaning of deep vein thrombosis or DVT:
DVT is the short form of Deep Vein Thrombosis and is a medical condition where blood clots are formed in the deeper veins of the body. The dangerous thing about deep vein thrombosis is that a part of the blood clot might break away and flow through the vein. This part could clog the veins connected to the heart, lungs or even brain and affect normal blood flow to the organ. It is important to understand the true meaning of deep vein thrombosis as, the dangers of dvt are far more fatal as compared to thrombosis of the superficial veins in the body.
Signs and symptoms of dvt:
The symptoms of deep vein thrombosis might not always be very clear and this is the reason why dvt goes undetected for many people. It is believed that deep vein thrombosis in the region of the thigh or calf (leg) is very dangerous as compared to dvt that occurs in other areas of the body. You should pay attention to pain or swelling, loss of sensation or reddishness of any area of your body. Difficulty in breathing or shallow breathe could be the result of deep vein thrombosis affecting the lungs. You should consult your doctor if any of these conditions exist. The danger is even more severe if you have a history of dvt or deep vein thrombosis.
Air travel and deep vein thrombosis:
There is no broad consensus among medical experts that long haul air travel could be the cause of deep vein thrombosis. However certain conditions related to travelling on long haul flights could increase the chances of getting a dvt if, other risk factors are present. The blod clots that could be formed due to long periods of seated inactivity are likely to form in the thigh region of the leg. As explained earlier, thrombosis that occurs in the thigh or calf is more dangerous.
There are a few tips that we would like to suggest for people travelling on long haul flights. These are very useful and you need not wait for medical experts to establish a direct relationship between air travel and deep vein thrombosis to practice them. If you are travelling on a long haul flight that extends beyond 3 to 4 hours, get up from your seat and walk down the aisle once every hour. Do not consume alchohol, carbonated drinks or coffee and tea on the flight. It is better to drink a lot of water or fruit juices as, this has the effect of increasing the fluids in the body. Do this simple excercise, sit on your seat and place feet on the floor. Keep the heel touching the floor and lift the front portion of the foot upwards. Now, slowly bring the entire foot back to the floor and repeat the process a dozen times for every hour that you sit. Since blood clotting is the main problem with deep vein thrombosis, this excecise will help proper blood circulation thus makiing it hard for blood clots to form.
Treatment for dvt or deep vein thrombosis:
This article is meant to provide basic information regarding deep vein thrombosis and is not expected to replace the technical expertise of a medical professional. We will therefore provide a very brief note on the treatments and medications used for dvt. For a patient affected with deep vein thrombosis, an important issue for the doctor would be to make sure that further blood clots are not easily formed. Medications are given to ensure that blood does not clot abnormally fast or easily. Certain cases of dvt might also need to be treated with medications that actually melt the existing blood clots. Doctors use this treatment for deep vein thrombosis very sparingly as the side effects could be adverse. Special stockings are also recommended in certain cases, these stockings help to 'push up' the blood that flows to the feet.
Importance of excercise:
Before we end this article, we would like to say a few words about excercise and deep vein thrombosis. The possibility or severity of getting dvt can be reduced by regular excercise. The least you can do is go for a 30 minute brisk walk each morning. If you are tied to a desk job for the entire working day, make it a point to walk around the office for at least 5 minutes after being seated for around 45 minutes. In the paragraph about air travel and deep vein thrombosis, we have mentioned a simple excercise that can be done when flying on long haul flights.
You can read the complete report on dvt or deep vein thrombosis at this link:
http://www.health.food-recipe-cooking.com/deep-vein-thrombosis-dvt-01.htm
Or see the entire list of health articles that we have compiled for you:
http://www.health.food-recipe-cooking.com/health-all.htm
Deep vein thrombosis or dvt is more common and more dangerous than most people think. The signs and symptoms of dvt might not always be clear but the danger is true and fatal. If you have found this information to be interesting or useful, pass the link to your family or friends.
Posted: 2007-03-25 06:19:30