BLOOD CLOTS AND AIRLINE TRAVEL

People are more mobile today….everyday traveling to more and more places by plane, train, and automobile. Now, more than ever, vast numbers of business people and pleasure seekers cross the globe on a daily basis for work, opportunity and adventure.

As difficult (and as exciting as travel can be) extended periods of immobility during these long trips carries a hidden risk…a sometime fatal risk…especially if one is squished into the middle seat in the back of the plane for hours on end making it difficult to get up and move: the risk of developing a DVT (more commonly known as a blood clot) in the deep veins of their legs.

Veins are a network of blood vessels that work to return blood TO the heart (as compared to arteries which are blood vessels that transfer blood AWAY from the heart) Veins work by using a series of very small valves to keep blood flowing in a single direction and, generally, prevent blood from going back towards the ground even though gravity exerts a constant force to pull the blood down.

One’s calf muscles play a critical role in the venous system. These muscles, when activated, act like a “pump” to help squeeze blood back up through the veins and back up to their heart. When immobile,especially common during long periods of travel, the muscles cannot help the veins do their job, and the blood just sits in your legs. Blood naturally has proteins in it that helps it clot so that you don’t bleed to death after a cut or injury. When these clots develop, the leg can become swollen and painful. Many people develop leg swelling during long plane or car travel. However, one big differentiating factor between that kind of swelling and a DVT is that a DVT usually only happens on one leg. Often, the swelling persists for more than a little while after you get moving again. In addition, the leg, especially in the area of the calf muscle, is often tender when squeezed.

In the event that you experience the kind of symptoms explained above it is vitally important to go to the doctor or emergency room immediately. The most feared complication of a DVT is when the clot in the leg travels to the lung causing a PE—a pulmonary embolus. This can cause shortness of breath, chest pain, and even death. In fact, PE is the third most common cause of death in the United States, and few regular people know about it. If you do think you have a blood clot, it is important to get an ultrasound to diagnose it and to be started on blood thinners. It is also very important to see a doctor who specializes in blood clots, often a vascular surgeon, to evaluate whether or not there is another reason in addition to travel that this may have happened. Occasionally, having a DVT is a sign of a more serious underlying issue, and the travel just precipitated its occurrence.

At SBVC, our physicians and surgeons aggressively work up patients who present with the symptoms of a DVT to make sure there is no other contributing factor. We work closely with your primary care doctor, and occasionally call in hematologists (specialists in blood problems) to consult as well. If you or anyone you know suffers from non resolving swollen calf’s or legs following a long flight please call our office at 408-376-3626 to schedule an immediate visit to determine the extent of and appropriate treatment for DVT.

To learn more about blood clots and flying click on the attached link to visit a more detailed article on healthline.com

https://www.healthline.com/health/dvt-and-flying

HOW CAN A SWOLLEN LEG BE RELATED TO CANCER?

How Can A Swollen Leg Be Related To Cancer? Many people know that leg swelling is a normal part of pregnancy. Or that if your heart or kidneys are not working properly, then fluid can “back up “ into your legs and cause swelling. Unfortunately, one problem that most people do not associate with leg swelling is cancer. This is unfortunate, because many people have leg swelling, most specifically an unprovoked deep venous thrombosis causing that swelling, as the first sign of their cancer. What does that mean?

Deep venous thrombosis (DVT), or a blood clot in one of the deep veins in the leg, is very common in the United States. This usually presents as unilateral leg (when only one leg swells) swelling, especially of the calf and ankle. As many as 900,000 people a year are diagnosed with a DVT and about 100,000 of them DIE of either the DVT or a pulmonary embolus (PE). A pulmonary embolus is when the blood clot travels to the lung and causes the death of a part of the lung. Most of the time, a DVT is provoked, or has a cause. Common reasons for a DVT include long car or plane rides, having orthopedic or other surgery, being on bedrest or being very sedentary, being on birth control pills, or having unusual proteins in the blood that cause one to clot more easily.

Sometimes, however, a patient develops a blood clot without having a history of one of these things. When that happens, it is VERY important to be worked up for the possibility of a hidden cancer. This is because studies have shown that if someone develops a DVT with none of the “normal” risk factors, the chance of diagnosing cancer in that patient is one in ten in the first year after the DVT.

It is therefore very important that if you are told you have a DVT, that you be screened for cancer. This can be done simply with a thorough history and physical, some lab work, and possibly some Xrays, depending on your history. It is important NOT to just go to the urgent care, be told you have a blood clot, and just take your blood thinners. Please go see a vascular surgeon who can both manage the medication for you blood clot, follow it up with ultrasounds, and do the proper work-up to ensure that it is not the sign of something bad.
South Bay Vascular Center and Vein Center specializes in the treatment of DVT and Swollen Legs. If you or anyone you know suffers from blood clots (DVT’s) or swollen legs, please call our office to schedule a consultation at 408-376-3626

BLOOD CLOTS (DEEP VENOUS THROMBOSIS‐DVT) A SILENT KILLER

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurs when a blood clot (thrombus) forms in one or more of the deep veins in your body, usually in your legs. Deep vein thrombosis can cause leg pain or swelling, but may occur without any symptoms. DVT is a very feared complication of venous disease because it can lead to a pulmonary embolus, a clot in the lung that can be deadly.

There are several symptoms to DVT but the most common are the sudden onset of pain and swelling in your leg. This does not happen in your foot, but happens, most commonly in the back of your calf or your entire thigh. Usually, the painful part of your leg is also swollen. This comes on abruptly and generally does not go away even after a few days. It is very important to go to your regular doctor and get an ultrasound of your leg. If this is “normal” but the swelling or pain persists, then you should go see a vascular surgeon as more testing (such as CT scan or specialized ultrasound) may need to be done. This is quite important to do quickly as some treatments only work if they are done within a week of the development of symptoms.

If you are diagnosed with a DVT, you should be treated with blood thinners immediately. The role of blood thinners is not to actually “dissolve” the clot in your leg, but rather to prevent it from travelling to your lung and causing a Pulmonary Embolus. The blood thinners also work to prevent the clot from becoming more extensive. If this is your first blood clot, you should be treated for 6 weeks to 3 months with blood thinners depending on why the blood clot occurred. The risk factors for developing blood clots include long plane or car rides, immobility (after an operation or injury), obesity, being very sedentary, pregnancy, having had an orthopedic or gynecologic procedure, some genetic factors (hypercoagulable syndromes), dehydration, and cancer. It is important if there if there is not a clear reason for the blood clot, that a search for a hidden cause be done.

Dr. Kokinos and the staff at South Bay Vascular Center and Vein Institute are experts in the identification of and treatment of blood clots. If you or anyone you know suffers from the rapid onset of pain and or swelling following a medical procedure and or long trip (most common on long airplane flights) please contact your primary physician immediately or call us at 408-376-3626 to discuss your treatment options.