We often hear that sitting too long could be dangerous for our health…but not in the ways that you would normally think.
Personally, after I’ve been sitting all day in a conference or a plane, I’m normally very tired and in need of a good stretch. Little did I know that during these long stints of little to no movement I could be putting myself at risk for a Deep Vein Thrombosis.
Deep Vein Thrombosis is more commonly known as a blood clot and 600,000 people get them a year. A blood clot can develop in any vein in the body, but is more commonly found in the largest vein in the legs. Blood clots can become dislodged and move to other organs in the body where they can become a lot more dangerous. If the clot travels to the lungs, it could become a pulmonary embolism and could possibly stop circulation to the lungs, resulting in death.
“Out of the 600,000 people that get blood clots a year, 100,000 die from pulmonary embolisms. That is more than breast cancer, car accidents, and AIDS combined,” explained Dr. Tom Maldonado, Director of the new Venous Thromboembolic Center at NYU
Dr. Maldonado continued to say, “The circulation is like simple plumbing and all the veins lead back to the heart and lungs, and that is really where the problem can occur.”
Blood Clots are widely referenced in pop culture as the Economy Class Syndrome. Long flight passengers are at more risk to get a clot due to the long period of sitting. Dr. Maldonado did have some positive comments though, laughing and saying, “It should really be called first class syndrome because you’re just as likely to get it in first class.” He also advised to drink lots of water during flights and make sure to get up and walk around occasionally.
Smoking, obesity, any recent surgeries (especially orthopedic, knee, and hip), and the intake of hormonal supplements like birth control could also put you at more risk to develop a clot. Also if you have a family history of blood clots, take note because you may be at more risk than others.
So what do you do if you form a clot? Dr. Maldonado says quick diagnosis and treatment is key!
The NYU Langone Center has been working to develop new treatments to treat blood clots faster in order to help prevent so many deaths from pulmonary embolisms.
Photo Courtesy: NYU Langone Medical Center
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