Experts call it “economy class syndrome” — but it can happen to anyone in any class of plane.
Deep vein thrombosis, or DVT as it is known, occurs when blood clots in one or more veins.
It can happen at any time, but people traveling on long-haul flights are at greater risk because they sit for long periods of time, said Dr. Pinakin V. Parekh, a consultant cardiologist at the Harley Street Heart and Vascular Center in Singapore.
“Theoretically people who are in better categories of air travel – business class, first class – have more room to move around, to stretch their legs,” he told CNBC Travel. “So it’s all about real estate on the plane.”
But Parekh is quick to point out that so-called “economy class syndrome” doesn’t discriminate by where you sit or how often a traveler flies, he said.
“I’ve had patients even traveling in business class develop DVT as well,” he said. Plus “it could be the only flight of your life if you decide not to move.”
What increases the risks?
Deep vein thrombosis typically forms in the legs. Symptoms include pain, swelling, changes in skin color, and a feeling of warmth, but some people have no signs at all, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Those who are obese, over age 60, take birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy, or smoke have a higher risk of developing deep vein thrombosis, according to the medical center.
But flying carries its own risks, he said Parekh.
“For one in 5,000 flights, a patient … can develop a DVT just because of the risk of air travel,” he said.
A 52-year-old former banker said he developed deep vein thrombosis as a result of a four-hour flight from Singapore to Hong Kong.
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Those on long-haul flights are at greater risk, but DVT can develop on shorter flights, he said.
“People used to define long-haul flights as eight hours,” he said, “but there’s some data to suggest that even four hours is now considered long enough.”
Alok Tapadia, a 52-year-old former banking entrepreneur, said he developed a deep vein thrombosis as a result of a four-hour flight from Singapore to Hong Kong.
He said he plays badminton three times a week, so he knew something was wrong when he became short of breath while climbing a flight of stairs after arriving in Hong Kong.
“One of the escalators has stopped working,” he said and so he went up the stairs. “I had to stop for a while and I was wondering what happened to me.”
Once back in Singapore, out of breath and with an elevated heart rate, she finally went in for a check-up.
He said doctors told him a clot had traveled to the pulmonary artery that connects his heart and lungs.
This kind of episode really shakes you up.
He said his first scan showed an enlarged heart, which happens when the heart pumps too hard. A second scan led to Tapadia’s immediate admission to the hospital’s intensive care unit, he said.
Doctors found he had a “massive” lack of oxygen and his lungs were completely blocked, he said.
Doctors said the condition was “critical because there was so much pressure on the heart that it could, you know, arrest or go into a more critical stage at any time,” Tapadia said.
Blood thinners didn’t break up the clot fast enough, he said.
So his doctors eventually resorted to using cardiac catheterization, which involved passing a catheter through his blood vessels near his heart to break up the blood clot from within, Tapadia said.
Tips to reduce DVT
Deep vein thrombosis can develop into a pulmonary embolism, which is a potentially life-threatening complication that occurs when a blood clot breaks free and sticks to a blood vessel in the lung, according to Mayo Clinic.
When a clot moves to the lungs, symptoms such as shortness of breath and chest pains can occur, Parekh said.
There’s no way to completely eliminate the risk of deep vein thrombosis, Parekh said. But there are ways to reduce in-flight risks, he says.
The Mayo Clinic suggests drinking plenty of water, standing and walking around the plane during the flight, circling your ankles while sitting, and wearing support socks.
Parekh has a simple tip for flyers: choose an aisle seat.
“It encourages you to walk up and start walking a lot easier because when you’re all the way through the line, you’re always worried that you’re bothering the guy [next to you],” says Parekh.
More than a year later, Tapadia said, he has returned to his normal lifestyle, which includes traveling and playing badminton, although he said he has changed some of his travel habits, starting with the airport.
Now he walks through the airport, instead of picking up the traveler, he said. Plus, he walks up and down the aisles while flying, he said.
It advises travelers to be aware of their health and any warning signs.
“That kind of an episode really upsets you,” he said.
