do some simple leg and foot stretches every couple of hours to keep your calf muscles active when you’re sitting.

move about whenever possible before, during, and after travelling.To help reduce the risk of DVT while travelling long distances: Long distance travel by air, road or rail for longer than four hours is associated with an increased risk of DVT in susceptible people. Sometimes DVT can happen for no obvious reason. are pregnant or if you've had a baby in the previous six weeks.go on a long journey (more than four hours) by plane, car or train.are confined to bed or have limited movement.have had an injury ( fractures, spinal cord injuries, muscle injuries).There are also some temporary situations that can increase the risk of DVT. take the contraceptive pill or hormone replacement therapy.have had DVT before or have a family history of blood clots or stroke at a young age.The ability of the blood to clot is essential for survival, but when it stops blood from flowing properly, it can cause problems. Together with clotting factors, the platelets produce a web or mesh, which traps more platelets and creates a plug to seal off the wound. When you get a cut or scratch, platelets collect at the site of the injury. Platelets are sticky and help the blood to thicken (coagulate), which is a normal part of wound healing. Blood clotting and DVTīlood contains platelets and compounds called clotting factors. If the clot is large enough, it can completely block the blood vessel and in some cases can cause death. When this happens, it is called a pulmonary embolus. Sometimes a blood clot can travel from the leg and lodge in a blood vessel in the lungs. This includes an injury, surgery or long periods of sitting or lying. Valves in the veins also help this process, ensuring the blood flows in one direction.Īnything that slows the flow of blood through the deep veins in the legs can cause DVT. When the calf muscles contract, they compress the veins and force the blood upwards to the heart (against gravity). When this happens, the clot can block the flow of blood and oxygen to parts of the body, which can cause potentially serious health effects.īlood flow through the leg veins generally requires help from calf muscles. The term ‘thrombosis’ refers to the formation of a blood clot in a blood vessel. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is where a blood clot forms in the deep veins of the leg (veins below the skin’s surface that are not visible through the skin).

Causes of deep vein thrombosis