Click Here for Leg Health Information

For the Best Medical Hosiery Ever

Click Here

Customer Service - Please call 1-877-525-7224 or Fax 1-908-359-9471

E-mail at: supporthos@earthlink.net  

Please Click Here to Request Informational Brochures from Ames Walker

Welcome to Airhealth.org

During air travel blood coagulability rises steadily and blood flow slows down, especially in the lower legs. About 3% of air travelers develop clots, usually painlessly, but some clots cause pain and swelling. If a clot travels to the lung it can cause pain, fainting and death. A clot in the leg is called deep vein thrombosis, DVT. A clot in the lung is pulmonary embolism, PE. Clots also form in the arterial system and in the heart, leading to heart failure and stroke.

Dr. Stanley Mohler, Director of Aerospace Medicine at Wright State Medical School, calls this the Stealth Disease because often there are no symptoms until several days after the flight and the victim has no idea what is wrong. DVT is usually mistaken for a cramp, even when the victim is a physician. Correct diagnosis and treatment is usually delayed, aggravating the injury and increasing the risk of permanent vein damage and further injury or death when a clot travels to the lungs, brain, or heart.

The injury is easily avoided by simple steps such as flexing the legs frequently, and many airlines have begun telling passengers about this, but not US airlines. Airhealth.org is working toward better awareness, so that air travelers everywhere will know how to avoid the injury, how to recognize symptoms, and how to avoid misdiagnosis.

Should airlines ignore this while they work on security? More lives are ended or ruined every single day by economy class syndrome than the number of people on board all four of the hijacked airliners. If these injuries and deaths were caused by bioterrorism, no expense would be spared to stop them.

Prevention

Air travel thrombosis is mostly preventable, mainly by flexing the legs frequently during air travel. The following pages describe:

- Leg flexing: effortless exercises you can do without leaving your seat.

- Compression hose: proven effective and recommended, but avoid elastic support hose.

- Hydration: recommended, but don't drink the water!

- Prophylaxis: to consider if you have risk factors (such as a history of DVT)

- Leaflet: essential for recognizing symptoms and avoiding misdiagnosis that usually aggravates the injury and increases the risk of disability or death.

- Avoid: sleeping, clothing tight enough to impede circulation (such as an elastic knee brace), crossing the legs for more than a few minutes, dehydrating beverages such as alcohol, caffeine, and water.

Leg Flexing

Frequent leg flexing is the best preventive for ECS. The blood needs to be pushed through the one-way valve system in the veins by contractions of the large muscles. Do it five times or more, firmly and deliberately but not strenuously. If you are bothering your seat mates, you are doing it too vigorously.

How often? The UK Department of Health recommends 30 minute intervals, more frequently if you have risk factors such as athletic training or a history of DVT.

Exercises:

1.Extend your legs if possible and flex your ankles, pulling up and spreading your toes, then pushing down and curling the toes. If your shoes limit toe movement, just make the effort and don't worry, or remove the shoes. Alternative: rotate the ankles, making circles in the air with your toes.

2. If there isn't room to extend your legs, start with your feet flat on the floor and push down and curl your toes while lifting your heels from the floor. Then, with your heels back on the floor, lift and spread your toes. Repeat this heel - toe cycle five times or more.

3. Exercise your thigh muscles by sitting with your feet flat on the floor and slide your feet forward a few inches, then slide back and repeat. Or extend the legs if possible and isometrically flex thigh muscles.

Compression Stockings

Compression stocking have proven remarkable effective in controlled studies. For example, in Gianni Belcaro's LONFLIT series, ultrasound scans before and after air travel found 5% of air travelers without stockings developed clots. Matched groups wearing compression stockings did not develop clots. However, compression stocking are not recommended for people with poor leg circulation caused by arterial insufficiency, .

Avoid elastic "support" hose. They are not the same as graduated compression stockings. Support hose have the same elasticity along the entire length and may actually be harmful. Medical compression hose have greater compression at the ankles and gradually less and less going up the calf. If your stockings are not much tighter at the ankle, they are not the kind you need.

You may wonder why compression stockings would not aggravate the problem, making leg circulation worse. By constricting the diameter of veins, the stockings increase the velocity of blood flow. (To maintain a given flow of liquid through a constricted pipe, the velocity has to increase.) This avoids the sluggish flow that is conducive to clotting. The compression also helps keep fluids in circulation instead of collecting in the lower legs, causing the swelling that can make it difficult to get your shoes back on after a flight.

Hydration

Stay hydrated:
Experts recommend drinking water (or other non-alcoholic non-caffeine beverages) to avoid increased blood viscosity during air travel. In a study by Hamada, twenty test subjects drank plenty of water, one cup per hour, during a nine hour flight. They developed significant increases in blood thickness and urine output. Blood samples from arm and lower leg were taken. Viscosity (thickness) increased in the lower leg, exactly where clots are likely to form.

Twenty other people drinking an electrolytic beverage did not have increased blood viscosity and urine output. Apparently drinking an electrolytic beverage is a much better choice for staying hydrated during air travel. See Hamada in Bibliography.

Expert review
Airhealth.org sent Hamada's study to several experts such as Bo Eklof and Gianni Belcaro for opinions. All said it looks reasonable but Belcaro wondered if it would cause line-ups at the lavatories. As a small unscientific test, Airhealth.org Executive Director Mike Reynolds drank one cup per hour of Gatorade on a recent flight to Paris. He drank this plus all the non-alcoholic beverages offered in cabin service. He used the lavatory no more than usual, i.e. once about four hours into the seven hour flight.

Logistics
Airlines don't serve electrolytic beverages. You have to bring your own. At the recommended one cup per hour, for an eight-hour flight you need 64 ounces. Three 20 oz. bottles of a sports drink will do nicely, and they fit in the seat-back pocket. If you drink one cup on the hour every hour, even during cabin service, it is easier to remember.

Finding an electrolytic beverage in some countries may be a challenge. In Paris, at the huge Decathlon store catering to runners, Airheatlh.org's Mike Reynolds found many powdered drink mixes overloaded with performance-enhancing carbohydrates, vitamins, etc. Only one came close to the 110 mg per cup of sodium and 30 mg per cup of potassium tested in Hamada's study. But the powder has to be mixed with water. Can you use the water available on the plane?

Don't drink the water :
A November Wall Street Journal report found serious contamination of airline tank water, the water flowing from taps in the galley and in the lavatory. No airline had drinkable tap water. Water served for drinking is usually bottled water, but sometimes it runs out.

Using airline tap water to mix with powdered electrolytic beverages would be a serious mistake. To avoid carrying any more bottled water than necessary, you could bring two 20-oz (or so) wide-mouth bottles of clean water. Mix the powder into one bottle and, when it runs out, refill it from bottled water in the galley and mix in more powder. Keep the other bottle in reserve in case they run out of bottled water in the galley.

Calories: During air travel you don't need energy-boosting carbohydrates. If you are counting calories, look for stores carry low-calorie isotonic beverages. Or you might prefer low-calorie isotonic powder mixes such as Isostar, especially if you want to avoid the bulk and weight of bottled drinks.

Pretzels: If you search "hydration" on Google, you will find other alternatives such as drinking water and munching a few pretzels, but this leaves a lot to chance. Until further scientific studies are done, one cup per hour of an isotonic beverage seems prudent.

Prophylaxis

If you have serious risk factors or must sleep during the flight, pharmaceutical prophylaxis is possible. You could ask your doctor for a prescription for Lovenox, an anticoagulant injected in the stomach fat. Your prescription may come as two syringes with no instructions. .

There are no guidelines for prophylactic use of anticoagulants for air travel. We asked manufacturers about this and we were told that, because of increasing interest in this, perhaps guidelines will be developed. Before a recent cross-country flight, Mike Reynolds asked his doctor for a Lovenox prescription. When the pharmacist asked if instructions were needed, I asked if instructions were in the package. The response was a shrug of the shoulders. There were no instructions. If I hadn't known from other sources that the shot is supposed to be in the stomach fat, I would have done it incorrectly. We are asking the makers of Lovenox about ways to insure that instructions accompany the syringes. You can find instructions on their website at lovenox.com.

Starting warfarin just before a flight is a very bad idea. Warfarin must be accompanied by heparin (or other anticoagulant) in the first few days. Otherwise a hypercoagulable state occurs. You're at greater risk of clots than if you hadn't taken the warfarin. See article on PE by Dr. Sat Sharma at http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic1958.htm, where drugs are listed by name in a section titled Medication.

Other drugs, such as clopidogrel bisulfate Plavix, cost substantially more than warfarin but may still be advisable if they are immediately effective, allow you to avoid all the blood tests required with warfarin and/or avoid the interaction problems of warfarin. (For example, warfarin's protection can be lost if you ingest an unusual amount of vitamin K, such as in spinach.)

Test results for Plavix are similar to those for aspirin and may be desirable for those who cannot tolerate aspirin and who have had a stroke, myocardial infarction, or peripheral arterial disease.

Leaflet - ECS Exercise and Symptoms

When you're flying you won't be able to remember all the details about avoiding DVT, recognizing symptoms, and avoiding misdiagnosis. A few days after the flight, when strange symptoms appear, it might be hard to remember what you are supposed to watch for or how to avoid misdiagnosis. So we want you to have a wallet size reminder card. This card addresses venous clots, DVT and PE. Arterial clotting is also serious but you don't need a reminder card if you're having a heart attack or a stroke.

This page provides links to pages you can print at home, cut out with scissors, fold on the line, and put in your wallet. Carry it with you when you travel by air. Make extras to give to others.

To view and print the wallet-size leaflet, you need Adobe Acrobat Reader (free copy below). When you see the pdf file on your screen, it will look too small to read. Don't worry; it is much easier to read when it prints out.

*Please visit Airhealth.org to obtain your free leaflet or www.airhealth.org.

Clots

Thromboembolism (injurious blood clots) claims more victims than cancer and is mostly preventable. This is an unparalleled public health opportunity. The American Public Health Association and CDC launched a DVT Leadership Coalition in February. The main objective is to raise awareness among health care workers and the public about how to avoid thromboembolism. One of the easiest ways to raise awareness and reduce the numbers of DVT victims is to tell people how to avoid air travel thrombosis.

In the following pages we discuss:

- Clot formation

- Symptoms

- Misdiagnosis

- Arterial Clots

Clot Formation

Coagulability rises steadily during air travel. Blood flow slows down, especially in the lower legs, and blood viscosity rises in the lower legs, increasing the likelihood of clotting. Clots form, usually painlessly, but some cause pain and swelling.

The longer the flight, the greater the risk, although many of the cases in our registry arose from relatively short flights of three hours or so.

Clots in the arterial system cause heart attack and stroke. If you are being treated for any heart condition, hardening of the arteries, diabetic arteriopathy, or similar conditions, taking aspirin may reduce your risk. Your doctor may also recommend injection (in the stomach fat) of a low molecular weight heparin, LMWH, such as Lovenox.

Scientific studies have shown that the physiological effects of altitude are the same in nearly all air travelers, not just a few with some unusual susceptibility. (See bibliography.)

Bjorne Bendz' study in Norway put twenty young men in a chamber simulating cabin altitude and measured coagulation factors hour by hour. He found significant increases in coagulation factors in all the the twenty young men.

In Japan, Hamada had twenty young men drink one cup per hour of water. All developed significantly increased blood viscosity in the lower legs and increased urine output. Another twenty young men drinking an electrolytic beverage did not develop increased viscosity or urine output. (See Hydration)

Symptoms

Dr. Stanley Mohler, Director of Aerospace Medicine at Wright State Medical School, calls this the Stealth Disease because symptoms usually don't show up until several days or more after the flight.

If you feel any of the symptoms listed below, see a doctor.You will probably forget exactly what symptoms to watch for, so carry the wallet-size Leaflet.  After 30 days you are probably safe, but you must still avoid surgery for three months. If surgery is unavoidable, see the article by Patel referenced in the bibliography.

Leg symptoms (Deep Vein Thrombosis, DVT) may appear during flight or in the next few days.

• Sudden swelling in one lower leg. (A little swelling in both legs is normal in flight.)
• Cramp or tenderness in one lower leg.
• Bruise or swelling behind knee.

Chest symptoms (Pulmonary Embolism, PE) usually appear 2-4 days or more after the initial blood clot, which you may not have noticed:

• shortness of breath
• rapid breathing, panting
• cramp in your side, painful breathing
• chest pain, sometimes accompanied by shoulder pain
• fever
• coughing up blood
• fainting (often the first sign, especially in older people)

Tell the doctor that you have flown recently and that you suspect a blood clot.

Misdiagnosis

DVT is usually mistaken for a cramp, even when the victim is a physician. Those who seek treatment are usually misdiagnosed at first, increasing the risk of permanent vein damage and increasing the risk of death.

Here are two simple ways to avoid misdiagnosis.

1. If you have leg symptoms and the doctor says you have only a muscle sprain (or anything else other than DVT), insist on an ultrasound scan of the leg. We haven't heard of any case where an ultrasound scan failed to identify a symptomatic leg clot.

2. If you have chest symptoms and you are being told you have a chest infection, anxiety attack, heart attack, or anything else other than PE (pulmonary embolism), ask for a blood oxygen measurement. A small clip (no needle) placed on your fingertip measures blood oxygen. If the reading is below 80, you need a lung scan to check for PE (unless there is some other reason for low blood oxygen, such as emphysema.)

Since you won't remember this when the time comes, carry our free leaflet.

Arterial Clots

A '92 study by Teenan (see bibliography) said that air travel doesn't just produce DVT. It also causes peripheral arterial thrombosis, most commonly resulting in myocardial ischaemia, heart failure. Dr. Omer Iqbal presented a paper on this at the International Angiology Union World Congress in March 2002. More than half of heart attacks are caused by clots. No one has studied how often these follow air travel.

Arterial clotting can also lead to strokes, about 80% of which are caused by clots. No one has studied how many of these are caused by air travel. About 7% of air travel thrombosis cases in our registry suffered strokes. Fifty years ago stroke was the 11th leading cause of death. Today it is fourth and rising. We do not know how much of the increase is due to air travel.

Aspirin is ineffective against venous clotting but it is somewhat effective against arterial clotting. If you can tolerate aspirin and it won't interfere with other drugs you are taking, an aspirin before air travel is probably a good idea.

Postthrombotic Syndrome, PTS

Studies show forty to eighty percent of DVT victims eventually develop PTS, with chronic swelling and pain, sometimes with open sores that can cover the lower leg. If you spent weeks with swelling and pain before your DVT was treated, you probably had permanent damage to the veins that will lead to postthrombotic syndrome.

One expert (see bibliography, Franzeck) advises wearing compression stockings for five years after DVT to reduce the risk of PTS or reduce the severity of PTS. Some experts advise wearing compression stockings during the first six months of warfarin treatment, This probably makes sense but we have not yet found studies addressing this.

Studies reported in medical journals tend to reflect conventional views of DVT, with the typical case already suffering from cancer or heart disease. These studies may not be relevant to air travel thrombosis cases, the majority of which are young and athletic.

If you had a DVT that went untreated for days or weeks, you probably need a good phlebologist. If your doctor doesn't know one, try the American Venous Forum website.

Risk

The risk of air travel thrombosis is just beginning to be understood. Gianni Belcaro's LONFLIT studies are finding that 3% of air travelers on long flights (10 hours or more) develop clots. Among frequent business travelers, LONFLIT IV found 4.5% developing one or more clots per year, about fifty times as many clots as found in a non-flying population. Most of these clots dissolve naturally, but the few that don't are still a huge public health problem.

Some people are more likely to develop injurious clots than others. In the following pages, we discuss:

- Risk Factors

- Pilots

- Athletes

- Common misconceptions.

Avoid:

- Wearing anything that can restrict circulation, like a knee brace.

- Crossing legs for more than a few minutes.

- Sleeping, especially if you have any risk factors such as athletic training. If sleep is unavoidable, try to find a place where you can lie horizontal and/or arrange for someone to wake you after a short nap.

- Alcohol, caffeine, and water. (See Hydration page.)

Risk Factors

The usual risk factors for DVT are listed below. However, these are based on the cases most likely to be observed and treated, the cases arising during or soon after hospitalization. DVT following hip surgery. for example, is likely enough to warrant prophylactic anticoagulants in every case.

However, the risk factors in a jetliner are very different from those in a hospital. The biggest risk factor in a jetliner, accounting for a large majority of victims, is athletic conditioning, particularly training for endurance-type sports like marathons.

Following are risk factors for economy class syndrome:

1. Athletic training, especially training for endurance-type sports like marathons.

2. Recent surgery or injury. If you have just run a marathon, you probably have at least minor bruising that can trigger clotting. Kick-boxing also produces such injuries. You must also avoid surgery for at least 30 days after air travel. If surgery is unavoidable, see the article by Patel referenced in the bibliography.

3. Personal or family history of DVT.

4. Cancer, heart disease, diabetes. Obesity is often cited as a risk factor, but probably ranks much lower than the preceding diseases.

5. Women who are pregnant or taking estrogen as birth control or hormone replacement.

6. Age over 40 is often cited as a risk factor; sometime age over 60 is cited. However, in our registry over 80% are under age 60, the majority are under 50.

Advice for Pilots to Avoid Thrombosis Injury

Fainting Often the first sign of PE (pulmonary embolism) is fainting without warning, especially in older victims. David McKenas, director of medicine at American Airlines, says the most frequent causes of sudden pilot incapacitation are cardiac arrest, arrhythmia, and fainting. All can be caused by pulmonary embolism.

Some pilots are skeptical, having flown for years without a problem. But people with a broader perspective are taking this very seriously. John Walker, chairman of the Allied Pilots Association Medical Committee wrote: " Mike, we have taken a look at your website and it is terrific. We are putting a link to it on our APA (Allied Pilots Assn.) website. Thank you very much for your interest in this topic." Dr. Charles Ruehle of the FAA wrote "You're on the right track. You'll get cooperation faster on a voluntary basis than by legislative or regulatory action. "

Clots in the arterial system cause heart attack and stroke. If you are being treated for any heart condition, hardening of the arteries, diabetic arteriopathy, or similar conditions, taking aspirin may reduce your risk of air travel thrombosis. Or your doctor may recommend long-term anticoagulation.

DVT is more likely and more easily preventable. See our prevention page for isometric exercises, compression stockings, and hydration. If you are into athletics, particularly endurance-type sports, you need to take prevention more seriously, especially if you have other risk factors.

Symptoms: Pilots, like other victims, often struggle for days or weeks with strange symptoms, not knowing what is wrong. During this time you are at risk of sudden collapse. We urge you to carry our wallet card or check back to this website if you notice unfamiliar symptoms.

Misdiagnosis. More often than not, misdiagnosis aggravates the injury and increases the risk of death, but there are two easy steps you can take to avoid it. Another reason to carry our free wallet-size leaflet.

One pilot told us that he would be reluctant to wear compression hose because it might raise questions of fitness. Having had a DVT does not disqualify a pilot, but it is better to avoid getting one. Also, compression hose need not be obvious. They are available in some of the same colors as regular hose. But medical compression hose are different from drugstore support hose, which can actually be harmful. See the links page for compression stocking vendors. Compression hose are not recommended if you have circulation problems caused by arterial insufficiency.

About 5% of victims contacting Airhealth.org are pilots. Flight attendants' risk is low on working flights (the muscles get plenty of exercise) but on a deadhead flight the risk is substantial, especially if coagulability is already high from a previous flight and they fall asleep sitting upright.

Airline Pilot Magazine story

We found a '97 article in Airline Pilot, the union magazine, written by Capt. Henry Hoffman who was an ECS victim. His father, a pilot on another airline, was also a victim. We asked Gary DiNunno, editor of Airline Pilot, if he would like a new story with new research findings. It was printed in the June/July issue accompanied by a reprint of an article by Stanley Mohler, Director of Aerospace Medicine at Wright State Medical School, who calls this the Stealth Disease.

The two most important scientific studies were deleted from the story, the research of Bjorne Bendz in Norway and John Scurr in England. Subsequent studies such as Gianni Belcaro's LONFLIT series have confirmed the findings of Bendz and Scurr.

Athletics, Fitness

About 85% of air travel thrombosis victims are athletic, usually endurance-type athletes like marathoners. People with slower resting blood flow are at greater risk of stasis, stagnant blood subject to clotting. Also, they are more likely to have bruises and sore muscles that can trigger clotting.

No other risk factor comes close to this. Age over 60 is supposed to be a risk factor, but these victims are younger, 82% of them under 60.

Athletes should flex their legs at fifteen minute intervals during air travel. If other risk factors are present, such as a personal or family history of clots, more frequent flexing would be advisable, and wearing compression stockings. Avoid sleeping. The English soccer team flying to the World Cup games in Japan broke the trip into two segments with a two-day rest stop and wore compression stockings during the flights.

The injury often feels like a muscle cramp and is usually misdiagnosed, aggravating the injury and increasing the risk of permanent disability or death. Tips on recognizing symptoms and avoiding misdiagnosis are available in a free Leaflet.

New hope for victims lies in an experimental treatment being studied at National Institutes of Health by Dr. Richard Chang. He is using recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) to dissolve clots. By dissolving clots immediately instead of waiting weeks for lysing to dissolve them, the chance of permanent vein damage is greatly reduced. But the treatment must begin within two weeks of clot formation, after which the clot resists this treatment. Many victims, including physicians who are victims, are not able to recognize symptoms and get a correct diagnosis within two weeks. The free Leaflet could make you one of the lucky ones. For free treatment, contact Richard Chang at RChang@mail.cc.nih.gov.

You can help. Post this notice on the bulletin board at the health club, locker room, or anywhere it will be seen by other athletes.

ATHLETES AT RISK OF DISABLING, SOMETIMES FATAL INJURY

Tim Hentzel, 26, a competitive triathlete, was recently diagnosed with DVT, deep vein thrombosis, a blood clot in the leg, after a flight from Minneapolis to San Francisco. His life has been difficult since then, revolving around pain, swelling, warfarin (rat poison) tablets, and blood tests.

Medical journals report that, during air travel, blood flow slows down, especially in the lower legs, and coagulability rises hour by hour. Blood clots form in the calves of about 5% of air travelers. Clots can cause pain and swelling. If a blood clot reaches the lungs, it can cause pain, fainting, and death. Athletic people are at greater risk because, with lower resting blood flow to the large muscles, they are more prone to stasis, stagnant blood subject to clotting. A large majority of air travel thrombosis victims contacting Airhealth.org are athletic, usually endurance-type athletes like marathoners. No other risk factor comes close. Age is supposed to be a risk factor for DVT, but 83% of these victims are under age 60.

Experts recommend wearing compression stockings and flexing the legs at thirty minute intervals. For people at higher risk, such as athletes, flexing more frequently is advisable. Don't confuse compression stockings with support stockings. Support stockings may actually be harmful. Compression stockings are graduated, with much greater pressure at the ankle.

The injury often feels like a muscle cramp and is usually misdiagnosed, aggravating the injury and increasing the risk of death. Tips on recognizing symptoms and avoiding misdiagnosis are available in a free Leaflet at www.airhealth.org. There are no strings; no advertising and no plea for contributions.

Common Misconceptions

If I am in good shape, it won't happen to me. Athletic people are at much greater risk than other passengers. See our Athletes page. No one is safe from this. More than half the victims have no risk factor other than air travel. On our Messages page you will see remarks from victims who were young, fit, and active: avid bicyclists, runners, a scuba diver. A ten year old girl suffered DVT on a flight to Hong Kong.

Older folks are more at risk. Kevin Wake had heard this. On a flight from Singapore to London with his daughter Alayn, 28, he was wearing compression stockings, proven effective in preventing air travel thrombosis. Shortly before reaching London, Alayn died from a pulmonary embolism. In our registry of cases, 85% are under age 60.

I'll just upgrade and avoid the cramped seats. At cabin altitude, blood coagulability rises steadily and the altitude is the same in the front of the plane as in the rear. A Japanese study found 70% of victims in coach class, 25% in business class, 5% in first class, and one pilot. The term economy class syndrome (ECS) is a misnomer. The ratio of victims is the same in all sections of the aircraft, including the flight deck. Gianni Belcaro's latest study, LONFLIT IV, Business 2003, finds 4.5% of frequent business class travelers developing one or more clots per year.

You just need to stretch if you feel a cramp. You probably won't feel a cramp, and if you do, it's too late. Researchers find that 94% of blood clots are silent, symptomless. John Scurr found symptomless blood clots in 10% of air travelers. But symptomless blood clots are not harmless. They can progress to fatal pulmonary embolism without warning .

If I get a clot, drugs will dissolve it. The usual heparin/warfarin treatment doesn't dissolve the clot. It arrests clot formation. The original clot has to be broken down in a natural process called lysing, which can take months. Getting a correct diagnosis and treatment often takes several weeks. During this time the clot is doing permanent damage, often resulting in chronic phlebitis which can be disabling. A clot-dissolving treatment is available if you can get to Dr. Richard Chang before the clot is more than two weeks old. See the News page, 6/26/02, Dr. Richard Chang.

Pilots acclimate. They don't need to worry. Pilots are at risk, too, and the first sign often is fainting. Dr. David McKenas, medical director at American Airlines, says that the most common causes of sudden pilot incapacitation are cardiac arrest, arrhythmia, and fainting. (All of which are often caused by a blood clot in the lung.) With DVT, pilots, like other victims, often struggle with symptoms for days or weeks, not knowing what is wrong. During that time they are at risk of sudden collapse, a danger to themselves and their passengers. Pilots are also at risk of sudden collapse due to arterial clots causing heart failure or stroke.
 

We do not presume to give medical advice and we urge you to see your physician if you have questions about ECS, particularly if you are in one of the risk categories listed or some other risk category that we don't yet know about.

SOURCE: Airhealth.org is a non-profit organization dedicated to ending the suffering and deaths caused by flight-induced blood clots. Most of the injuries and deaths are easily preventable at virtually no cost. Updated April 2, 2003 © Airhealth.org

The information collected here has been developed over searches on the internet.  We are not in any way responsible for, or endorse, information on other web sites, it is here for public information.   Your doctor is the best source of leg health information and treatment.  We hope you find this information helpful.  This article has been provided courtesy of  Ames Walker Hosiery (ameswalker.com) and may be reproduced for personal use provided no part of this article (including the text contents) has been changed. Copyright © 2003  Ames Walker International Inc.