For long distance travelers, Steps to DVT Prevention include:
- Getting up occasionally and walking around.
- Exercising your calf muscles and stretching your legs while you're sitting.
- Raising and lowering your heels while keeping your toes on the floor.
- Raising and lowering your toes while keeping your heels on the floor.
- Tightening and releasing your leg muscles.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Don’t drink alcohol or take sleeping pills
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For long-distance travelers with additional risk factors for DVT, talk to your doctor about taking extra precautions such as wearing properly fitted medical compression stockings and taking medication before departure to prevent DVT. You can reduce your risk of DVT by making changes to your lifestyle, such as not smoking, eating a balanced diet, getting regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight.
Treating deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
The aims of treatment are to prevent the clot spreading up the vein and getting larger. This may prevent a large embolus breaking off and travelling to the lungs (a pulmonary embolus). It also aims to reduce the risk of post-thrombotic syndrome developing and the risk of a further DVT in the future.
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Treatment for DVT usually involves taking anticoagulant medicines , which help reduce the ability of the blood to clot. You will also be prescribed compression stockings to wear every day, as these help prevent complications and improve symptoms.
Compression stockings help prevent calf pain and swelling, and lower the risk of ulcers developing after having a DVT. Your healthcare team will usually advise you to engage in regular walking exercise once compression socks have been prescribed. You might be advised to raise your leg whenever you are resting. This helps to relieve the pressure in the veins of the calf and stops blood and fluid pooling in the calf itself.
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