Blood clots often form when someone is inactive for a long time, because of sitting or lying down while traveling in a plane or car, being treated in a hospital bed or other place where it is difficult to move the legs. Blood clots can be serious, even causing death if they travel from the blood vessel where they formed to the lungs or heart, causing a pulmonary embolism or heart attack.
Risks
Be aware of when you are at risk for blood clots, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality says. It can happen when you are prevented from moving around. That may include having had recent surgery, being treated for disease such as cancer, having a broken hip, pelvis or leg, or being confined to a bed or chair for a long time.
The risk of blood clotting increases when you reach age 65. The risk may also increase when you are taking hormones, are obese, have had a stroke or are paralyzed, have varicose veins, have had heart trouble or a blood clot before, or have a family history of blood clots.
See a Doctor
Swelling in your leg or arm may indicate a blood clot, especially if you are at risk. There may be skin redness or discoloration, soreness or pain in the affected area, or a warm spot, usually on the leg. There may also be numbness in the arm or leg, intense burning or throbbing on the palms or soles of the feet, or chronic headaches or dizziness, according to the Mayo Clinic. Consult your doctor, who can do tests to see if you do have a blood clot. The clots are usually treated through blood thinning medication.
Serious Symptoms
More serious symptoms may indicate that the clot may have gone to your lungs. This requires immediate emergency treatment. These symptoms may include shortness of breath, pressure, fullness or pain in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes, a fast heartbeat, mild fever, coughing or fainting spells. Pains in the shoulder, arm, back, teeth or jaw; a sudden weakness or numbness in the face, arm or leg; difficulty speaking or sudden blurred vision may indicate heart attack or stroke from a clot.
Prevention
If you have had a blood clot and it has been treated, the doctor may give you exercises to do that prevent further clotting. You may be advised to wear loose-fitting clothes, raise your legs six inches above you heart whenever you can, wear protective compression stockings and take certain medications. You may want to avoid standing or sitting for more than an hour at a time and try to change your position whenever you can during long trips.
