Foot swelling during air travel: What causes it? - MayoClinic.com

Foot swelling during air travel: What causes it? - MayoClinic.com

Leg and foot swelling is common during long flights. It's usually caused by inactivity. As a passenger on a plane, you spend most of your time seated with your feet on the floor. This allows blood to pool in your leg veins. When you walk, the muscles in your legs contract and compress the veins, forcing blood back to your heart.

Also, the position of your legs when seated increases pressure in the veins. This contributes to foot swelling by causing fluid to leave the blood and move into the surrounding soft tissues. Another cause of swelling in the ankles and feet may be certain medications, such as calcium channel blockers.
You can usually relieve swelling during and after a flight by:
-Elevating your feet and legs
-Get up and walk around the plane once an hour
-Rotate your ankles while seated

Foot swelling isn't a serious problem if it lasts only a short time. But excessive swelling that persists for several hours after you resume activity may be due to a more serious condition, such as a blood clot in the leg (deep vein thrombosis, or DVT) — especially if the swelling occurs in only one leg and is accompanied by pain. These symptoms require prompt medical attention.

On flights lasting six hours or more, consider taking these additional precautions to reduce the risk of DVT:
-Avoid wearing tight clothing around your waist
-Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration
-Stretch your calves once an hour
-Avoid alcohol and sedatives, which promote immobility
-If you're at increased risk of blood clots, such as due to factor V Leiden, talk to your doctor before flying.

He or she may recommend:
-Compression stockings
-Low-molecular-weight heparin given two to four hours before departure
-Aspirin taken before flying is not proven to be effective in reducing the risk of blood clots.