DON'T stand or sit in one spot for a long time. DON'T wear clothing that restricts blood flow in your legs. DON'T smoke. DON'T participate in contact sports when taking blood thinners because you're at risk of bleeding from trauma.
This was thought to lower the risk of a clot traveling through your bloodstream to your lungs. But recent research suggests that bed rest doesn't help people with DVT and that it may be fine for you to get up and move around.
The reason this walking regimen can help with DVT is that light exercise helps to improve circulation. As long as you don't overwork yourself, exercising with DVT can actually lessen the risk of health complications associated with the condition.
The Importance of Exercise if You Have DVT
Studies show that exercise also can improve symptoms of DVT, including swelling, discomfort, and redness. Physical activity can also make you feel more energized. If you have DVT, being active is especially important for your legs. That's where blood clots usually form.
Do not sit so that you put steady pressure on the back of your knee. Prop up your legs on a stool or chair if your legs swell when you sit.
Elevate your legs above the level of your heart.
Elevate your legs when you sit or lie down, as often as you can. This will help decrease swelling and pain. Prop your legs on pillows or blankets to keep them elevated comfortably.
Prolonged Immobility
Sitting or lying down for long periods—due to prolonged bed rest after illness or a long airplane flight, for example—can cause blood to pool in the legs, leading to deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and, worst-case scenario, pulmonary embolism if the clot travels to the lungs.
While many blood clots dissolve with the help of blood thinners, some dangerous clots require fast-acting clot-busting medications called thrombolytics. Because thrombolytics can cause severe bleeding, doctors usually give them only to people with large, severe clots that increase risk of pulmonary embolism.
It is important to start treatment right away for DVT. It takes about 3 to 6 months for a blood clot to go away.
Stay Hydrated
Dehydration contributes to the development of sluggish blood flow and blood clots. NYU Langone doctors advise drinking 8 to 10 8-ounce glasses of water each day for optimal blood flow. It's especially important to do this when your mobility is limited for long periods, such as while traveling.
Exercise can help improve blood flow in the body, and this can be particularly helpful in preventing blood clots from forming. Regular exercise can also help in breaking down existing blood clots. Low-impact exercises such as walking, cycling, and swimming are recommended as they are less strenuous on the body.
It's also worth mentioning that the most common symptom after a blood clot is exhaustion and fatigue. So, be kind to yourself and rest when you need to. For the first couple of months, you might not feel like yourself; you might feel like resting is all you can do, and that's okay because that's part of this disease.
Raising (elevating) your legs above heart level helps. keep blood from pooling. This makes clots less likely to form. Elevating your legs works best if your lie flat on your back.
However, anyone traveling more than four hours, whether by air, car, bus, or train, can be at risk for blood clots.
Massage is also contraindicated if the person has a blood clot. Another word for this is “deep vein thrombosis.” The risk is that the massage may cause the blood clot to dislodge and travel to the lungs, thus causing a pulmonary embolism that could be life-threatening.
If you have a DVT or pulmonary embolism, you typically get more and more relief as the clot gets smaller. The pain and swelling from a DVT usually start to get better within days of treatment.
Wear loose-fitting clothes, socks, or stockings. Raise your legs 6 inches above your heart from time to time. Wear special stockings (called compression stockings) if your doctor prescribes them. Do exercises your doctor gives you.
Water is the best drink to reduce your risk of developing deep vein thrombosis. The inherent properties of water, whether in tap water or a more expensive bottled kind, include the ability to dilute blood and reduce the likelihood that platelets would clump together and generate a clot.
Increase your intake of other foods and drinks that may help dissolve blood clots such as garlic, kiwi, kale, spinach, red wine, and grape juice. Drink more water. Increase your exercise.
The expert shared that the sweet drinks of various colours are “the worst culprits” for blood clotting. The reason why the likes of cola and iced tea are so harmful comes down to their “pure sugar” content. Batt said: “Eating lots of sugary foods can increase the amount of cholesterol that the liver produces.