The 1 Thing You Should Never, Ever Do Right After a Long Flight, According to Cardiologists

Long flights are an workout successful delayed gratification. While they're, well, long—it tin instrumentality much than a time with a layover to get to Australia—they fto america spot the world. If you're a wanderluster, the escapade whitethorn marque your bosom sing.

"Traveling overseas tin beryllium a blast oregon a must-do for household and enactment reasons," shares Dr. Patrick Kee, MD, Ph.D., a cardiologist with Vital Heart and Vein.

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It's understandable to absorption connected your pre-flight boarding database truthful you don't get held up astatine information with a 4-ounce vessel of liquid. However, cardiologists are begging radical to wage attraction to their contiguous post-flight to-do database too, oregon much accurately, a post-flight not-do list. Cardiologists stock the 1 happening not to bash aft a agelong formation and why—plus, however to support your bosom wellness truthful you tin bask your vacation.

Related:Cardiologists Warn That This Is the #1 Worst Habit for Your Heart (And What To Do Instead)

While you whitethorn beryllium jet-lagged, cardiologists are begging radical not to beryllium aft a agelong flight.

"Prolonged sitting during oregon aft a formation tin summation the chances of a humor clot," saysDr. Jossef Amirian, MD, a cardiologist with Manhattan Cardiology successful NYC and contributor to labfinder.com. "This tin beryllium a superior wellness interest arsenic a humor clot could perchance beryllium life-threatening."

Specifically, Dr. Amirian says prolonged sitting tin punctual a information called heavy vein thrombosis (DVT), which means the humor clots are successful your legs. These clots aren't stagnant.

"If the clot moves to your lungs, it tin origin a superior information called pulmonary embolism," helium warns.

Long flights tin impact your bosom wellness successful different ways too.

"Sitting inactive connected a agelong formation whitethorn summation humor pressure, bosom complaint variability and fluid retention, starring to chronic limb swelling," adds Dr. Christopher Yi, MD, a board-certified vascular surgeon astatine MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center.

Dr. Amirian adds that radical with a household past of a humor clotting upset are besides astatine risk. Importantly, though prolonged flights—whether you person immoderate different hazard factors oregon not—put you astatine a higher hazard of processing a humor clot. However, getting question successful regularly tin trim that risk.

Related:This Everyday Item Is Linked to Over 300K Heart Disease Deaths, According to Doctors

You whitethorn consciousness unit oregon thorax symptom arsenic a result. However, helium says "sitting backmost and enjoying the flight" (and past sitting down after) tin marque the contented worse.

"The veins liable for returning humor from the legs to the bosom request musculus contraction for due circulation," helium adds. "This restricted question hinders humor travel and promotes stagnation."

This 1 is the apical extremity from cardiologists, who pass that prolonged sitting increases the likelihood of processing a humor clot during oregon aft a agelong flight. Moving aft landing is important, but you besides don't privation to beryllium inactive connected the flight, adjacent if the seatbelt airy is on. No, you don't person to interruption the rules.

"Do seated limb exercises to support the humor from becoming stagnant," Dr. Serwer suggests.

Stretching the calves by pointing and flexing your feet is 1 example. When the seatbelt airy is off, Dr. Serwer advises radical to get up and locomotion each 1 to 2 hours.

After the flight, Dr. Yi suggests a brisk 10 to 15-minute locomotion astir the terminal. Bonus: You mightiness beryllium the archetypal 1 to your baggage claim. While waiting for your baggage (wondering wherefore your suitcases are ever the past connected the carousel), absorption connected calf raises.

"The calf is often considered a premier determination for clot formation," Dr. Amirian says.

Dr. Serwer advises against wearing constrictive clothing, and helium and Dr. Kee some suggest giving compression socks a try.

"If you cognize you person problems with your veins successful your legs, deterioration compression stockings—usually astir 20-30 mmHg—to assistance trim humor pooling and the hazard of heavy venous thrombosis," Dr. Kee says.