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Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | Next >> The research team observed that half the studies had concluded that there was an association between DVT and travel, while the other half had found no significant correlation.
But when they conducted their own statistical breakdown, Mozaffarian and his associates concluded that, taken together, the studies indicated that travelers actually bear "a substantially higher risk" -- two to nearly three times higher -- for developing DVT than non-travelers.
"What is key is if you're traveling and you begin to feel unwell when you arrive, or even over the following week or two, and you have some symptoms for DVT is to go get evaluated right away," Mozaffarian noted.
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According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, DVT symptoms include swelling of the leg or along a leg vein; leg tenderness and/or pain (sometimes only when standing or moving); abnormal warmth in an affected leg, and leg redness or discoloration. Signs of a pulmonary embolism include shortness of breath or pain when breathing, as well as the coughing up of blood.
Meanwhile, Mozaffarian said more research is needed to develop reliable ways to prevent the onset of problems in the first place.
"We actually don't have strong evidence for any preventive treatment," he noted. "There is some plausible reasoning that would suggest that walking around during long travel and hydrating might reduce this risk, but it's not confirmed. It seems reasonable to do those things, but we can't really say they are effective."
Nevertheless, Dr. Samuel Z. Goldhaber, director of the Venous Thromboembolism Research Group in the cardiovascular division of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, said he puts stock in specific short-term and long-term steps any traveler can take to reduce risk.
"People need to know that much of the travel-related DVT can be prevented with common sense and a heart-healthy lifestyle," he said. "First of all, when traveling obviously stay well-hydrated. That means on a plane, after you pass security, you should purchase extra water and drink enough of it on the flight so that you have to go to the bathroom to urinate. And if you're traveling by car you should probably take a break every two hours, rather than trying to set a world record in terms of how fast you can get from point A to point B."
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