The danger of long flight

It would be a pity to step down from a 12-hour flight from Bangkok to Paris filled with excitement then, less than half an hour after landing, even before seeing the City of Light, to turn pale with pain and seconds later, collapse and die.

Would you believe that each year many tourists lose their lives just sitting in a plane for a long period of time? Some die suddenly on the plane and some die shortly after disembarking.

In medical terms, this is referred to as the Economy Class Syndrome.

This illness became famous throughout the world 10 years ago after a passenger was found unconscious then died, the result of sitting aboard a plane in economy class for a long period of time.

The fatality is due to the fact that most passengers remain seated on the plane for the majority of their flights. Unlike people travelling in cars who can stop occasionally to stretch their legs, flight passengers have no activity that require body movements. Also, passengers who travel in planes prefer not to drink water because they don’t want to bother the passenger sitting next to them with frequent trips to the bathroom. No matter the reason, these patients put themselves at risk of Economy Class Syndrome.

Autopsy results have summarised the causes as clots blocking the blood flow in the legs. Dehydration also contributes to high blood thickness. When the clots travel from the veins in the legs to the heart and enter the pulmonary arteries, they cause tightness in the chest, breathing difficulties and, eventually, death.

According to statistics, people at high risk are usually overweight, heavy smokers, suffering some type of blood disease or cancer, pregnant, or have recently undergone heart surgery.

Passengers travelling on planes for a long time should avoid crossing their legs or wearing tight apparel or pantyhose. They should frequently massage their thighs and legs, occasionally moving them up and down, and drink plenty of clean water. Alcohol and caffeine should be avoided.

If you’ve just come back from a long flight and found that you have difficulties in breathing, feel dizzy or fatigued, have tightness in the chest or swollen legs, see a doctor as soon as possible.

Doctors can spot abnormalities that cause blood clots around the leg area (DVT-Deep Vein Thrombosis) or the pulmonary artery (Pulmonary Embolism) through the use of ultrasound or a 64-slice CT scanner.

For frequent travellers, every trip, not only in Economy Class but also in Business Class and First Class, can be risky. In addition to worries about leg circulation, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes or even allergies can be just as troublesome.

So the best travel recipe for those at risk is to have a physical exam and get advice for taking care of their health when travelling long distance.

Any questions about travel health can be answered at Samitivej Hospital’s Heart Institute. Call (02) 711 8110-2.