I've heard about embolisms in the lung after flying. How does that happen?
Anyone who is inactive for a while is at higher risk of developing a blood clots in the legs than is someone who is active. This is why nurses get freshly operated patients out of bed to move around, despite the discomfort or pain.
When someone is flying, not only are you not moving around, you are in a very cramped place most of the time. This means that you are not moving about. And, if you are predisposed or at high risk of getting clots, the risk rises while you are on the plane.
People at higher risk for clots are those who have a personal or family history of blood clots, people who are overweight, who have certain medical conditions such as hypertension, who take birth control pills, and people who smoke.
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