Why You Should Stretch on a Plane if on the Pill, From a Health Worker
Those taking combined hormonal contraception face a higher risk of developing a serious condition on long-haul flights, a physician assistant told Newsweek.
Are you taking birth-control pills and traveling on a long-haul flight? You will want to be sure to move around on the plane, as you could be at risk of developing an "underdiagnosed and serious" medical condition.
Simisola Ade, who is based in London, U.K., works in primary care and has been a physician assistant or associate for around three years.
Ade told Newsweek: "Being on a long-haul flight, which can be classified as a flight longer than four hours, and not moving or stretching, can put you at risk of developing a venous thromboembolism (VTE), which includes deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE)."
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that VTE—which refers to blood clots in the veins—is "an underdiagnosed and serious, yet preventable medical condition that can cause disability and death."
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Why Do I Need to Stretch on a Long-Haul Flight if I'm on the Pill?
In a viral video shared from her TikTok account @simisolaoa, which has had over 626,000 views, the physician assistant warns about the risk of developing DVT. This is especially high for those who are on the combined pill, which contains the hormones estrogen and progesterone.
A January 2017 study in Fertility and Sterility said: "While venous thromboembolism (VTE) is rare in young women of reproductive age, combined oral contraceptives increase the risk of VTE."
Ade told Newsweek that, although the risk of developing VTE is small, "studies have shown [that] being on combined hormonal contraception almost triples this risk at around 5 to 12 women per 10,000 per year that will experience this."
Ade added that "pregnancy is another scenario where your risk of developing a VTE is increased. Again, the risk is small, but it's still a risk."
Those taking combined birth-control pills or who are pregnant face a higher risk of developing DVT due to their increased estrogen levels. These can be caused by birth-control pills and pregnancy, as well as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), sometimes used after menopause, the CDC says.
Another risk factor for developing DVT is slow blood flow, often caused by limited movement or sitting for a long time, especially with crossed legs, adds the CDC, both of which can occur on a long-haul flight.
From left: A woman stretches her legs on a plane; and another holds up a packet of birth-control pills. Moving around and stretching your body on a long-haul flight is important if you're using combined...From left: A woman stretches her legs on a plane; and another holds up a packet of birth-control pills. Moving around and stretching your body on a long-haul flight is important if you're using combined hormonal contraception. iStock / Getty Images Plus
What Is Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and How Serious Is It?
DVT happens when a blood clot forms in a deep vein. These clots typically develop in the lower leg, thigh or pelvis, but can also occur in the arm.
The CDC says: "The most serious complication of DVT happens when a part of the clot breaks off and travels through the bloodstream to the lungs, causing a blockage called pulmonary embolism (PE). If the clot is small, and with appropriate treatment, people can recover from PE.
"However, there could be some damage to the lungs. If the clot is large, it can stop blood from reaching the lungs and is fatal," the federal health body adds.
The CDC says that DVT can happen to anyone and "can cause serious illness, disability, and in some cases, death." However, it is "preventable and treatable if discovered early," the health body adds.
How to Reduce the Risk of DVT on a Long-Haul Flight
In the aforementioned viral video, Ade praised a clip posted six days ago by another TikTok user (@charlottegrace009). It shows a woman moving around in the aisle of a plane.
A message overlaid on this clip, which has over 12.2 million views, reads: "My doctor fiancé making me do this every two hours on the plane because I'm on the pill."
In her viral video, Ade said: "It's really important that, if you're on a long-haul flight, that you keep moving where you can, do some calf stretches..."
The physician assistant told Newsweek that passengers should stretch their legs every half-hour or so, mobilizing the legs, feet and toes to encourage blood flow. Ade said that you should be "getting up to move every hour or so when it's safe" to do so.
She added that "wearing compression socks also helps and keeping well hydrated."
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