For most people, walking or taking care of some housework are fine right after you find out you have DVT.
Following a DVT, your leg may be swollen, tender, red, or hot to the touch. These symptoms should improve over time, and exercise often helps. Walking and exercise are safe to do, but be sure to listen to your body to avoid overexertion.
Exercises like walking or swimming can help you heal after a clot. They boost your blood flow and may make you feel better. If you had a pulmonary embolism, activities that get your heart pumping, like running or dancing, can make your lungs stronger. But talk to your doctor first about how much is right for you.
Symptoms of DVT
Most have some swelling in one or both legs. Often, there is pain or tenderness in one leg (may happen only when you stand or walk). Your skin may feel warm or look red or discolored.
DON'T stand or sit in one spot for a long time. DON'T wear clothing that restricts blood flow in your legs. DON'T smoke. DON'T participate in contact sports when taking blood thinners because you're at risk of bleeding from trauma.
For years, if you had a DVT, your doctor would order bed rest. This was thought to lower the risk of a clot traveling through your bloodstream to your lungs. But recent research suggests that bed rest doesn't help people with DVT and that it may be fine for you to get up and move around.
Being overweight or obese. Being overweight increases the pressure in the veins in the pelvis and legs. Smoking. Smoking affects how blood flows and clots, which can increase the risk of DVT .
Clues of a Clot
swelling of the leg or along a vein in the leg. pain or tenderness in the leg, which you may feel only when standing or walking. increased warmth in the area of the leg that's swollen or painful. red or discolored skin on the leg.
For most people with a DVT, it takes a few weeks or months to recover completely without long-term effects. But in some cases, if you're recovering from a blood clot in the leg, you may feel swelling and some discomfort.
Bed rest is recommended because of the concern of clot dislodgment by ambulation, causing a potentially fatal PE.
Sitting or lying down for long periods—due to prolonged bed rest after illness or a long airplane flight, for example—can cause blood to pool in the legs, leading to deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and, worst-case scenario, pulmonary embolism if the clot travels to the lungs.
lie on their sides with a pillow between the knees if desirable.
Prevent Blood Clots During Travel
Take steps to prevent blood clots. Stand up or walk occasionally. Select an aisle seat when possible so you can walk around every 2-3 hours. If traveling by car, include breaks in your travel schedule to stretch and walk around.
throbbing pain in 1 leg (rarely both legs), usually in the calf or thigh, when walking or standing up. swelling in 1 leg (rarely both legs) warm skin around the painful area. red or darkened skin around the painful area – this may be harder to see on brown or black skin.
Background: Traditionally, many patients with acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT) are treated not only by anticoagulation therapy but additionally by strict bed rest, which is aimed at reducing the risk of pulmonary embolism (PE) events.
Sitting still for 4 or more hours slows down the blood flow in your legs. This makes your blood more likely to clot. And for the next few weeks, your blood clot risk stays higher than normal.
While a pulmonary embolism can be life-threatening, most patients survive DVT and need to learn how to live with the risk of recurrence. Your healthcare provider will probably prescribe anticoagulants, or blood thinners, which may be needed for as little as three months but can be lifelong treatment.
For any trip longer than 4 hours, if you are safely able to do so, get up from the seat and walk for five minutes every hour or two.
1. Avoid Long Hours of Sitting or Standing. Sitting or standing for extended periods of time is a major cause of deep vein thrombosis. Move or flex your ankles and knees every 30 minutes to increase the blood flow.
The skin around painful areas or in the arm or leg with the DVT may feel warmer than other skin. Trouble breathing. If this happens, it could mean that the clot has moved from your arm or leg to your lungs. You may also get a bad cough, and might even cough up blood.
Both DVT and pulmonary embolism need urgent investigation and treatment. Seek immediate medical attention if you have pain, swelling and tenderness in your leg and develop breathlessness and chest pain.
How Painful Is DVT? DVT can range from mild to severe pain, depending on the individual and the extent of the clot. Others may experience severe pain and swelling, while others may only feel a dull ache. It is important to seek medical attention if you suspect DVT to prevent potential complications.
You can get deep-vein clots at any age, but it usually affects people who are older than 40. After 40, the risk for DVT and PE may double with each passing decade.