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.
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.
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.
The Importance of Exercise if You Have DVT
Aerobic activity -- things like walking, hiking, swimming, dancing, and jogging -- can also help your lungs work better after a pulmonary embolism. Studies show that exercise also can improve symptoms of DVT, including swelling, discomfort, and redness.
Don't: Sit Too Long
Try not to stay seated for more than 2 hours at a time -- get up and walk around regularly. If you had a DVT in one of your legs, don't cross your legs when you sit down. That position can affect your circulation. Be mindful of this when you're on long flights or driving for a long time.
In most DVT cases, blood thinners are enough to stop new clots from forming or traveling while your body gets rids of the existing clot. But severe clots may need more complex treatments or even surgery. In this case, you might need more time off from work.
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.
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.
While you can exercise with DVT, caution is heavily advised. Always discuss exercise plans with a doctor before attempting anything. Overly strenuous exercise while suffering from DVT can cause complications and negatively affect your health.
As the clot gets worse, you may feel a sensation ranging from a dull ache to intense pain. The pain may throb in your leg, belly, or even arm. Swelling in the spot where the blood clot has formed or throughout your entire arm or leg. Change in color.
Can I drive after a DVT or PE? As long as you didn't suffer a loss of consciousness, and you can move your leg freely, then there are no restrictions on driving.
You can reduce your risk of post-thrombotic syndrome by lowering your risk of DVT. Not moving or walking for long periods of time raises your risk of DVT. If you are immobile due to a medical condition or surgery, your healthcare provider will advise you how to prevent DVT.
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.
Deep vein clots—especially those in the thigh—can break off and travel through the bloodstream. If a clot lodges in an artery in the lungs, it can block blood flow and lead to a sometimes-deadly condition called pulmonary embolism.
Elevation: Elevating the legs can help to instantly relieve pain. A doctor may also instruct a patient to elevate the legs above the heart three or four time a day for about 15 minutes at a time. This can help to reduce swelling.
While there is a very low overall risk of developing a DVT due to long periods of sitting, periodic movement may help prevent another DVT. 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.
lie on their sides with a pillow between the knees if desirable.
You may need to be admitted and stay in the hospital if: You also have a pulmonary embolism (PE), which is when a blood clot gets lodged in an artery in the lung and blocks blood flow to part of the lung. You have significant heart or lung disease. You have iliofemoral DVT.
Thrombosis can occur as a result of inactivity (for example, prolonged bed rest) or inflammatory illnesses. Some people are born with abnormalities of the clotting or anti- clotting proteins in the blood that increase their risk - this is known as thrombophilia.
If you suspect that you have a blood clot or experience any of the signs and symptoms, you should consider going to the ED. Signs of DVT include: Swelling of the legs, ankles, or feet. Discomfort, heaviness, pain, aching, throbbing, itching, or warmth in the legs.