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Keeping your feet elevated in the evenings while relaxing and while sleeping can help promote healthy circulation which may decrease the risk of deep vein thrombosis – especially if one you suffer from varicose vein disease.
Similarly, sleeping on your left side, specifically, could help the flow of blood to your heart. When your heart pumps blood out to your body, it gets circulated and then flows back to your heart on the right side, Winter explains.
Prolonged Immobility
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.
One of the main causes of DVT is immobility. This is because the blood circulating through the leg veins relies on leg muscle contraction to propel it up the leg. If a person isn't moving their legs and contracting their muscles, their blood flow becomes sluggish and this can result in blood clots forming.
Drinking plenty of water can help dissolve blood clots as it helps keep the blood thin and flowing smoothly. Drinking at least eight glasses of water a day is recommended to help prevent blood clots from forming.
Clotting is often caused by long periods of inactivity, so practicing a regular exercise routine can help you reduce your risk of clots and other conditions related to blood clots, such as diabetes and obesity.
Stay Hydrated
Dehydration contributes to the development of sluggish blood flow and blood clots. NYU Langone doctors advise drinking 8 to 10 8-ounce glasses of water each day for optimal blood flow. It's especially important to do this when your mobility is limited for long periods, such as while traveling.
Prevent Blood Clots During Travel
Select an aisle seat when possible so you can walk around every 2-3 hours.
Women who are pregnant or taking birth control, elderly people, and people who smoke are at especially high risk, says Dr. Tonnessen. “Not exercising or moving around on occasion can lead to a more extensive blood clot.”
Better Circulation
Wearing socks in bed warms them up, increasing blood circulation, lowering your core body temperature, and letting your brain know it's time to go to sleep. And when circulation improves, this ensures good blood and oxygen flow, so our heart, lungs, and muscles can work at optimum capacity.
Lying on a flat surface can worsen respiratory disorders, including sleep apnea and snoring. These conditions are typically caused by gravity, but elevating your body can reduce symptoms and improve sleep.
Preventing Blood Clots
You can help prevent blood clots if you: Wear loose-fitting clothes, socks, or stockings. Raise your legs 6 inches above your heart from time to time. Wear special stockings (called compression stockings) if your doctor prescribes them.
throbbing or cramping pain, swelling, redness and warmth in a leg or arm. sudden breathlessness, sharp chest pain (may be worse when you breathe in) and a cough or coughing up blood.
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.
Systemic thrombolysis uses thrombolytic drugs and medications that circulate throughout your body to dissolve clots and prevent future blockages. Penn physicians most often use systemic thrombolysis after an emergency such as a heart attack, pulmonary embolism or stroke.
Heart Attack & Stroke
Doctors and researchers believe this is because the lack of sleep may disrupt the parts of the brain which control the circulatory system or cause inflammation that makes the development of a blood clot more likely.
Alcohol, in low to moderate amounts, thins the blood, reducing the risk of clots. But moderation is key - and doctors don't recommend drinking alcohol to protect against DVT.
All the fruits in the berry-family, including strawberries, cranberries, and blueberries are significant blood thinners. Oranges, tangerines, cherries, raisins, prunes, pineapples, and tomatoes work in the same manner.
Typically, your body will naturally dissolve the blood clot after the injury has healed. Sometimes, however, clots form on the inside of vessels without an obvious injury or do not dissolve naturally. These situations can be dangerous and require accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.