JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – You've heard a lot about the dangers of living a sedentary lifestyle. Sitting for long periods of time does have its risk. One risk that might not be on your radar, venous blood clots caused by inactivity. We talked with Dr. Shalaka Ghate from Memorial Health about the symptoms.
"Leg symptoms like you could have swelling of one or both legs they can feel heavy of swollen some parts can be red or warm to touch," says Ghate.
If you think you have one you should see your doctor right away.
"A clot can break or travel and can travel to the lungs and it can cause stopping in the blood supply in the lungs, which can cause death," says Ghate.
Some other risk factors for developing a blood clot are obesity, pregnancy, smoking, certain cancers, trauma and age. If it's determined you have a clot the solution could be simple.
"Blood thinners are used which actually makes the clots stop from growing further. It prevents it from breaking away and also prevents you from future clots in the body," says Ghate.
Dr. Ghate also said when you're traveling get up and walk every hour. Walking can decrease your risk because then your legs are having some activity.