How long travel, watching TV could kill you

Many people are not aware of potentially deadly blood clots. Experts, in this report by Sade Oguntola, waarn that deadly blood clots can form as a result of prolonged sedentary behaviours such as TV viewing and long-haul travels and predisposing to sudden death.

WHETHER it’s time spent working in the office or home, travelling, driving, eating or watching television, mounting research indicates headache, constipation and an increased risk of cancer, organ damage and diabetes as common complaints of people who spend too long sitting down.

Certain, a long-haul trip to a resort to relax from the bustling and hustling of the city is good. But such long-haul trips, like a long business meeting or too much time sitting in front of the television, without appropriate precautions are some of the common reasons for health threats from a fatal blood clot.

Scientists at the University of Minnesota found that people who watch television for long periods of time frequently were 1.7 times more likely to suffer a fatal blood clot than those who didn’t watch television often.

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“Quite a number of people form a blood clot, but nature is kind to take care of such clots. But when a clot is unresolved, then it is dangerous because it can kill,” said Dr Titi Akingbola, a consultant haematologist at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.

It was at the Oyo State branch of Nigerian Medical Associations Continue Medical Education on “Venous thromboembolism-The Unexpected Killer.”

According to Dr Akingbola, fatal blood clots, what is medically termed, venous thromboembolism (VTE), is one of the most prevalent medical conditions today and it can lead to life-threatening conditions like pulmonary embolism.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) occurs when clots develop in the deep veins of the legs, groin or arm (known as deep vein thrombosis, DVT).

Sometimes, blood clots can be dislodged and pushed into the bloodstream, blocking circulation elsewhere in the body. When such a clot lodges in the lungs, for example, it can cause a pulmonary embolism (PE).  Together, DVT and PE are known as VTE – a dangerous, potentially deadly medical condition.

Dr Akingbola said VTE is presently considered the third common cause of cardiovascular deaths after stroke and heart attack. So, if it is not treated promptly, it can easily result in death at a quick rate.

“Fortunately, some patients, who have this silent obstruction of their blood vessel (artery) by a blood clot or an air bubble, do not die. But some are not lucky; they die in their sleep and are thought to have been poisoned.

“It could be a challenge because of its strain on the heart, causing an instance of sudden fatal heart attack that will limit therapeutic interventions,” she declared.

Although, one in 1,000 adults will likely have VTE in one year, it is commoner in men and blacks. But the risk of developing potentially deadly blood clots increases with age. Also, it is higher in those on prolonged bed rest, critically ill patients, or those having surgery (especially hip, knee and cancer-related surgery).

It is also higher in pregnant women, obese, cancer patients and those that undertake long-duration travel, dehydrated or on oral contraceptives. It can also reoccur in a person that has had a blood clot before.

Unfortunately, many people are unaware of this unexpected killer that sometimes occurs without any warning sign or symptoms. It also can go unrecognised and undiagnosed by a healthcare professional.

But the symptoms that do appear associated with either DVT or PE includes swelling, including the ankle or foot; pain that often starts in the calf, breathlessness, chest pain, sudden unset dizziness or anxiety and rapid heart rate.

“It typically starts in the calf. But when it happens, many people get the traditional people to massage it, which often will hasten the clot to be dislodged.

“That is why, it is not advisable to sit for more than two hours, one needs to take a break and walk around. Also, elevating the legs will also do a lot in patients that are critically ill,” she added.

Dr Olumide Sogaolu, a chest physician, University College Hospital, stated that the extent and size of the disease will be dependent on the location of the blood clot and the size of the obstruction.

He declared that approximately 10 per cent of patients with this life-threatening blood clot die within the first hour, and 30 per cent die from another subsequent episode.

According to Dr Sogaolu: “When you form blood clot from any part of the body, either from the abdomen through womb in pregnancy or from the legs through surgery, it is generally not problematic. It becomes a problem when the clot gets dislodged to go to the heart. That is why it can be a killer.

“It kills because it blocks blood flow to the heart. But thankfully, most of these problems usually do not lead to a patient dying where people have good suspicion and they pick it up very early.

“Once signs that it is already going to the chest is picked up early, and you start adequate blood thinning measures, patients do not have to die since no more blood clots will be formed. And the ones that have gone out, the body will deal with them over time.”

Dr Sogaolu said people must be mindful of health problems that come with sedentary living, adding, “the basic thing is learning to keep healthy, and particularly active.  Regular good exercises have to be done.”

Given that prolonged bed stay in persons with stroke, joint problems and other medical conditions put them at a higher risk of blood clot forming, he said such will need to commence early physiotherapy so that clot will not be formed in their legs.

Dr Gbolahan Obajimi, a consultant obstetric and gynaecologist, who noted that pregnancy increases the possibility of this life-threatening blood clot by four folds in the lungs and legs, said it could be a challenge, especially in women that experienced severe bleeding during childbirth or have medical conditions such as hypertension, sickle cell disease, anaemia and blood clotting problems.

While pregnant women on bed rest for over four days could also develop this deadly condition, Dr Obajimi warned that pregnant women that complain of leg pain, especially the left leg and swelling of the legs or a sudden onset of chest pain, coughing and rapid heart rate should be suspected to have the condition as well.

He, however, reinstated the need for regular intake of water to prevent dehydration and sedentary lifestyle, which he declared could also predispose to this life-threatening blood clot.

Dr Leke Ifesanya, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, saying that this life-threatening blood clot was frequent in orthopaedic patients, said while some of them will survive, others may end up with complications such as hypertension, leg swelling and varicose veins.

“The risk of developing this life-threatening blood clot needs to be evaluated and a decision made on whether its prevention will be needed,” he stated.