Sitting for a long time and causing swelling in your lower limbs? To prevent deep vein thrombosis, let’s “move”!

Recently, the Deep Vein Thrombosis Nursing Specialty Team (VTE) of You County People's Hospital went to You County Cultural Square to carry out popular science activities on thrombosis prevention knowledge and taught the "Thrombosis Prevention Line Exercise" on site.

1. What is deep vein thrombosis?

Deep vein thrombosis refers to blood clots formed in the deep veins, and is most common in the lower extremities. The formation of blood clots is related to a variety of factors, including long-term bed rest, surgery or trauma, hypercoagulable state of the blood, tumors and chronic diseases.

Once a blood clot is formed, it may block blood vessels, resulting in obstruction of blood return, swelling of the affected limb, pain, increased skin temperature, etc. If a blood clot breaks off and flows into the pulmonary artery with the blood, it may also cause pulmonary embolism, resulting in symptoms such as difficulty breathing and chest pain.

2. How to prevent deep vein thrombosis?

1. Get moving

Although deep vein thrombosis sounds scary, we have a way to deal with it - get moving.

Sitting or standing for a long time can easily cause blood to accumulate in the lower limbs. Try to avoid sitting or standing still for a long time. You can do some activities such as walking and stretching to promote blood circulation. For patients who have been bedridden for a long time, they should change their body positions regularly, raise their lower limbs, and perform active or passive training of the lower limbs, such as dorsiflexion of the foot and flexion and extension of the knee and ankle joints.

2. Diet

High-fat and high-cholesterol foods can also increase blood viscosity and slow blood flow. Therefore, we should pay attention to healthy diet, eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains and other foods rich in fiber, and reduce the intake of high-fat and high-cholesterol foods. At the same time, we should maintain adequate water intake, and the daily water intake should be 1500~2000 ml.

3. Appropriate clothing

Choose appropriate shoes and clothes, and avoid wearing tight or loose clothing. For people who need to stand or sit for a long time, you can wear elastic stockings to help blood return to the heart and reduce blood retention in the deep veins of the lower limbs.

4. Quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption

Smoking and drinking can cause blood vessels to constrict and affect blood circulation.

5. Use medication with caution

When using estrogen drugs, oral contraceptives and other drugs, you should follow the doctor's advice and have regular checkups. If you need to take anticoagulants due to illness, you should adjust the dose individually under the guidance of a doctor and monitor the clotting time.

6. Regular physical examinations

People with risk factors for deep vein thrombosis, such as the elderly, obese people, and those who are bedridden for a long time, should undergo regular physical examinations to promptly detect and treat potential health problems.

Improving the standardized prevention rate of deep vein thrombosis and achieving early intervention can effectively reduce the incidence, disability and mortality of deep vein thrombosis. The Deep Vein Thrombosis Nursing Specialty Team of You County People's Hospital not only attaches importance to the standardized prevention of venous thrombosis in hospitalized patients, but also extends the service outside the hospital to enhance the "thrombosis prevention awareness" of the whole people and keep them away from the trouble of venous thrombosis.

Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Ding Xiaowei, Deep Vein Thrombosis Nursing Specialist Team, Youxian People's Hospital

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(Edited by Wx)