How to Prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis

If you’re planning on taking a long road trip, health experts say add some extra time for stops.

Jessie Hollinger, a physician’s assistant on staff at Lee Memorial Health System, says taking breaks to stretch and walk around during a long trip are not only important to your health, but it could save your life. “A deep vein thrombosis, which we like to call DVT for short- it’s easier to say- it’s when the blood supply gets clogged up with a clot.”

That clot happens when your body sits or lies down for a long period of time. “Deep vein thrombosis are dangerous because they can break lose and travel to the brain and we can then have heart attacks, strokes, and pulmonary embolisms,” said Hollinger.

Anyone is at risk for developing a DVT. It typically happens in one leg. If a patient has DVT they’ll notice swelling, redness, and have pain in that leg. “We try to prevent these by when we travel with taking frequent breaks. So if you have a long drive you want to stop every couple of hours and make sure you get out of the vehicle and stretch,” said Hollinger.

Patients who have recently had an injury or surgery are at a higher risk for developing DVT. “You need to be seen right away because of the fear that it can travel. Most likely you’ll be put on a blood thinner for the next six months,” said Hollinger.

Whether you’re flying or driving, take time to get up, stretch, and walk around. Just a few minutes of small movements that could save your life.


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Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of medical care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For nearly a century, we’ve been providing our community with everything from primary care treatment to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries.

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