Some advice for my retired colleagues in particular

I learned something new that may be of benefit to our retired members particularly those who are partial to a bit of foreign travel and need to take a flight to get to their destination. I got the following advice from a consultant in the Mater Private Hospital today, so the source is genuine.

I always associated Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) or blood clots with long haul flights but that’s not the case apparently. My consultant recommended wearing flight socks or compression socks for flights over three and a half hours in length. That’s pretty much covers many of our regular hot spots and certainly applies to the “Irish Cypriots” of which there are many.

He says that our legs swell on flights at the best of times and that puts pressure on the veins which over time could interfere with the circulation. He stressed the importance of keeping hydrated during flights too.

People who have had surgery for prostate cancer or suffer from gout have thicker or stickier blood, which is more prone to clotting and, in some cases, it may be appropriate to get an injection before taking a long-haul flight.

Clotting can also be inherited or could come from chemicals which some of us have within the blood stream that we’re not even aware of, because they can only be discovered with a specific blood test.

It cost me €250 for this advice and I’m going to take it. I hope I have recalled it accurately and I pass it onto you for what it’s worth. Basically, it might be no harm to have a chat with your GP before your next trip. Cheers.