long haul flights

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**TL;DR – Bullet Point Gist Tagline:**

- **Big mistake travellers make while flying** → Not preventing blood clots (DVT risk) from prolonged sitting in a pressurized, dry cabin — vascular surgeon Dr. Rema Malik calls it a "big mistake" no one talks about preventing.

- **Why it's dangerous** — Cabin conditions cause **dehydration** (thickens blood), **vein dilation** (weaker valves against gravity), and **stagnant blood flow** in legs → raises deep vein thrombosis (DVT) risk, potentially life-threatening if clot travels to lungs (pulmonary embolism).

- **The surgeon's 3 essential tips to avoid it** (her "armour, hydrate, pump" strategy):

  - **Armour** — Wear compression socks (put on before departure) to boost circulation and reduce swelling.

  - **Hydrate** — Drink 8oz (about 240ml) of water per hour of flight; skip coffee/alcohol as they dehydrate more.

  - **Pump** — Every 30 minutes, do 30 ankle pumps (like pressing a gas pedal) to activate calf muscles and clear stagnant blood.

- **Bottom line** — Turbulence inside your veins is scarier than outside the plane. Simple habits like these make flying safer — especially on long-haul flights. Dr. Malik's viral advice (shared widely in Jan 2026 UK media like Daily Record, Express, Mirror) emphasizes: "Don't fly a body without circulation" — like not driving without oil!