Avoid Blood Clots, No Window Seat

Avoiding blood clots while flying might mean picking the right seat.

New guidelines are out on the best ways to avoid getting a blood clot while flying, and one suggestion is to not pick a window seat.

It's the so-called Economy Class Syndrome. The thinking is that blood clots form during long flights when someone is sitting in the less roomy economy class section. The new guidelines just put out by the American College of Chest Physicians say that it's not the economy class section that causes these clots to form, but sitting anywhere for long periods, even in first class, can be the reason. The same goes if you are driving in a car or bus or even taking a train. If you sit still for long periods of time your chances of getting a blood clot in your legs goes up. But overall, the risk for most of us is pretty low. Your chances go up if you choose a window seat.

This group of experts does recommend a few things to help make sure a blood clot doesn't form. For flights lasting more than 6 hours they recommend frequently getting up and walking around the aisles and stretching out your calf muscles. They suggest not getting the window seat since it's tougher to get out and walk around. But when seated, even by the window, you can do calf stretches or use knee-high compression stockings to help as well.