As a parent, a wife, a mother, a friend… you lead a hectic life, am I wrong? We all do in some way, shape or form. And sometimes you don’t have the time to think about silent risks that you could be faced with on a regular basis. In fact, you may be putting yourself at risk by simply sitting at a desk or even relaxing on a plane ride during a family vacation. March is the seventh annual Deep-Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Awareness Month, and the Coalition to Prevent DVT is urging everyone to put DVT Awareness In Motion!
This year’s program goes beyond building traditional awareness of the signs and symptoms of DVT and emphasizes the importance of preventative care in everyday settings such as:
- Office setting
- In a bed, whether hospital or at home
- Assisted-Living or Rehabilitation facilities
- During travel
Did you know that DVT occurs when muscles of the legs are inactive, allowing blood to collect in the lower extremities? Working with Mary Ann Wilson, RN, founder and host of PBS program “Sit and Be Fit,” the Coalition has developed an educational video that features simple, low impact movements to increase blood circulation. Visit www.preventdvt.org to take a look.
What exactly is DVT? Coming from a family with a history with bad veins, I can completely relate to this. “DVT occurs when a blood clot forms in a deep vein, usually in the lower limbs. A complication of DVT, pulmonary embolism, can occur when a fragment of a blood clot breaks loose from the wall of the vein and migrates to the lungs, where it blocks a pulmonary artery or one of its branches.” – Melanie Bloom
[flashvideo filename="videos/DVT.flv" width="420" height="320" /]
The video above also features stories from those touched personally by DVT. One of the stories comes from Coalition to Prevent DVT National Spokesperson, Melanie Bloom. Bloom shares her story about learning the news of the loss of her husband, NBC News correspondent David Bloom from complications of DVT while covering the war in Iraq.
In honor of DVT Awareness Month, get out there during March to encourage those you love to put DVT Awareness In Motion!
To watch a special iPSA from Melanie Bloom, speaking of the importance of DVT Awareness, please visit this website.
About Tanya
Thank you for sharing this. Through a blood test years ago I discovered that I was “at risk” for deep vein thrombosis and I think it’s important to share information about this because like your post said, people could be at risk and not even know it!
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