Flight attendants are much more likely to develop deep vein thrombosis than the usual passenger, due to the nature of the job.
Many people may invest in compression socks to help long journeys, especially for passengers who sit for long periods of time.
However, this may not be enough for cabin crew members who constantly fly due to the frequent changes in pressure.
Instead, their strict uniform rules actually help them to avoid the dreaded condition.
Jan Laird, who has a daughter who is a flight attendant, explained that she battled the problem with specialised tights.
She explained on Quora: “Due to spending all their days up in the air and on their feet, it is suggested that they wear compression hosiery
“Not the compression hosiery you find in a drugstore or department store. It is medical grade hosiery prescribed by their doctor.”
Specialist compression tight websites can offer them for as much as £80.
Laird goes on to explain that the danger the job can provide, due to “constant changes in air pressure due to multiple take-offs and landings”.
For example, if a flight attendant manages to do three short haul flights day, that includes three take-offs and landing which can put pressure on the vascular system.
Along with that, standing up for long periods of time can also cause varicose veins, part of deep vein thrombosis.
This is due to the effect of gravity, as the blood has to fight against it to travel through the legs which over time can cause problems.
Over 67,000 cases of deep vein thrombosis are diagnosed in the UK every year.
One thing passengers can do themselves to avoid deep vein thrombosis is to buy specialised compression socks, as those bought off the shelves can be ill-fitting.
Professor Charles McCollum, head of academic surgery at the University of Manchester states: “Isobar Compression delivers the precise pressures needed to prevent DVT.
“This is something that cannot be achieved by any existing shop-bought compression stocking as these are only available in five standard sizes and often don’t fit well enough to be effective.”
