Blood Clot Caused by Long-haul Flight and Contraceptives
Diagnosed with Pulmonary Embolism Blocking Lung Blood Vessels
A woman in her 30s from Canada lost consciousness after standing up for the first time in 10 hours during a long-haul flight.
On the 7th (local time), the Daily Mail reported the story of Emily (33), a Canadian content creator, who recently experienced an incident during a 13-hour flight from Toronto to Dubai. Emily shared her story on social media. She stood up to go to the restroom about 2 hours and 30 minutes before landing in Dubai but collapsed. It was the first time she had stood up since boarding the plane 10 hours earlier.
While waiting in front of the restroom for the person ahead to come out, she suddenly felt chest pain, coughed, and then lost consciousness and collapsed. Emily bruised around her eyes and left arm as she fell to the floor and was unconscious for at least 5 minutes. She also vomited severely and sweated profusely. Fortunately, thanks to the quick response of a doctor and flight attendants on board, she regained consciousness.
After arriving in Dubai and visiting a hospital, Emily was diagnosed with "pulmonary embolism," a condition where blood supply to both lungs is blocked. Pulmonary embolism occurs when a blood clot forms in the veins of the legs and travels to block the blood vessels in the lungs. It is known that one in four patients with this condition dies immediately, and the mortality rate increases the longer treatment is delayed.
A woman in her 30s from Canada, Emily, lost consciousness and collapsed to the floor due to a pulmonary embolism after standing up from her seat 10 hours into a long-haul flight. TikTok capture
She said that her survival was practically a miracle. If she had collapsed inside the restroom, no one would have easily noticed her emergency situation. Emily also expressed gratitude to the passengers and flight attendants who helped save her life. They gave her an oxygen tank and moved her to a business class seat to lie down and provided other assistance.
Canadian medical staff estimated that although Emily was generally healthy, the combination of insufficient movement during the long-haul flight and taking contraceptive pills containing estrogen likely caused the pulmonary embolism. Emily will need to take blood-thinning medication for the next six months. She must also undergo follow-up tests to break down any remaining blood clots. Emily urged, "Get up and move around on the plane." She also advised, "If you are using contraceptives or undergoing hormone therapy due to perimenopause or menopause, be sure to consult your doctor." Experts also recommend that people flying for more than four hours wear compression stockings and move every 30 minutes to reduce such risks.
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