Video gamersParticipants in marathon sessions could put their health at risk.
A blood clot in the leg of a 20-year old videogamer from England caused him to die. It then spread to his lungs. The man would play video games for 12 straight hours and remained in the exact same position.
“Movement is essential for proper blood flow,”Anil Hingorani MD is a member the Society for Vascular Surgery. “Sitting in the same position for long periods of time — whether playing video games or cramped in a car or on an airplane — can result in pooling of the blood in the veins. Blood clots known as deep vein thromboses (DVT) can form.”
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics, 300,000 to 600,000. Americans die annually from blood clots within their lungs each year. David Bloom, a 39 year-old NBC News reporter, was killed in 2003 when a blood clot from his leg reached his lungs. After weeks of driving around Baghdad, in a cramped military vehicle tank, the clot developed.
“Stand up and stretch,”Dr. Hingorani recommends it. “Walk around. Raise and lower your heels and toes. Tighten and release your leg muscles. This will help promote blood flow.”
People who have been in long-term hospital stays and are sick are more likely to experience DVTs. These are the risk factors for DVTs:
* obesity
* a history of heart attacks
* strokes
* congestive heart failure
* inflammatory bowel disease
DVTs can also be caused by women who are pregnant or nursing, as well as those who use birth control pills.
Half of DVT sufferers don’t feel the warning signs that include:
* swelling
* tenderness
* leg pain
* a sensation of warmth
* skin that turns blue or red
Blood clots are detected using ultrasound. The most common treatment is anticoagulant medication.
Visit this site for more information on DVTs and other vascular conditions. www.VascularWeb.org.
