Swelling of the feet, a wake-up call
The swelling of the feet on the plane is a sign of poor circulation of the blood, with all its effects: fatigue, difficulty concentrating, headaches, and, above all, the risk of thrombosis or other cardiovascular accidents, as by example stroke. This is how to avoid it.
1. Avoid crossing your legs
2. Drink water
3. Exercise your muscles
4. Take a walk on the plane
5. A suitable diet
6. Choose a comfortable seat
7. Try on airplane socks
Avoid crossing your legs
Sometimes you want to change your position and cross your legs for relief or better balance. Still, doing this slows down the circulation of blood in the feet, which facilitates their swelling.
Drink water
In fact, the water in the airport is expensive and we tend to forget to drink, because sometimes we are in a hurry. While on private flights you can easily have water to drink, on an airliner it is much more difficult to drink enough because the bottles they serve you are very small. Add to this that the air on the plane is very dry, comparable to that of a desert, and you will understand that it is easier to get dehydrated on a long-haul flight, especially since the food has less flavor. because of the altitude, and we tend to overdo it with the salt. It goes without saying that my blood is liquid, and the more it tends to stagnate in the feet, or even to cause thrombosis.
Exercise your muscles
Even a simple exercise, such as moving the feet, lifting them slightly, doing a few rotations with the ankles, helps blood flow to the feet preventing swelling.
A suitable diet
It is necessary to avoid fatty and salty foods, which tend to densify the blood, preferring fresh fruits and vegetables which can make the blood liquid and facilitate its circulation.
Take a walk on the plane
It is advisable to get up at least once an hour, for example to go to the bathroom or with some other excuse, in order to facilitate blood circulation. Obviously this is much easier on a private jet, where you can even do squats or gymnastics.
Choose a comfortable place
If you are on a private jet, it is easier to find a place where you can stretch your legs. Even on an airliner, there are places more comfortable than others, such as the seats next to the emergency exit, where you can easily extend your legs.
Trying on airplane socks
There are socks designed with spacing to prevent swelling of the feet, both of the medical type, requiring a prescription, than of the more common types. The former are called decompression socks and anti-embolism socks.