A 'perfectly healthy' TikTok creator has issued a chilling warning to frequent flyers after nearly dying from a terrifying health complication while in the air.
Canadian content creator Emily (@alwayssingingmom) revealed in a recent clip that she was ten hours into a 13-hour flight from Toronto to Dubai when she suddenly felt unwell and passed out while waiting for the bathroom.
"I almost died on a flight from Toronto to Dubai a couple of weeks ago and I want to talk about it," Emily told her TikTok followers, explaining that the terrifying health scare occurred when she got up for the first time in ten hours on the flight in order to go to the toilet.
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While waiting to use the facilities, Emily noticed she had a 'deep, dull, aching' pain in her chest and coughed three times before collapsing and hitting her head on the floor.
"I was unconscious for five minutes," she revealed, going on to reveal her black eye and extensive bruising from the fall.
After regaining consciousness, Emily was helped into business class by an 'amazing' doctor and flight attendants. "I was vomiting profusely, sweating," she added.
After landing in Dubai and seeking urgent medical attention, Emily would be diagnosed with a 'life-threatening blood clot' which was impacting both of her lungs.
"It's essentially a miracle that I'm still alive," she said of the ordeal.
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Emily then went on to share the reason doctors believe that an otherwise healthy 33-year-old woman would suddenly fall so seriously ill was due to a combination of not moving during a long haul flight and taking hormonal birth control.
"Please get up and move on your flights," she urged her followers.
Can long haul flights cause deep vein thrombosis (DVT)?
According to guidelines from the NHS, DVT is an urgent medical condition where a blood clot forms in a vein, usually in the leg. The blood clots can then travel up to the lungs and cause a life threatening condition known as a pulmonary embolism.
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Passengers travelling on journeys lasting longer than three or more hours (either by plane, car or bus) are at a higher risk of developing DVT. The health service also adds that taking the contraceptive pill or hormone replacement therapy are at an increased risk of developing the condition.
In order to decrease your risk of developing complications while on long travel journeys the NHS recommends the following:
- wearing loose clothing
- bending and straightening your legs, feet and toes every 30 minutes
- drinking water
- wearing flight socks
- taking regular breaks from sitting if possible
Emily also added that she was wearing compression socks during her flight but hadn't been moving during the flight and urged her followers to make sure they move during long haul flights as well.
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"Life is so precious," she added. "And just really appreciate it."
Brenna Cooper