Can sitting too much cause health problems (blood clots, etc.)?

Factual Questions
1

What are the health risks of “excessive” sitting? I’m not talking about lack-of-exercise-related ailments – I mean ailments specifically traceable to the act of sitting. For example – can blood pool into your buttocks/legs somehow and clot, thereby blocking arteries? Are some nerves in danger of being chronically pinched due to sitting?

2

I’ve heard that this can be trouble on extremely long airplane trips (say, from the US to Australia). I think you are supposed to get up and walk around the cabin every so often to keep your blood moving.

Perhaps someone who has actually made this trip can provide more details?

3

It can(over long periods of time) cause thrombophlepitus(spelled totally from memory so don’t yell). It’s a blood clot that can grow serious and cause a hemorage in the brain.

It’s usually caught now, since you feel pain from it. Billy Graham and Ronald Regan had it.

4

It’s * thrombophlebitis [/] or just * phlebitis *, and I’m not yelling. Short of this, sitting for an extended period of time will pool the blood in your legs. The venous blood is returned to the heart through valve mechanisms in the legs and by sitting for a long time you may hinder these mechanisms. So you should get up occasionally and take a 7th inning stretch.

5

This is also known as Deep Vein Thrombosis ( DVT ) and here in the UK there have been several deaths linked to this after people have been on long flights. Now airlines and travel companies are warning of this and suggesting ways to prevent it . This includes drinking plenty of water , doing exercises during the journey and even wearing special socks. A report was published yesterday claiming that you could also get DVT during a long car journey.

6

Thanks for the information, all!

RayneMan, I can practically FEEL the clots when I drive long distances. They seem to be at skin level, though – not particularly deep. Kind of a pins-and-needles, foot-falls-asleep feeling – then burning/itching of the skin in the same area.

7

This British Government web-page gives fair and balanced advice about DVT :-

 http://www.doh.gov.uk/dvt/
8

That sounds like you’re pinching the nerves where you’ve bent your knees. Pins-and-needles, foot falling asleep, and burning/itching are caused by nerve defects, not blood clots. Your seat may be too high for you. Try lowering it.

9

excessive sitting on radiators, causes haemorroids… apparently :wink: