As the peak season for spring break travel commences, a chilling incident serves as a stark reminder of the potential dangers of air travel. Emily Jansen, a mother of two, narrowly escaped a life-threatening situation after developing serious blood clots during a long-haul flight from Toronto to Dubai. This incident underscores the often-underestimated risks associated with extended periods of inactivity at high altitudes.
Jansen was embarking on a 13-hour flight for a holiday with friends, spending the majority of the journey in the economy class. The seating was described as tight, offering minimal space for leg movement. Like many travelers, she settled in to watch a movie and soon drifted off to sleep.
The gravity of her condition became apparent ten hours into the flight when Jansen, upon rising to use the restroom, experienced a sharp, intense chest pain. She felt an overwhelming need to cough. Shortly thereafter, she lost consciousness and collapsed in the aisle, resulting in a black eye from the fall.
Upon landing in Dubai, Jansen was rushed to a hospital where she was diagnosed with a severe saddle pulmonary embolism. This condition, triggered by blood clots that travel through the heart into the lungs, could have been fatal. Jansen disclosed that there were multiple clots, and they were significantly large, a fact that continues to unsettle her.
Jansen’s experience serves as a grim reminder of the hazards linked with extended periods of immobility during flights. Her ordeal echoes the tragic death of NBC correspondent David Bloom in 2003, who died from a pulmonary embolism after spending long hours in a confined military vehicle during the Iraq War.
To prevent such incidents, Jansen urges fellow travelers to move around frequently during flights. Health experts also advise passengers to avoid sitting for more than an hour without standing or walking, as movement encourages healthy blood circulation.
This advice is particularly pertinent as an estimated 173 million Americans are projected to travel between now and the end of April. With flights operating at full capacity, understanding the risks associated with prolonged periods of inactivity is increasingly crucial.
As Jansen continues her recovery, she hopes her experience will heighten awareness about the dangers of long flights and the significance of staying active while traveling. Her message is simple but potent: “Get up and move. It might just save your life.”