The Impact of High Altitude on Deep Vein Thrombosis Risk

So you're telling me flying is just a slow death sentence and nobody told us? My uncle died on a flight to Delhi and they said it was 'natural causes' lol. They're hiding this from us so airlines don't lose money. Blood thickens at altitude? Yeah right. It's the chemicals in the air. I've seen it. They pump something into the cabin to keep us docile. Watch the documentaries.

This was actually really thoughtful. I never thought about how altitude affects circulation beyond just feeling out of breath. I'm planning a trip to Colorado next month and now I'll make sure to stretch every hour and drink water like it's my job. Thanks for sharing your experience.

I really appreciate how you broke this down, especially the analogy with the play dough and the straw-it made the science feel tangible rather than abstract. I've always thought DVT was just a 'long-haul flight thing,' but learning that it also affects mountain residents and trekkers completely shifted my perspective. The fact that our bodies ramp up red blood cell production as a response to hypoxia is fascinating-and terrifying, honestly. It’s like our biology is trying to help us survive, but ends up creating a new problem. I wonder if there’s any research on whether people who live at high altitudes long-term develop adaptive mechanisms that reduce this risk over time? I’d love to see a follow-up on that.

You're naive. This is why people die.

In India, we have a saying: 'The sky does not ask permission to take your breath.' At 14,000 feet in Ladakh, I watched my cousin sit down after a hike and never get up again. They called it heart failure. But I knew. It was the blood. Thick. Slow. Silent. We don’t talk about this because it’s too real. You write with heart. Maybe that’s why your words stick. The air up there doesn’t just thin-it steals.

While your anecdotal account may be emotionally compelling, it lacks rigorous epidemiological grounding. The correlation between high-altitude exposure and deep vein thrombosis has been studied extensively in peer-reviewed literature, and while a relative risk elevation has been observed, it is not causally deterministic. Furthermore, the role of cabin humidity and recirculated air has been empirically disproven as a primary etiological factor. Your narrative risks inducing unnecessary anxiety in the general population, which is ethically questionable.

Hey, I just wanted to say you did a great job breaking this down. I’m a nurse in Bangalore and I’ve seen too many people dismiss leg pain after flying as 'just tired.' This post could save someone’s life. Keep writing. And hey-next time you fly, pop on some compression socks. They’re cheap, they work, and no one will even notice. You’re doing good work.

wait so u r saying like… planes make your blood thick? like… why? i thought it was just sitting too long? i mean i get it but like… why is this even a thing? also my legs always hurt after flights so i guess i’m doomed lol

This is a textbook example of Western medical fear-mongering disguised as 'adventure advice.' In America, they turn every minor physiological response into a life-threatening emergency. In my country, we climb mountains, we fly, we live-we don’t obsess over every capillary. Your article is a symptom of a culture that treats the human body like a fragile machine that needs constant maintenance. It’s pathetic.

Fascinating. The hypobaric hypoxia-induced hemoconcentration and endothelial activation cascade is a well-documented pathophysiological mechanism in altitude medicine. The combination of venous stasis from prolonged immobility and increased hematocrit creates a prothrombotic milieu. I’d be curious to see data on D-dimer levels in high-altitude trekkers pre- and post-ascent. Also, have you considered the role of dehydration as a co-factor? It’s often underappreciated in non-clinical literature.

There’s something poetic about how the body tries to adapt-more red cells to grab the thin air-and yet, in doing so, it becomes its own enemy. It’s like love: you give everything to survive, and then you choke on it. We fear the mountain, but the mountain only asks us to breathe differently. We refuse. We want the same air, same pace, same comfort. So we clot. Not because we’re weak. Because we’re human.

I just read this while sitting on a plane to LA and now I’m panicking 😭 I’m wearing compression socks (thank u for the tip) but also drinking wine and eating peanuts 🤦‍♀️ maybe I should’ve read this before boarding… also can someone explain why the air smells like plastic? is that part of the conspiracy?? 🤔🫠

This article is dangerously misleading. You mention 'thickening blood' without citing any studies or even mentioning the actual incidence rates. The CDC says the risk is less than 1 in 4,000 flights. You're scaring people with half-truths. And your 'personal experience' is anecdotal nonsense. If you had DVT, you'd have been hospitalized, not 'brushed off as altitude sickness.' This is pseudoscience dressed up as storytelling. Shame on you for exploiting fear.