Deep vein thrombosis is a medical term that is used to describe the development of a blood clot in the deep veins of the legs. These clots are most likely to occur in individuals who are inactive for long periods, such as office workers or airline passengers who cannot move about freely.

The reason why the risk of developing a blood clot increases with prolonged inactivity, is because the muscles of the legs help to assist blood flow back to the heart. When the leg muscles are inactive for long periods, this can reduce blood circulation causing blood to pool in the legs.

The first signs of a lack of circulating blood flow in the legs, first appear at itchy and/or achy legs. This can further develop in red and swollen legs, and then into a blood clot.

Normally however these blood clots break up by themselves and are generally not a problem, although sometimes they may break away from the vein and block blood circulation to other organs such as the lungs.

If this occurs, and the blood clot is left untreated without medical attention, it could prove to be fatal. Thousands of people in the United States alone die from these blood clots, and so it is not something that should be taken lightly.

Fortunately reducing the risk of developing a blood clot is relatively simple. Since most clots develop due to a lack of physical inactivity, one of the best preventative measures a person could take is to move about regularly.

Rather than sitting down for long periods at a time, it is good practice to get up and stretch your legs every hour or every other hour. By doing so you will activate your leg muscles, which will help blood circulate back to the heart. If you feel your legs starting to ache, or experience pins and needles, you should start walking immediately as this is a sign of poor circulation.

Another very effective method to help blood circulation involves the use of travel compression socks. These are designed to apply light pressure to your ankles, gradually releasing that pressure up the leg.

These inexpensive socks will help to prevent clots in people who travel often, or remain inactive for long periods of the day, and are certainly something worth investing in if you are at all concerned about developing blood clots.