When you sit in one position for hours on a flight from your home country to the United States, you increase your risk of deep vein thrombosis, or blood clots. Make sure you have good visitor insurance so if you become ill after your flight, you can get the correct medical care. If you suspect blood clots, go immediately to the emergency room – your treatment will be covered by your visitor medical insurance.

If a part of the blood clot breaks off and travels to your heart or lungs, the consequences can be serious. It’s important to avoid blood clots on long flights so your health is not at risk.

Get up and move around the plane as often as you can, even if it’s just for a few minutes and you walk from the back of the plane to the front. When you are seated, stretch and flex your arms and legs as much as possible.

Take extra care if you smoke, you are pregnant, you suffer from cancer or you can’t move easily. If you fall into the high risk categories, try to break the flight in half with an overnight stay. If that’s not possible, move frequently and wear loose clothing to minimize your risk.