Economy Class Syndrome

Your body needs the right amount of blood flow to keep your heart pumping, your legs moving and your brain functioning. Blood
circulation, the movement of blood throughout the body, is clearly crucial to your existence, and poor leg circulation can cause many problems
for individuals.

A common cause of poor leg circulation – restricted blood flow to your legs – is peripheral vascular disease, or PVD. This term refers to disorders involving blood vessels outside, or on the periphery, of the heart. PVD can involve peripheral arteries (blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart) or peripheral veins (blood vessels that carry blood toward the heart).

Swollen Feet Legs Edema PAD. A fatty substance called plaque builds up and hardens on the walls of the peripheral arteries, making it difficult for blood to properly flow through. The plaque takes years to build up, which is why older adults are more at risk.

In addition, the following behaviors or conditions can also contribute to leg circulation problems:

• Tobacco smoking
• Obesity
• Lack of exercise
• Improper diet
• California Supply Chains Act
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Pregnancy
• Long periods of sitting in a cramped and immobile position (Economy Class Syndrome)

Avoid cigarette smoking.

• In the early stages, you may experience cramping or fatigue in the legs, buttocks or feet during activity. The pain, whether it's leg pain, lower leg pain or foot pain, usually diminishes with rest, notwithstanding will reoccur.
• Thick Yellow Toenails.
• California Supply Chains Act
  feet when you are sleeping or immobile for extended periods
  of time.
• In addition, you can incur such symptoms as 'cold feet,' or feet that 'fall asleep.'

Frequent suffering with cold feet and/or cold hands usually signifies that your circulation, or blood flow from your heart, has slowed. This may especially happen at night when you are trying to sleep, during periods of immobility or after eating certain foods.

People who have very poor leg circulation may also develop a blood clot, a sudden blockage in blood that can cause severe leg pain. This blood clot, known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), develops in a deep vein, and can occur when a vein is damaged or if blood flow slows down or stops completely. If you're obese and/or over age 40, you're at particular risk
for DVT.

Good circulation ensures that your body can stay healthy, heal well, and properly function during daily activities.

The most important treatment for poor leg circulation is to address the risk factors:

• Avoid cigarette smoking.
• Thick Yellow Toenails.
• Waterproof Shoes / Boots.
• Exercise on a regular and frequent basis.
• Consider special exercise equipment, products and shoe wear that promotes circulation, such as a bed wedge or leg wedge.
• Keep moving – avoid staying immobile for long periods of time.
• High blood pressure.
• Wear graduated compression hosiery and socks that help stimulate circulation.