How can long periods of sitting in cramped quarters lead to a pulmonary embolism?

Answer 1

Sitting, or restricting blood flow to any part of the body, can cause blood to clot in the smaller veins. As you move again, the veins change shape and the clots can become dislodged. Because veins become larger in size as blood returns to the heart, they pass through the 4 chambers of the heart and move along to the pulmonary vein into the lungs. As the pulmonary veins become steadily narrower and narrower the clot eventually becomes lodged in the pulmonary branches, blocking blood flow. This means that the red blood cells needed to carry oxygen from the lungs into the rest of the body are unable to reach past the clot (embolism) and result in sudden onset of point tenderness over the site and increasing shortness of breath. To help avoid a clot forming, perform regular movements such as walking, stretching and other movements regularly.