March is Deep-Vein Thrombosis awareness month

March 2010 is the seventh annual Deep-Vein Thrombosis awareness month.

DVT is sometimes referred to as "economy class syndrome" because the cramped airplane cabin often prevents people from getting the movement they need to prevent blood clots.

Of course, airplanes are not the only place where DVT can be a problem - even desk workers or people bedridden can be in danger.

The Coalition to Prevent DVT has put together a collection of videos that raise awareness of the dangers of DVT, and help people understand the basic steps they can take to prevent DVT.

The videos can be watched online, or downloaded for transfer to your portable media player.

The dangers of DVT are very real - the spokesperson of the Coalition to Prevent DVT lost her husband, NBC News correspondant David Bloom from complications of DVT while covering the war in Iraq.

So, do yourself a favor and devote a small part of your day to watching these videos and learning how to combat DVT. Your knowledge can also help others so forward the information to anyone you know that is regularly stuck in a cramped airplane seat.

Filed under: Airlines, Travel Health