After 22-ish hours of travel - 19 of it in the air - I am home. That much air time is tough on anyone, but it can be especially problematic for those of us with or at high risk of lymphedema.
For long flights, I always wear my compression sleeve and glove (full fingered). It may not be the most comfortable clothing item I could sport, but it sure beats the discomfort of a lymphedema flare-up.
About a year after my surgery I had a couple of flare-ups. My hand and arm puffed up considerably. Luckily, I was able to get it under control by doing a lot of self-massage and exercises to stimulate the lymph system. But after the second time, my doctor had me get fitted for a sleeve. I don't need to wear it all the time, just when I'm doing some high-risk activity like being at high altitude or rock/ice climbing. Or on a long flight.
Besides wearing compression garments, there are several things we can do to help reduce the risk of edema when flying. And these things are good for general health when flying for anyone, too.
Drink plenty of water. Airplane air is dry. It's easy to get dehydrated when flying, causing the protein molecules in lymph to draw in and hold water, which can cause or worsen swelling. Drink non-alcoholic beverages often. This is also a good way to beat or lessen jet lag.
Get up and move. Sitting still for hours causes the lymph system to slow down, potentially allowing lymph to pool up in extremities. Get up (when it's allowable) and walk around a little. Do some stretching. Reach for the ceiling. Stretch your legs.
A great stretch to do on a plane is the psoas stretch. It can help counteract the effects of so many hours of sitting, which causes the psoas to tighten up and over-stretches the low back muscles....Stand up straight, step forward with one foot, keeping the back leg straight, heel on the ground. Your weight should be on the front, bent leg. The back leg should be straight with the heel down. Keep your torso up straight and push your hips slightly forward. You should feel a stretch in the fron of the hip of the back leg.
Exercise. There are a number of easy exercises you can do to stimulate your lymph system.
If you are at risk for upper-extremity lymphedema, do a lot of shoulder rolls. This can help relax you as well as help get the lymph flowing. Do some arm rotations: with your arms straight out to the side at shoulder height, make small circles to the back. Squeeze and stretch your hands. Do circles with your wrists. All of these movements will help to stimulate your lymph system. And moving your muscles helps to pump the lymph back up the arm and into your torso.
If your lower limbs are at risk, the same ideas apply. While seated, raise your heels, keeping your toes on the floor. Make small circles with your feet. Raise your feet off the ground and point and flex your feet. When you get up and walk around, spend some time standing on tip toes.
Most importantly, for both upper and lower limbs, do some ab work. If your trunk is congested, the lymph has nowhere to go. Do some tummy tucks while sitting in your chair. Sit up straight, gently draw your navel in toward your spine. Hold for a few seconds and release. You can add a rotation also. As you hold the tuck, rotate your torso 45 degrees to one side, then the other. Return to center and release the tuck. You can do the tummy tucks standing as well. Do some leg lifts. Sit up straight, slowly lift one leg, lower it, lift the other leg, repeat.
All of these exercises can easily be done in the cramped confines of economy class on a plane. Besides helping to reduce the risk of a lymphedema flare-up, they are good for your overall health. Moving as much as possible is a good way to prevent blood clots, and can help reduce jet lag. Getting a little exercise helps to keep your body functioning normally. And you'll feel less groggy at the other end of your trip.
Finally, if you have a layover, walk! You're tired and groggy, and it is so tempting to grab some food and slump down in a chair. But you'll feel so much better (really) if you just get up and walk.
I'm glad to have my 19 hours of air time behind me, and I'm wishing you healthy travels on your next trip.
Julie
For long flights, I always wear my compression sleeve and glove (full fingered). It may not be the most comfortable clothing item I could sport, but it sure beats the discomfort of a lymphedema flare-up.
About a year after my surgery I had a couple of flare-ups. My hand and arm puffed up considerably. Luckily, I was able to get it under control by doing a lot of self-massage and exercises to stimulate the lymph system. But after the second time, my doctor had me get fitted for a sleeve. I don't need to wear it all the time, just when I'm doing some high-risk activity like being at high altitude or rock/ice climbing. Or on a long flight.
Besides wearing compression garments, there are several things we can do to help reduce the risk of edema when flying. And these things are good for general health when flying for anyone, too.
Drink plenty of water. Airplane air is dry. It's easy to get dehydrated when flying, causing the protein molecules in lymph to draw in and hold water, which can cause or worsen swelling. Drink non-alcoholic beverages often. This is also a good way to beat or lessen jet lag.
Get up and move. Sitting still for hours causes the lymph system to slow down, potentially allowing lymph to pool up in extremities. Get up (when it's allowable) and walk around a little. Do some stretching. Reach for the ceiling. Stretch your legs.
A great stretch to do on a plane is the psoas stretch. It can help counteract the effects of so many hours of sitting, which causes the psoas to tighten up and over-stretches the low back muscles....Stand up straight, step forward with one foot, keeping the back leg straight, heel on the ground. Your weight should be on the front, bent leg. The back leg should be straight with the heel down. Keep your torso up straight and push your hips slightly forward. You should feel a stretch in the fron of the hip of the back leg.
Exercise. There are a number of easy exercises you can do to stimulate your lymph system.
If you are at risk for upper-extremity lymphedema, do a lot of shoulder rolls. This can help relax you as well as help get the lymph flowing. Do some arm rotations: with your arms straight out to the side at shoulder height, make small circles to the back. Squeeze and stretch your hands. Do circles with your wrists. All of these movements will help to stimulate your lymph system. And moving your muscles helps to pump the lymph back up the arm and into your torso.
If your lower limbs are at risk, the same ideas apply. While seated, raise your heels, keeping your toes on the floor. Make small circles with your feet. Raise your feet off the ground and point and flex your feet. When you get up and walk around, spend some time standing on tip toes.
Most importantly, for both upper and lower limbs, do some ab work. If your trunk is congested, the lymph has nowhere to go. Do some tummy tucks while sitting in your chair. Sit up straight, gently draw your navel in toward your spine. Hold for a few seconds and release. You can add a rotation also. As you hold the tuck, rotate your torso 45 degrees to one side, then the other. Return to center and release the tuck. You can do the tummy tucks standing as well. Do some leg lifts. Sit up straight, slowly lift one leg, lower it, lift the other leg, repeat.
All of these exercises can easily be done in the cramped confines of economy class on a plane. Besides helping to reduce the risk of a lymphedema flare-up, they are good for your overall health. Moving as much as possible is a good way to prevent blood clots, and can help reduce jet lag. Getting a little exercise helps to keep your body functioning normally. And you'll feel less groggy at the other end of your trip.
Finally, if you have a layover, walk! You're tired and groggy, and it is so tempting to grab some food and slump down in a chair. But you'll feel so much better (really) if you just get up and walk.I'm glad to have my 19 hours of air time behind me, and I'm wishing you healthy travels on your next trip.
Julie
3 comments:
Wish I had read this before I travelled long distance last Sunday. I am having problems since I travelled 12 hours by air. Also wear a compression sleeve - don't know about a full glove but it does go over my hand - and now my arm feels dreadful. Did do exercises but not the ones you mentioned. Didn't realise, for example, that shoulder rolls help the lymph, but did do wrist ones - chi gong ones from tai chi. I also do this tai chi exercise when I fly. Needs space but I go to the passageway with toilets or fridges and stand with knees bent slightly, feet apart and then, with elbows bent, move arms together from side to side. I am not very happy with my arm now since my flight but have seen my lymphedema expert and am wearing the sleeve one day one, one day off. But have to increase it.
I was wondering how your arm would do - that's a long trip for you. Sometimes the best we can do is minimize the problems. Hope it gets back under control quickly.
And the shoulder roles can help activate the lymph nodes in the neck & shoulders.
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