Warning as Australian tourist stunned by ‘shocking’ side effect on long-haul flight from Europe: ‘Everyone needs to know this’

Australia
By William

Warning as Australian tourist stunned by ‘shocking’ side effect on long-haul flight from Europe: ‘Everyone needs to know this’

  • Tom Dowling was on his way back from Greece to Sydney
  • After the 25-hour journey, he was shocked to find that his legs were swollen
  • He warns other travelers about what could happen

By Carina Stathis for Daily Mail Australia

Updated:

An Aussie traveler has spoken of a ‘really bad’ painful side effect he experienced after a long-haul flight.

Traveling back to Sydney from a summer vacation in Europe, Tom Dowling felt prepared to leave Mykonos, Greece.

But after the 25-hour journey, he was shocked to find that his legs had swollen over his socks and shoes.

‘Holy f*** my legs are so swollen from that flight. They (look) like thick little hooves! That’s disgusting!’ he said expressing his shock in a TikTok video.

His legs were swollen over his socks and shoes, but returned to normal after 24 hours

Tom Dowling (pictured) was shocked to discover his legs were swollen after returning home to Sydney after a long-haul flight from Europe. His legs were swollen over his socks and shoes, but returned to normal after 24 hours

“My ankle popped over my converse. My calves were twice as big and I could barely take my shoe off. I thought it was quite funny and laughed with my roommate, made jokes,’ Tom said Yahoo News Australia.

“I haven’t had a long flight in years because of Covid and everything.”

Fortunately, his legs were back to normal within 24 hours of returning home.

According to Mayo clinicleg and foot swelling can occur for a number of reasons and is a common side effect travelers experience. Usually, inactivity during a flight causes the swelling.

However, the swelling is usually harmless and usually returns to normal on its own.

The best way to prevent or reduce swelling is to wear loose-fitting clothing, take a short walk every few hours, tense the calf muscles, and drink water.

Why do legs swell on planes?

Swelling of legs and feet during air travel is common and usually harmless. The most likely culprit is inactivity during a flight.

Sitting with your feet on the floor for extended periods of time causes blood to pool in your leg veins. The position of your legs when you are sitting also increases the pressure in your leg veins.

This contributes to foot swelling due to fluid leaving the blood and entering the surrounding soft tissues.

To relieve foot swelling during a flight:

  • Wear loose-fitting clothing
  • Take a short walk every hour
  • Flex and straighten your ankles and knees regularly while sitting
  • Flex your calf muscles
  • Move your position in your chair as much as possible and make sure you don’t cross your legs
  • Drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration
  • Avoid alcohol and sedatives, which can make you too drowsy or unsteady to walk around the cabin

Source: Mayo clinic

The video has since been viewed over 210,000 times and Tom encouraged others to wear compression stockings while traveling.

‘This happened to me when I flew to the UK last year and it was the first time it had happened. I was a little shocked,” one person commented.

‘That’s why I always get aisle seats on long flights from Australia. I can get up and walk around to get the circulation going when needed!’ said another.

“Okay, maybe I’ll buy a pair of compression stockings,” a third added.

Someone else warned, “If you feel pain or shortness of breath, go straight to the hospital.”

If the swelling does not go away on its own, seek medical attention as some travelers are more at risk for blood clots.

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