By Arden Smith, DPM, FACFAS, FACFAOM
If you’ve ever noticed that your feet look and feel unusually swollen when flying, you are not alone.
Feet swelling while flying is pretty common, and It’s due to your feet being down for extended periods without movement. The muscles in our legs aren’t working, and the veins in our lower body need to work harder to get the blood back to the heart. When the blood pools in the veins, it causes swelling – literally, fluid buildup – in the legs.
Our award-winning expert podiatrists at Advanced Foot Care of Manhasset, Huntington, Coram, Woodbury, Mineola, Williston Park, Maspeth and Ronkonkoma suggest walking up and down the isles in the cabin two or three times. Standing and walking, as well as light stretching, during a flight wakes up the muscles around the veins to pump harder and help push the blood flow back toward the heart. In particular, we advise giving the calf muscles a good stretch while you’re up. Remember, the calf muscle is the biggest in the legs, so stretching will be the most effective in helping reduce foot swelling while flying.
