Two long drives, back to back, kept Uber driver Michael Casper in his car for more than 14 hours.
The next day, the back of his leg was sore. Then, he started having trouble breathing.
“From my legs, I could feel it getting worse, and then up to my, next to my heart,” he recalls.
It was a dangerous blood clot that had traveled to his lungs.
“I was really surprised. I had no clue I could get blood clots from driving,” he says.
Doctors at UCLA Health say people who regularly drive long distances and take long flights are at risk.
“Really, it’s the 12-hour trips that we worry about, but you see this as soon as about four to six hours,” says pulmonologist Dr. Chidinma Chima-Melton.
Symptoms might not show up right away. Issues with blood clots can occur up to two weeks after a long trip.
If you do have the classic signs of pain, redness or swelling on one leg and difficulty breathing, get to a doctor.
