Christmastime is a busy time of the year for production companies as their festive creations take flight onto the airwaves. As a result, millions more hours will be spent in front of screens at this time of year as we binge on the latest offerings. However, a study back in January found prolonged time spent in front of said screens could have a detrimental impact on our health.
Conducted by the European Society of Cardiology, the research looked into the impact of watching TV on overall health.
They found that watching TV for more than four hours a day resulted in the risk of blood clots rising by 35 percent compared to those who only sat there for two and a half hours.
The study in question investigated the link between TV viewership and venous thromboembolism (VTE).
VTE includes blood clots developing in the lungs and in the lungs, and other fatal forms of blood clots.
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As to why there was a relationship between TV watching and blood clots, Doctor Kunutsor said it was down to how little one is mobile whilst watching TV.
He explained: “Prolonged TV viewing involves immobilisation which is a risk factor for VTE.
“This is why people are encouraged to move around after surgery or during a long-haul flight. In addition, when you sit in a cramped position for long periods, blood pools in your extremities rather than circulating and this can cause blood clots.
“Finally, binge-watchers tend to eat unhealthy snacks which may lead to obesity and high blood pressure which both raise the likelihood of blood clot.”
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The main symptoms of a blood clot
The main symptom of a blood clot are, say the NHS, “throbbing and cramping pain, swelling redness and warmth in a leg or arm”.
They add another sign is “sudden breathlessness, sharp chest pain and a cough or coughing up blood”.
Furthermore, they say: “Blood clots can be life threatening if not treated quickly. 111 will tell you what to do.
“They can arrange a phone call from a nurse or doctor if you need one.”
