Originally Posted by Onyx_Wyvern Originally Posted by

As an avid gamer and medical professional eagerly awaiting the chance for some marathon Xcom:EU sessions after release, I thought I would spend some time talking about gamer safety related to deep vein thrombosis. Please take the time to read and possibly share this post with gamers, people at desks for long periods of time, airline travelers, etc. Take these things to heart, DVT incidence is about 1 in 1000 adults per year, and with potentially life threatening compliations the things you learn here very well could save your life.



Deep vein thrombosis or deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot in a deep vein. A clot inside a blood vessel is called a thrombosis. DVT predominantly occurs in the legs. When symptoms are present for clots in the leg, the non-specific signs include pain, swelling, redness, warmness, and engorged superficial veins. The most serious complication is a life-threatening pulmonary embolism, the result of a thrombosis detaching (embolizing) and traveling to the lungs. A pulmonary emobolism can kill you in a matter of minutes, by impairing the ability of your lungs to perform gas exchange.



Risk factors for gamers:



Being immobile for long periods of time (we would never do this right)



Sitting in an office type chair



Kneeling or sitting on your legs while gaming



Being dehydrated



Drinking alchohol or coffee while gaming (causes dehydration)



Drinking energy drinks while gaming (causes dehydration)





Addditional Risk factors that may or may not apply:





Being overweight



Being female



Being pregnant



Use of oral contraceptives



Recent surgery, especially hips & knees





Prevention:



We need to be getting up and moving around for a few minutes at least every 90 minutes (hourly would be prefered). Make sure you're walking back and forth to the kitchen (do not stock up on drinks / snacks in your gaming area), bathroom (no poop socks !), or outside.



While you're inbetween your 90 minute breaks, curl your toes and dorsiflex your ankle repeatedly as often as you can remember to do it (good reminder would be everytime you get back from a mission).



Stay hydrated, you really should be drinking water...but I love soda and energy beverages as much as the next guy/gal (but be aware these will actually DEHYDRATE YOU)...so try to drink an equal volume of water for every soda / energy drink you consume.



Please try to implement the above prevention suggestions into your Xcom Marathon plans, I care about you guys and gamers in general, and want everyone to be as safe as possible during this period of intense playtime and enjoyment. Do have fun, do go ahead and play those long sessions, just be mindful of the risks and things you can do to help prevent this potentially fatal complication.



Good Luck, Commander !