Man leaves people squirming over long-haul flight 'side effect'

An Aussie who took a long-haul flight from Mykonos has freaked people out with his "little hoofs".

TikTok user Thomas (@thomassdowling) took to the platform with a clip showing his swollen ankles after the long-haul flight.

"POV: You come off a 25hr flight from Mykonos to Sydney," Thomas wrote in the on-screen caption as he said: "That is disgusting. Yuck."

Luckily, he reassured viewers they had gone back to normal, but it didn't take long for fellow TikTokers to issue some advice if the condition hadn't gotten any better.

"If you get pain in your leg, or one more swollen than the other, warm or red plz go to the hospital to check for DVT," one person wrote, while another added: "If you feel pain or shortness of breath rush to the hospital immediately."

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According to Dr Sheldon Sheps from the Mayo Clinic, swelling on long-haul flights is "typically harmless".

"Sitting with your feet on the floor for a long period causes blood to pool in your leg veins," he explained on the website. "The position of your legs when you are seated also increases pressure in your leg veins. This contributes to foot swelling by causing fluid to leave the blood and move into the surrounding soft tissues."

If swelling persists for several hours or they experience "swelling in only one leg and also have leg pain", people are advised to seek medical attention.

During a long-haul flight, people are also advised to stay hydrated. Speaking to AU News, in-flight services manager for Air New Zealand, Ben Whatman said the the body can "lose up to 1.5 to 2 litres of water in a 10-hour flight".

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