Worker gets DVT sitting at desk

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Chris Simmons regularly sat at his desk for eight hours at a time

An IT worker who collapsed with a blood clot after sitting at his

desk for hours has warned of the danger of DVT.

Freelance computer programmer Chris Simmons, from Whitchurch,

Bristol, collapsed with deep vein thrombosis after an eight-hour

shift at home.

 

The clot, which had formed in his leg, moved to his lung causing

excruciating pain and leaving him coughing up blood.

 

Now Mr Simmons, 42, is calling on other desk-bound workers to get up

and move around to cut the risk of DVT.

 

'No warning'

 

" I had absolutely no warning symptoms and I had no idea there was

anything wrong at all, " he said.

 

" I was sat at my desk and suddenly I was hit with the most

excruciating pain in my lower back, I collapsed at the desk with my

head on the keyboard, the pain was just so severe. "

 

The pulmonary embolism, caused by part of the clot breaking off and

travelling to his lung, was diagnosed after Mr Simmons went for a

scan at the Bristol Royal Infirmary.

 

" People are definitely not aware of the risks of developing DVT, " he

said. " I would urge everyone who works in a desk-bound job to try and

do a few simple stretching exercises that can help to minimise the

risk. "