A bubbly, spirited 26-year-old Thulile Mayeza sits on a step outside her home, beaming with seeming good health.

For someone so young and healthy, it comes as a surprise that she has twice been struck by a little-known and even less understood ailment. Deep vein thrombosis, or DVT as it is medically known, caused by the formation of a blood clot in a deep vein, is very painful and uncomfortable.

If left untreated it can lead to pulmonary embolism, which is a clot travelling to the lungs that can cause death.

Mayeza was first diagnosed in 2007.

"I was in severe pain. My leg was swollen and I could not walk," she says.

Following a referral by her doctor, she was admitted to Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in Johannesburg, where she spent three weeks. The second strike came in 2011. Mayeza was wiser then and headed straight to hospital, where she spent only a few days and was discharged to continue treatment.

In each case, Mayeza was in excruciating pain.

"I couldn't walk or even move my leg. You feel tired and you cannot breathe," explains Mayeza.

She has responded well to an anticoagulant, warfarin, which she has to administer daily . She is being monitored and her medication is reviewed every six months.

DVT has foisted some changes upon her lifestyle. Mayeza, contrary to healthy diet advice, cannot eat certain greens, and fizzy drinks are a no-no. Many fresh greens containing vitamin K interact negatively with her treatment.

She no longer wears shorts because her legs are not the same size. Her left leg is swollen from the DVT. Her left foot is bigger and she now has to buy bigger shoes.

DVT is caused, according to Professor Barry Jacobson, head of clinical haematology at Wits University, by a lack of blood flow, increased stickiness of blood and by damage to the lining of the blood vessels.

"It often occurs after you've had an operation if you're bedridden, if you cannot move your legs and if there is damage done to the lining of blood vessels," he says.

It can also affect frequent long-distance flyers and travellers, often people who are in perfect health.

Mayeza believes the likeliest reason for her condition is the long, uncomfortable bus journeys between Johannesburg, where she works as a call centre agent, and her home town of Durban. She travels home to visit her family once a month.

The support from her family has been unflinching, and that is comforting for her. Her cousin, Thobeka, who happens to be a medical doctor, is of great help.

"She gives me advice on how to check my diet and administer my medication," says Mayeza.

She feels that even though she discusses her condition with her friends, including her boyfriend, they do not seem to really understand what DVT is.

There is a lack of awareness and Mayeza does not know of any DVT support groups or even awareness campaigns.

"I think many people suffer from DVT but it goes undiagnosed. They probably just think it is swollen legs. Symptoms are not the same [from patient to patient]," says Mayeza.

"Clinics must give more information, and people who already suffer from DVT should speak out more."

FACT BOX:

TO LOWER your risk and help prevent DVT:

• Maintain an active lifestyle. Exercise daily if possible;
• Manage your weight;
• Don't smoke;
• Check your blood pressure regularly;
• Report any family or personal history of blood-clotting problems to your doctor;
• Discuss with your doctor the alternatives to birth control pills or hormone-replacement therapy;
• During pregnancy, ask your doctor what you can do to help prevent DVT;
• If you need surgery, your surgeon will review your medical history to help assess your risk for DVT and determine whether you need aggressive measures to prevent it;
• Consider purchasing compression stockings at a medical supply store and wear them during your travels;
• Avoid wearing short, tight socks or crossing your legs for long periods;
• Drink plenty of fluids and avoid those which dehydrate you, such as coffee and alcohol;
• When travelling by car, stop every hour to walk around; and
• Between connecting flights and during long flights, get up and move around.

(Sourced from www.webmd.com)