Scientists Say This Air Travel Mistake Could Put Your Health At Risk

Flying is a great way to explore the world, but it comes with some obvious risks. According to the International Air Transport Association, there were 51 plane air travel-related incidents in 2025. Meanwhile, there are still some things that scientists can't figure out about air travel, such as turbulence. That's why safety measures and precautions, including airplane oxygen masks (which don't last as long as you may think), are so important. However, you don't have to completely rely on airlines and regulators to ensure your safety. In fact, experts agree that one thing you can do to protect your health is avoid tight-fitting clothing.

In 2007, the World Health Organization published findings from its Research Into Global Hazards of Travel project in The BMJ regarding the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) doubling on flights longer than four hours. VTE most commonly involves deep vein thrombosis (DVT) — a blood clot, usually in the leg, that develops from stagnation — and pulmonary embolism — when the blood clot dislodges, travels into the lungs, and blocks blood flow. A paper published in The Lancet two years later also found that the risk of VTE increases the longer that the flight takes and the more flights that people take.

Wearing restrictive clothes, such as leggings and skinny jeans, further reduces blood flow into and from your legs when you're sitting for a long period. As a result, you may notice achiness and swelling in these extremities. And although the risk of VTE is relatively low, tight attire can increase your chances of developing the condition.

Restricted blood flow and VTE aren't the only health issues that could occur when you wear tight clothes on a plane. Such attire has the potential to cause compartment syndrome, a serious condition involving poor local circulation. If it isn't promptly treated, it can turn into ischemia (restricted blood flow that deprives tissues and organs of oxygen) and necrosis (cell death). Another health risk is meralgia paresthetica, a painful condition from the compression of the femoral (thigh) cutaneous nerve.

Additionally, tight clothes can hinder the flow of lymph fluid — which helps manage the removal of abnormal cells, bacteria, toxins, and viruses — because it restricts the muscles on which the lymphatic system relies to move the fluid through your body. As a result, your body starts to retain fluid and swell, making you feel uncomfortable. Impeded lymphatic flow is particularly risky if you have lymphedema, a chronic condition, because it only makes the symptoms worse.

On top of that, most tight-fitting attire can be a safety hazard if a fire breaks out on the plane. That's because they're often made with petroleum-based synthetic fibers, which can actually melt when they get too hot. In the case of an incident that triggers a fuel-related fire, those tight synthetic clothes can cause serious burns when they melt on you. Those injuries can then impede your ability to evacuate the plane, putting your life at risk during an accident that would have otherwise been survivable.

While scientists and health experts regularly recommend against wearing tight-fitting clothes on planes, there's one exception: medical-grade compression attire. That's because there's a clear difference between pants and socks that are just tight and those that are designed for medical compression. Clothes that are just restrictive and fit close to your body can cause localized pressure around the cuffs, rolling fabric, seams, and waistbands.

By comparison, compression leggings and socks are made according to strict specifications to provide consistent and gentle graduated tightness in a way that supports the flow of blood and lymph fluid so that it doesn't pool in your legs. The general result is pain relief and reduced swelling when sitting for long periods of time, such as on a flight. But although this type of compression is a general exception, it's not safe for everyone. People with diabetes, an infection or trauma in their lower extremities, peripheral vascular disease, or similar health conditions where changes in blood flow can have a negative effect should consult their doctors before wearing compression attire on a plane.

Aside from medical-grade compression clothes, the best attire for flying is anything that isn't overly restrictive. Most people choose leggings for comfort, but you can get that same level of comfort from looser-fitting items. And even if you're wearing compression pants and socks, it's important that the material be made of natural fibers, such as cotton, soft denim, and wool. That's because they don't flare up, melt, or transmit heat like acrylic, nylon, polyester, rayon, and other synthetic, man-made fibers.