A royal guard was uneasy during the parade of troops for the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II. A rare event, often linked to a problem of venous stasis.
The festivities for the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, were punctuated by an incident, fortunately not serious. During the review of the troops during the traditional “Trooping the Colors” ceremony, one of the members of the Royal Guard suddenly collapsed. Victim of discomfort, we see him on a video lying on the ground without his brothers in arms being able to break ranks to come and rescue him. The Welsh Guard was later rescued by officials and stretchered out of the parade ground.
His discomfort can be due to several causes. The heat took place this weekend in London, and whatever the weather outside, the soldiers of the Royal Guard must wear a heavy uniform and their famous hats made of bearskin. It is therefore not easy to stand still in the sun with such gear. But venous stagnation could also add to temperature problems, and explain the guard’s loss of consciousness.
When walking acts like a pump
Indeed our heart sends every minute on average 5 liters of blood throughout the body, or about 7000 liters per day. This blood is sent through the arteries to provide energy to organs throughout our body. But it must also come back to the heart to replenish itself. Each vein is equipped with a valve system that allows blood to flow in only one direction and prevents it from remaining in the lower limbs due to gravity.
It turns out that the soles of the feet are extremely rich in veins. With each step, a pressure is made and acts like a real pump. Walking thus avoids stasis and promotes the return of blood to the heart. In order to avoid any problem, the guards, like all soldiers, gendarmes or police officers on duty, constantly and imperceptibly move their feet in their shoes to activate this venous pump. The discomforts remain rare and most often concern young soldiers, to whom we have forgotten to say that it is impossible to remain completely still …
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