Ray J released from hospital after pulmonary embolism scare

Even if you’ve never listened to his music, you’ve probably heard Ray J’s name linked to Kim Kardashian and Whitney Houston, whom he was dating when she died in February. Monday, Ray J had a death scare of his own. According to TMZ, he was rushed to the hospital for dehydration and exhaustion, but, as New York Daily News and others reported, doctors performed a series of tests to determine whether he was suffering from pulmonary embolism, a blood clot that often forms in the legs before traveling to the lungs.

Fortunately for Ray J, he was cleared of the deadly condition, but better safe than sorry. He’d just flown 32 hours from China and driven four hours to Las Vegas so he could attend Sunday’s Billboard Music Awards. People have been known to develop pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis, which can lead to pulmonary embolism, on flights as short as three hours. Doctors advise travelers to get up and move around, to stand on the toes of one foot while standing on the heel of the other, and to flex their feet while sitting.

Rapper Heavy D died of a pulmonary embolism last November after flying from London to Los Angeles. Likewise, tennis star Serena Williams suffered a pulmonary embolism last year when she flew from New York to Los Angeles following foot surgery.

In addition to long periods of immobility, certain birth control pills like Yaz and an unhealthy diet leading to obesity can cause pulmonary embolism as well.