How long flights affect your body?

Some of the effects of long flights on the body include:

Let's face it, it is not the most comfortable thing to sit in an airplane seat without hardly any movement for several hours in a row. Admittedly, modern aircraft offer much more comfort to travelers than those of the past and still, long-haul flights entail certain physical and mental stresses. Keep on reading to discover how your body responds to the grueling conditions experienced during long hours of air travel.

Dehydration

The air on planes is very dry, and besides dry air being uncomfortable, it causes many flight inconveniences. The humidity level is slightly higher than in most instances of deserts but it can dry the body up very quickly. As the flight progresses, one may feel their mouth and skin dry, eyes may feel tired, or there might be a headache. Even a severe lack of water may cause dizziness, confusion, and even fainting spells. Make sure you have at least eight glasses of water per the number of hours you spend on a flight. In particular, you should forget about coffee and alcohol as they make the situation even worse and worsen dehydration.

Cramps and Swelling

Technically, when one stays in one position for some time, especially in a limited space, the muscles get to swell and the joints pain. This can be as simple as having a sore back and stiff neck or something as complicated as having cramps in one's legs, hips, and shoulders. This is true because the ankles and feet typically swell up as fluid accumulates in those areas. The swelling is worse during one's sedentary, during the use of constrictive clothing like socks and shoes, and in people with a history of poor circulation. There should be some leg stretching and at regular intervals, stand up in the aisle and walk around for some time so that you do not feel a cramp in your legs. Ligature and compression hosiery are also notable since they are used to minimize swelling of the limbs due to fluid retention.

Blood Clots

Arguably, deep vein thrombosis or DVT, which is a dangerous blood clot that forms in the legs during flight, is the most serious health risk associated with air travel. If one fails to do this for several hours, circulation is affected, and for this blood settles and clots in the veins, especially those in the legs. Part of the clot can then become disconnected and travel to the lung area, plugging the blood vessels in a condition referred to as pulmonary embolism. The warning signs associated with this condition are pain in the leg, particularly in the calf area, swelling of the legs, chest pain and/or coughing, and difficulty in breathing. The risk of DVT increases with the time that the person remains immobile, so try to move around whenever you can. Other precautionary measures include the use of flight socks, adequate intake of fluids, and avoidant use of tight cloth on the legs and the waist region.

Bloating and Indigestion

Mid-flight is often associated with gas expansion due to cabin pressure fluctuations and discomfort in the stomach. This may be due to an increase in the intake of foods that causes the production of gas, and the intake of carbonated products. Another issue related to this is that people tend to suffer from heartburn since the cabin humidity is lower and as a result, the throat gets dry. Another factor is that consuming hot or spicy meals before or during the flight can on its own worsen digestion and reflux problems. Avoid any food that commonly causes a stomach upset or any other digestive problem with your body. Carry along some tablets of antacids if you are sensitive to airsick stomach disturbances. It is advisable to stand and move up and down to help facilitate the passage of things through your gastrointestinal tract.

Fatigue

A red-eye flight is the worst mode of traveling for catching up on sleep because of the following reasons: Background noise: The noise in the aircraft cabin is enough to eliminate any chance of getting a good night's rest. This makes one wonder how quick fatigues seem to occur even on day flights while in a pressurized environment. Before you know it, your neck is bobbing and, to the touch, it feels like the weight of lead is attached to your eyelids. Do not take anything that makes you sleepy since you will need to be as awake as possible especially when starting your journey. If you think that you may catch the travel bug and doze off, do not forget to pack in a neck pillow, a blanket, or an eye mask. This can be done as soon as possible after arrival to ensure that the internal clock regulating the body's biology gets corrected.

Stress and Anxiety

Environmental factors such as sensory overload common with air terminals, overemphasis on technical aspects of flying, and straightforward fear induce stress in many people. There is also the fear of being cooped up for a long time once on board, whether through a boat's close spaces, lack of control over one's schedule, and concerns about the possibility of deep vein thrombosis, among others. This kind of nervous tension may lead to additional health problems such as headaches, upset stomachs, increased pulse rate, and blood pressure. It is vital to prevent stress in pre-flight and in-flight situations to avoid such effects. They include being fully equipped with possessions that will help fill up your time, taking some deep breaths down to your diaphragm, playing some soothing music, applying some selected mindfulness and meditation procedures, etc. In case you feel the need, you can discuss with your doctor about using anti-anxiety medications when flying.

Jet Lag

Long haul flight means that passengers will have to cross several time zones and this means that the body will be prepared to sleep at a particular time, thus when one lands, they are immediately set for jetlag, daytime sleepiness. These are effects resulting from a synchronization discrepancy between your biological clock and the actual time at the new location. The human body can take more than a week to recover from the shift in the circadian rhythms of sleep. To begin with altering them pre-emptively, watches and devices should be set to the time of the destination place as soon as one boards. Adjust going to bed as well as getting up times while on the go. Another is to control the light, sleeping, and eating patterns as soon as you get to a new time zone to get your body clock shifted quickly. They also help to facilitate the adjustment with the use of melatonin supplements.

Immune Suppression

Some of the unique conditions associated with flights low humidity, cosmic radiation, etc, are believed to have a temporary immunosuppressive effect on the human body. Another article showed that people's ability to fight off an infection is lower for up to five days after a long-haul flight. A possible reason why colds, flu, and gastroenteritis sometimes accompany journeys is that the traveler may take a bath in the immune dip. The fact that most flight attendants work with fatigue, hardly take breaks to have water, work in aircraft with dubious air quality, and deal with germ-filled passengers all contribute to the risk as well. It's impossible to avoid bugs and post-flight signs of immune suppression entirely. However, there are precautionary measures that an individual can adopt: washing hands often, avoiding contact with the face, taking enough rest and sleeping, taking water in plenty, and ensuring that the body is well-fed.

As much as people prefer to avoid flying due to its negative effects on health, it is advisable to embrace air transport whenever you have to travel long distances. Again, just be wise enough to avoid or avoid taking risks as much as you can. As much as possible, have a mobile on the flight. Drink plenty of water and do not take heavy spicy and oily foods. Wear relaxing clothes, bring your ‘worrier shoes' and pack-objects that can help to reduce stress. This includes a change in sleeping patterns to aspire to the time zone of the country that one is traveling to. As soon as possible adapt the regimen of light exposure and maintain proper bedtime and wake-up intervals. With these tips, it is therefore very important that people prepare themselves well and be aware that even the longest flight should not make them feel worse.

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