You’ve got your shiny new luggage, battled your way through the airport, and now you’re only one step away from that much-needed vacation. Just 14 hours on a plane and you’ll be there. But what happens to your body spending all that time up in the air?
Feeling Dry
Why it happens
Ever feel like that fake alien mummy when you get off a long flight? You’re probably lacking moisture.
That’s because the humidity inside a plane is super low. The air that circulates around is far drier than the lovely balmy destination that you’re likely off to as it’s taken from the air outside, which is notoriously dry at high altitudes. The result of that can be dry skin, lips, nose, and eyes.
While those things aren’t the most comfortable, the low humidity on an aircraft isn’t going to dehydrate you in the more clinical sense; according to the UK Civil Aviation Authority, the amount of fluid loss over an 8 hour flight is only around 150 milliliters.
You can also get dehydrated more generally if you don’t drink enough water or have a bunch of drinks that make you pee more, like alcohol and caffeinated beverages. That can land you with dizziness, fatigue, and a headache – not ideal when you step off a plane and into the bright sunshine and blistering heat.
How to prevent it
To avoid feeling like a raisin, stick to the age-old hydration advice – drink plenty of fluids, particularly water. If you don’t fancy spending half your holiday fund on a bottle from duty-free, you could take an empty one through customs and get it filled up on the other side.
We wouldn’t be so foolish as to tell you not to have a cheeky brewski to start your vacation, but not going too crazy with the amount of alcohol will also help.
As for skin and lips, slap on moisturizing products to your heart’s content (at least, in the amounts that you can actually take in your hand luggage) like creams and lip balms. Sprays for the nose and eyes can help to stop them feeling dry and irritated, as can swapping contact lenses for glasses for the latter.
Blood clots
Why they happen
Another of the potential side effects of long-haul air travel is the formation of blood clots in the legs, known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT). However, it’s not actually being up in the air that increases the risk of developing DVT – it’s mostly being immobile for long stretches of time.
When we sit in one position for too long, blood flow in the veins in our legs can slow right down. This can increase the chance of a blood clot forming, with one review finding that the longer the flight, the more likely it is to happen.
Although there’s still only a small chance of it happening overall, recently having had surgery or a baby, being pregnant, hormone replacement therapy or birth control containing estrogen, and a family history of blood clots can also bump up the risk.
How to prevent them
The simplest thing a person can do to avoid blood clots forming in this situation is to get moving: stand up and walk around the plane as much as possible and make sure there’s enough leg room to switch sitting positions. There’s even exercises you can do that’ll still help even if you’re sitting down, like flexing and extending your ankles.
For people who are already at risk of developing blood clots, healthcare professionals might also recommend compression stockings, which help to improve blood flow.
If a clot does form, it can often go away by themselves without someone knowing it was there. When that isn’t the case, there are some key warning signs that you can keep an eye out for after the flight: swelling in the leg, ankle, or calf; red or discolored skin; and skin feeling warmer to the touch. If someone has any of those symptoms, they should see a healthcare professional.
Jet lag
Why it happens
This next one comes after a long-haul flight rather than on it, but seeing as it can be quite the ass-kicker, it’s definitely worth a mention – jet lag.
The longer you spend on a plane, the more likely it is you’ll cross multiple time zones. When you land, there’s then a mismatch between your body’s internal clock – the circadian rhythm – which is set to your original time zone, and the time zone you find yourself in.
Understandably, the body isn’t a fan of that and that can cause the classic symptoms of jet lag: disrupted sleep, feeling wiped out during the day, stomach problems, and trouble remembering and concentrating.
How to minimize it
While jet lag is temporary, you don’t necessarily want to spend the first few days of your holiday in bed feeling ill. At the same time, it can’t be completely avoided, but there are at least a few things that can be done to try and make it less intense.
For longer trips, it’s often recommended to take a few days before you leave getting your body to adjust to the new time zone. This means going to bed at least an hour later than usual if traveling west and at least an hour earlier if traveling east.
As for how to best approach sleep, trying to catch some Zs on the plane can help if it’s going to be nighttime when you land. If it’s going to be during the day, however, the best bet is to stay awake, which can be helped by strategically exercising or downing a coffee.
When you finally do go to bed, don’t forget to set an alarm – not what we’d like to do on holiday, but it’ll help to stop you from accidentally sleeping through, which can make the problem worse.
Plus, it’ll make sure you don’t miss out on the breakfast buffet, where eating a smaller meal (and then stashing some more to have on the loungers later – shhh we’ve all done it) can ward off jet lag-related stomach issues.
All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text, images, and links may be edited, removed, or added to at a later date to keep information current.
The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
Source Link: How Long-Haul Flights Affect The Body - And What To Do About It
