Part 08 - Defying Jet Lag
With the summer winding down in the UK, many people are looking to either return home or continue their travelling, which brings us to this month’s reader question from Rich in London.
“Hey. I’m going back home to Melbourne for a wedding in soon, but I only have about 10 days off work. Everyone I know who went back home were so jetlagged for the first few days that they couldn’t do much and I’d hate to miss out on anything. What can I do to make things easier?”
Well I do have some advice for you Rich, and I’ll also give you a bit more information on what jetlag really is. While there is not real cure for jetlag there are many things you can do before and during your flight to feel the best when you get to your destination.
What Is Jet Lag?
When we undertake long flights from places such as Australia and New Zealand to Europe or North America it’s pretty much assumed that you’ll suffer from jetlag with symptoms such as fatigue, indigestion, sleeping problems and a general malaise that will disrupt your first few days in your new time zone. What we call “jetlag” is caused by the disruption of your "body clock" - a small cluster of brain cells that control the timing of biological functions (called the circadian rhythms), including when you eat and sleep. The body clock is designed for a regular rhythm of daylight and darkness, so that it is thrown out of sync when it experiences daylight and darkness at the "wrong" times. The symptoms of jetlag often persist for days while the internal body clock slowly adjusts to the new time zone. While nearly all travellers will experience some symptoms with large time zone shifts, there is considerable individual variation in both severity and recovery time. There are also some serious dangers posed by the effects of Jetlag. Operative vehicles or performing potentially dangerous tasks that require coordination could be affected by the disorienting effects of jet lag. The weakening of your immune system due to the effects of travel and stress coupled with jetlag could lead to serous illness if you are travelling to areas where more serious diseases such as malaria are common. As a general rule, you’ll need a day of recovery for every time zone you have crossed.
What To Do Before The Flight
What you do before you board the plane can help make a serious difference as to how you’ll feel when you arrive. Before departing, make sure you have all your affairs, business and personal, in order. Stress can be a significant factor in a weakened immune system and in the tiredness we often find when travelling. Get plenty of exercise in the days prior to your departure and try to avoid sickness such as the flu, colds and so on. If you are already sick, flying will probably make it worse. Try to get as much rest as possible prior to departure and don’t expect to catch us on the plane. Avoid eating just before the flight as the lower air pressure in the cabin can make the stomach bloat, causing discomfort.
While in The Air
Dehydration is a serious concern when it comes to flying. The dry air in the aircraft causes this dehydration. Drinking plenty of non-alcoholic fluids can counter this. Water is better than coffee, tea and fruit juices.
Blindfolds, ear plugs, pillows are all useful in helping you get quality sleep while flying.
When sleeping, try to lie flat, or flatten out as much as possible. Use earplugs to reduce noise and wear an eye mask — even with eyelids shut you still have 80 per cent light penetration: the mask will reduce this to zero, which should trigger the secretion of the sleep facilitator melatonin. Some people try to use sleeping tablets to try to alleviate jet lag. This is a dangerous approach as sleeping tablets induce a comatose state with little or no natural body movement, and it is well known that prolonged immobility during flight can lead to fatal blood clots (deep vein thrombosis). It has been estimated that over 18% of all sudden deaths at Airports in long distance passengers were caused by clots in the lungs. When our blood doesn't circulate there is a risk that it will clot. To help prevent this, get as much exercise as you can while on the plane. Walking up and down the aisle, standing for spells, and doing small twisting and stretching exercises in your seat all help to reduce discomfort, especially swelling of legs and feet.
Since there is no exact cure for jetlag, how you feel once you’ve arrived at your destination will be all down to your preparation before and during your flight. There’s nothing worse then the sense of physiological incorrectness that is jet lag, but it is an indicator for the vast complexity that is the human body.
