Effects of Flying on our Bodies

Jet lag is a temporary disorder that causes fatigue, insomnia, and other symptoms as a result of air travel across different time zones. A jet lag sufferer may experience a number of physical and emotional symptoms including anxiety, diarrhea, dehydration, headache and cognitive effects include a poorer performance on mental tasks, irritability along with problems in digestion.

The condition can affect both males and females especially those who are frequent flyers like business travellers, cabin crews and pilots who anticipate long and consecutive flights.

When you travel down multiple time zones, your biological clock is not able to regulate your sleep-wake rhythm as it does not have enough time to adjust to the time-zone of your destination which makes you out of sync; it may last several days before you are fully adjusted to the new time zone.

Deep Vein Thrombosis

Sitting in the same spot for prolonged hours also limits blood circulation in some extreme cases, it can cause deep vein thrombosis (DVT) – when blood clots form in the deep veins of your legs. Research has shown that the longer the flight, the greater the risk of developing DVT.

Dehydration

We all experience the feeling: getting off a flight feeling uncomfortably bloated, even though we may not have eaten much on the flight. This is due to the changes air pressure which can cause a build-up and expansion of gas in the body. It can also be a symptom of dehydration & constipation.