When traveling by plane, the environmental conditions inside the cabin are different from the living conditions on the ground. The same difference in environmental conditions can cause disorders in the body of passengers. There are solutions to prevent and compensate for these disorders, which we will examine further, but know in general: the air inside the airplane cabin is dry, and the amount of moisture in it is low, so your mouth, throat, eyes, and skin need more water, so in Drink a glass of water or juice every hour of flight.
At high altitudes, you are more exposed to cosmic rays, so if you travel by air a lot, wear clothing that covers the entire surface of your skin. But apart from these general recommendations, how often have you ever had an earache while traveling by plane or felt nauseous after takeoff and landing? What have you done to improve your mood? Traveling by plane, like other vehicles, can affect the human body. In this article, we examine the complications that appear in the body during or after the flight and consider solutions to prevent or fix them. Of course, all these signs do not appear in one person’s body, but depending on the physical strength or age and physical conditions of the body, one or some of them appear in different people. In many cases, none of them may occur or be very mild.
Deep vein thrombosis
Blood clots form in the legs on long flights because the body is not physically active. Decreased blood flow, changes in blood concentration, and abnormal changes in the vessel wall can aggravate this condition. In this condition, the leg or thigh becomes red and sensitive, which causes hot flashes and increased heart rate. Pregnant women are more prone to this condition. For prevention during the flight, exceptionally long flights, get up from the seat and move a little along the corridor; if you can’t get up and walk in the hall, move your arms and legs from time to time to increase the blood circulation in your veins.
Ear disorder
This is the most common physical disorder during flight. This disorder is usually superficial and temporary and causes congestion and ear pain. When flying, especially during takeoff and landing, the difference in air pressure affects the middle ear and causes earache. For example, on flights where a child sits near us, this earache causes restlessness and crying of children and babies. To prevent it, suck on candy, chew gum, or yawn when the plane takes off or lands. These works involve the swallowing muscles, so there is less disturbance in the function of the middle ear.
If these solutions don’t work after having an earache or congestion, hold your nostrils with your hands and take a deep breath through your mouth, locking the air in your chest. Then close your mouth and, with the help of your mouth muscles, blow the air out of your nose so that pressure is applied to the fingers with which you hold your nose. If you hear a slight click, it means the operation was successful! Repeat this several times and avoid putting too much pressure on the nose. Babies and children cannot use this solution, so keep babies and children awake during ascent and descent, and giving children candy and sucking on pacifiers can prevent earaches.
Jet Lag
Jet lag means time confusion. When you travel to a place with a big time difference from the origin of your trip, your sleeping and waking hours get confused and cause symptoms such as fatigue, headache, irritability, stomach upset, diarrhea, sleep disturbance, and reduced physical and brain activities. The effect of time confusion is different on different people, but if we cross two time zones in one flight, this complication becomes more severe. For example, you travel to a city with a time difference of six or seven hours from where you live, so you will get rid of the habit of waking up close to dawn.
One of the ways to solve this problem is to sleep well the night before the trip. Sleep on the plane too. In general, after passing through the exit gate and passport control, try to take a nap wherever you have time. After reaching the destination, forget about the origin of your trip and try to adapt yourself to the time of the goal. If your flight is such that you arrive at your destination during the day, don’t sleep at all during the day, go sightseeing or catch up with your work meetings; instead, at night, you are too tired to take a bed and sleep.
Breathing problems
The passenger receives less oxygen bThe passenger receives less oxygen because the cabin pressure during flight is lower than the atmospheric pressure; this decrease in oxygen intake causes respiratory disorders, the most common of which is hypoxemia. Patients with lung dysfunction are more at risk and show more severe symptoms. To prevent this disorder, open the air vents above your head and breathe deeply. Do not wear tight clothes. If you have a respiratory disease, take the necessary equipment with you and inform the airline before the flight.
Motion disorder
This condition occurs when the plane moves too fast or has strong shaking, which again causes middle ear dysfunction. The middle ear is very effective in the body’s movement system and orientation. As a result of this disorder, symptoms such as salivation, dizziness, nausea, and sweating appear. To prevent motion sickness, eat a light snack while flying and lean on the back of the seat. Avoid reading books and magazines during the flight, and choose your heart far from the plane’s wing. If you have a history of this disorder in your previous flights, consult your doctor before traveling and take appropriate medication.
