Travel well: How to avoid jet lag, flatulence and dehydration on long flights
Terminal year, Singapore Airlines clocked in the world's longest flight with its 18-60 minutes trip from New York to the Lion City. And now, Qantas also has plans for its own long-altitude flights, with several trial flights.
While the experts are collating the information from these flights, ending in December, to better meliorate wellbeing and comfort on long-booty flights, CNA Lifestyle finds out from aviation medicine experts what happens when you subject your trunk to the furnishings of a high-pressure chamber at high altitudes for long stretches.
Here'southward what nosotros found out.
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BE PREPARED FOR VERY BAD JET LEG
The jet lag, for one, will be meaning, said Dr Brian See, director of the Changi Aviation Medicine Middle at Changi General Hospital.
Jet lag is most noticeable in flights crossing four or more fourth dimension zones, according to the Aerospace Medical Association. And Sydney is 15 time zones ahead of New York.
"Additionally, eastward travel from Sydney to New York will be more than challenging to adjust to, compared with westward travel from New York to Sydney," said Dr See.
"This is because the human body copes poorer with the shortening of a day and bedtime advancement, compared to the lengthening of a day with added hours of daylight and delay of bedtime."
If you're flying from Singapore to the Big Apple, the direction of travel is westward instead. But the aforementioned principle to jet lag applies.
What to do: Have a well-established, pre-sleep routine at home, said Dr See, and stick to it even when you're on the aeroplane and afterwards arriving at your destination.
To assistance y'all autumn asleep better, keep the environment as tranquillity, dark and comfortable as possible, and avert caffeine and a large meal a few hours before bedtime, he advised.
"Although booze may appear useful for initiating sleep, it disrupts the usual sleep pattern required for restful sleep and should therefore be avoided."
If you're attention an important coming together or taking an examination, and really need to rest on the plane, consider consulting a doctor for "a short form of short-acting, slumber-promoting medication," said Dr Meet.
Regulating your mealtimes subsequently touching downwards can also assist improve jet lag – and may be fifty-fifty better than slumber, co-ordinate to enquiry by the University of Surrey.
The study, published in the periodical Psychology And Health in 2016, found that eating at mealtimes of their travel destination helped long-haul crew members adapt their body clocks better during their off days.
Drinkable MORE WATER – Yous'LL Need TO Exist HYDRATED
You're probably spared dehydration on flights that are three or four hours long, said Dr Peter Hackett, director of the Institute For Altitude Medicine on Conde Nast Traveler.
Simply long-haul flights are a dissimilar scenario. Compared to Singapore'due south boilerplate almanac relative humidity of 83.9 per cent, the motel's less than 20 per cent humidity (co-ordinate to the World Health Organization or WHO) is similar beingness in the desert.
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You may not be aware of the dehydration every bit the aeroplane's interior is often freezing common cold but it is happening. By the time you lot first to experience signs such equally irritability, fatigue and an increasing inability to focus on a motion picture or book, dehydration has already set in.
What to do: The Aerospace Medical Association suggests drinking about 240ml (8oz) of water for every hr in the plane. For reference, about plastic cups used past airlines hold well-nigh 270ml (9oz) of liquid.
And if yous tin can't miss the merlot, a 240ml potable of water should be enough to counteract the dehydrating upshot of 1 glass of vino, said Dr Hackett.
Do yous still demand to drink and so much h2o on planes such equally the Dreamliner 787 or the Airbus A350, which boast a cabin humidity of about 25 per cent? Well, yes.
While the new-generation aircrafts make for a more than comfy ride, hydration isn't exactly aviation engineers' top priority, and you should however drink enough water to feel the need to visit the toilet oftentimes, said Dr Clayton Cowl, chair of the Sectionalisation Of Preventive, Occupational, and Aerospace Medicine at the Mayo Clinic.
Try TO Become Upwardly AND WALK MORE
It's non just grandmas and grandpas who are prone to deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Equally long as you're seated for long periods, exist it flight, rail or other forms of travel, the risk is at that place.
In fact, your chance approximately doubles after a long-haul flying of more four hours, said Dr Meet, citing research conducted by the WHO.
The risk of DVT is further increased amid individuals with other known take a chance factors, such equally obesity, use of oral contraceptives and the presence of certain blood abnormalities, said Dr Run into.
What to do: All long-haul air travel passengers should carry out regular leg exercises while seated, also as walk along the aisle from time to time, advised Dr See.
GO TO THE TOILET REGULARLYIf your digestive system isn't commonly as well happy to be on the plane with you on normal flights, it's going to be worse on a long-haul 1.
According to Dr Megan Rossi, a researcher in gut health at King'due south College London, any air that is trapped in your alimentary canal volition expand and put pressure on it. This air can come up from animate, swallowing and nutrient that gets fermented in the colon iii to 6 hours after eating, she said.
What to do: "Avoid going to the toilet and you'll cause air to expand more than and lead to pains in the stomach," said Dr Rossi, who definitely recommended going to the toilet frequently.
What you consume tin besides determine gas germination in your gut. "The fructose in fruit can be gas-forming, and then attempt to stick to 1 portion both upward in the air and 24 hours earlier," said Dr Rossi.
Dr Come across suggested giving gas-promoting foods such as legumes and cruciferous vegetables, likewise as carbonated drinks and larger-than-usual meals in the air, a miss.
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For diabetic travellers who are on insulin or those on certain medication that can cause depression blood carbohydrate levels, it is advisable to consult their doctors before travelling, said Dr See.
WASH YOUR HANDS – But THERE'S NO NEED TO Clothing A MASK
Contrary to popular belief, the re-circulated air in the plane's cabin rarely spreads respiratory infections such as the mutual cold, said Dr Come across.
"When they exercise occur, the spread is almost e'er through straight close contact with a symptomatic rider. This is like to situations on the footing, and is not unique to an aircraft motel environment. There is no evidence that recirculated aircraft motel air increases the risk of manual."
Furthermore, said Dr See, high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters are at present fitted to the air conditioning systems of nearly modernistic passenger aircraft, and "volition filter out almost all bacteria and virus particles from the recirculated cabin air".
What to exercise: The same measures that you lot take on the basis – such as washing your hands often, washing them earlier meals and after using the toilet, and non touching your face up with unwashed hands – apply in the air, said Dr See.
"Those who are already unwell with symptoms suggestive of respiratory infection should ideally defer their travel until they recover," he said.
Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/wellness/tips-coping-long-haul-flights-234301
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