In one of my past posts I gave suggestions on booking and travelling with airlines. Here I will present the common health risks that we all face while travelling.
Hope this helps some of you avoid some miserable experiences.
What you find below may be surprising but it is true and not talked about much at all.
1. LET IT GO
Your gut slows down while in flight. You will do a disservice to yourself by eating too much on a flight. Excess bloating , cramps and major flatulrnce can occur. You should try to eat 2 hours prior to flying and eat little while flying. If you must eat, take some food bars with you so your caloric need can be met with smaller amounts. If you chomp down like a champ, you will suffer.
The gas in your intestines will expand simply due to less pressure in the aircraft. You will also make more of it if you eat. Under your breath, slowly start cussing at Boyle's law and let it fly. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES hold in your flatulence. You will pose yourself some serious health risks if you do. You must be oblivious to the sanity of your fellow passengers. If they argue, simply present them with this post.
If you already have a condition called gastroparesis you must be exceptionally careful.
There are reports of IBD ( inflammatory bowel disease) flare ups as well as ischemic colitis while flying. This is where your bowels get damaged due to lack of adequate blood supply.
Take home message is to allow your bowels to rest by very selective eating on a flight. Less is more.
2.DO NOT FALL IN LOVE ON A FLIGHT
You are depleted of oxygen while in flight. You get about 75% of oxygen in flight than what you get on land. People suffer from headaches, fatigue and malaise. This is especially problematic for people with existing heart and lung disease. So probably all girls will look real pretty on the flight but that's your brain deceiving you. Don't do it.
There is nothing you can do to prevent the consequences of low in flight oxygen. Some passengers actually have to take supplemental oxygen with them. My only suggestion is that if you are on a very long flight try to break it down into multiple stops.
3. DO NOT BREATHE
The increased risk of catching a cold is more than 100 times higher on a plane according to the Journal of Environmental Health Research. The air is very dry. Humidity is about 4 percent. Also the air is recirculated about 15-30 times an hour. When someone sneezes the particles go in all directions up to 50 feet.
There is also the aerotoxic syndrome when you may breathe in fumes mixed with air.
Your mucus membranes and nasal passages will dry out. Your best bet is not to breathe at all but if you insist, try taking nasal saline with you, stay hydrated and although not proven I suggest taking some zinc sprays like zicam to prevent colds.
4.DONT DRINK THE WATER
Due to low humidity, you lose tremendous amounts of water through your skin and mucus membranes. You MUST drink plenty of water to stay hydrated as consequences can be severe. BRING YOUR OWN BOTTLED WATER. During flights they may give you water from the tank. This has been tested to carry significant E Coli and can cause harm. Insist on bottled water or use your own.
Please avoid alcohol,before and during a flight. It will only worsen the issue.
5. DONT LET YOUR BLOOD CLOT, ITS NOT GOOD FOR YOU
Blood will pool in your legs. Your feet will swell. Do not wear tight fitting shoes. The stagnation of blood can also lead to formation of clots in your leg veins. These are extremely dangerous as they can travel to your lungs and cause death or serious illness. Wear compression stockings. Walk around every 2 hours if possible. Do leg exercises while seated. This problem is much more common than you imagine. Please take caution.
There are other issues such as sinus pressure and gas in a tooth cavity and radiation. It is reported that on a 7 hour flight you get the same radiation as when you get an X-ray. There are alarming reports of increase in melanoma and increase in breast cancer risk for flight attendants. Is this related to sun activity? Or Fukushima radiation? I am not certain and thus I will not make statements on this issue here. Not much you can do to protect yourself.
One last issue I would like to mention is that cleanliness of an aircraft leaves much to be desired. It is advisable to take cleaning wipes, preferably high alcohol content ones and clean your seat and immediate area.
Happy journeys my friends.