By
Lee Phillips M.D.
Personal MD.com
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- When
on the plane drink plenty
of water 8 oz or so every hour.
-
Stay away from alcohol, caffeine and heavy fatty
foods.
- Try
to walk around the plane every few hours to stimulate
blood circulation.
- When
you arrive at your final destination try to adapt
to the local time as fast as possible.
- Bright
light is the best way for resetting the circadian
rhythm.
- Try
to arrive at your final destination around late
afternoon
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Jet
lag occurs because of crossing many time zones in a short period
of time disrupting the sleep -wake cycle.
Most
people arrive at their destination tired, fatigued and irritable.
The length of the flight is not the critical issue. The most important
single factor is how many time zones you cross.
Travel
is usually easier in the east to west direction then the other
way around. Traveling North to south is does not cause problems
because you do not change time zones.
Kids
are able to adapt better to time changes. People who normally
stick to a rigid daily routine, and who are bothered by changes
to routine, are often the worst sufferers.
People
whose lives are highly varied can often adjust their circadian
rhythms better.People
who sleep easily can also cope better with the adjustment. Most
people feel better in 2-3 days. If you are not fit, rested and
healthy you will probably suffer more jet lag than others on the
same flight.
Ear
Pain and Airplane Travel
Everyone
either knows or knows someone that has had ear pain when flying
in a plane. Ear barotrauma is caused by unequal pressure on either
side of the eardrum. Descent is when people have the most discomfort,
the cabin pressure increases and pushes on the eardrum causing
pain.
Normally
the Eustachian tube equalizes pressure between the middle ear
and the outside. If you have an ear infection or a sinus infection
the Eustachian tube may not function properly. In infants the
Eustachian tube sometimes is too small, and may not function well
enough to equalize pressure during descent. In adults, pseudoephederine,
an over the counter medicine, has been shown to decrease ear pain
while flying.
It
should be taken one hour before travel. Some non-medical tricks
that keep the Eustachian tubes open include chewing gum, sucking
on candy, and yawning. In children one study has shown that pseudoephederine
is not effective.
You
can make sure your child is awake during take-off and landing.
Give child a pacifier or a bottle, the sucking motion helps open
the Eustachian tube. If possible avoid flying if your child has
an ear infection or cold.
Motion
Sickness
Motion
Sickness is nausea, vomiting, and irritability while traveling
in car, boat, or a plane. The eyes and ears maintain balance and
sends signals to the brain, which in turn makes sense of these
signals. Motion sickness is caused by conflicting signals sent
from the ears and eyes to the brain.
The
symptoms are worse when there are more twists and turns like on
a carnival ride or a mountain road. The brain can usually adapt
over a period of time on a boat this is called getting your sea
legs.
In an airplane the aisle seats over the wings have the least motion.
In a car the front seat is the best place to sit, this allows
one to focus on the horizon, avoiding rapid head movements. Fresh
air seems to help, so roll the windows down.
Before
traveling avoid eating or try small frequent meals. Stay away
from spicy or fatty foods. Saltine crackers, canned peaches, and
ginger ale seem to help some people.
Over
the counter medicines, anti-histamines, like dramamine, and Benadryl
are available if the symptoms are severe.
Children
are more prone to motion sickness, but usually outgrow it by the
age of If your child has motion sickness do not let them read
in the car, instead try playing with an action fiqure or word
game.
Also
try playing games to get them to focus on object in the horizon.
Do not let them sit backwards. You should check with you pediatrician
for medicine recommendations.
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