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Long Haul Flight Issues
By siliconindia
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Saturday, 22 October 2011, 00:29 IST
Bangalore: Its vacation time! Been planning to go on a long holiday with your family and all geared up for it! But little does your ticket mention how troublesome your long journey could get. Long flight hauls can become tiresome and drain out all the energy out of you.
Some of the most common problems faced by the passengers-
Deep Vein Thrombosis(DVT)
People are usually under the impression that airplane seats are very comfortable. On a general basis, the economy class seats are not really designed for comfort. Sitting in the same position for long time means that blood pools in the body and clots can develop. DVT is normally formed in a deep vain in the leg.
Those who have already have known to have blood clotting problems are advised to consult their doctor before flying. Avoiding long stretches where you are inactive during a flight is probably the best way to avoid DVT from developing. The problem aggravates when a part of the clot breaks off and flows to the lungs. This condition, known as Pulmonary Embolus, can cause severe injury or death.
Stretch your legs every few minutes and move around the cabin if possible. Wear some clothing you are comfortable in, preferably loose clothing in order to avoid constriction of veins.
Jet Lag
Travel by sea provides an ample amount of time for the human body to adjust to the local time but flight journeys are a difficult. The traveler usually ends up in the part of the world where the time is out of sync. With a disturbed body clock, it takes one day per time zone for it to adjust to the new surroundings.
Jet lag usually causes insomnia, tiredness, nausea, vomitting, constipation, poor concentration etc. So take enough rest before the travel.
Avoid having alcohol as much possible on the flight and cut down to coffee and tea.
Just have lots of water without any carbon content; carbonized drinks makes you feel bloats you up and also upsets the stomach. And some sleeping tablets en route the journey could give a good amount of sleep.
Respiratory Infections
Sitting for a long time next to passengers suffering from common cold may not only make you feel uncomfortable but might also increase your chances of getting infected. Surveys say that there is small risk of catching Tuberculosis over air flights; the transmission has been noted in flights lasting over eight hours.
Other health issues
Long-haul flights a curse of many a back pain sufferers. Cramped leg room, uncomfortable seating and being confined to a small space all contribute to lower back pain during and after a flight.
Doctors advice to sit at an angle of 135 degrees; the pressure is least on the vertebral discs.
If you have neck pain, carry an inflatable neck pillow along with you to provide extra support for your head and neck.
After the flight
Now that you have arrived at your destination, collect your bags and get started. Even after the flight, if you find yourself in pain, you can do is keep moving. Stand up for sometime and give your back a good stretch with a spinal roll-down. A good tissue massage can release the stiffness and relax tense muscles.
If you've a had a ad stomach throughout the journey, have a cup of herbal tea.