Flying really isn’t good for
you, right?
Of course not. But perhaps the
most remarkable thing is how
little damage being sealed in a
pressurised cabin with hundreds
of other people and their germs
does to you. Flying does expose
you to higher levels of radiation,
but not dangerously so. You’ll
get more from a chest X-ray, for
example, than a transatlantic
light, though this mounts up a
little for frequent lyers. But
even airline crew aren’t exposed
to nearly enough each year for
it to tip into the danger zone
— where there’s an increased
risk of getting cancer.
What about dehydration?
Dry air circulates around cabins,
which can have a dehydrating
efect. For those who are
otherwise it and well, this doesn’t
cause much of a problem
— sometimes dry skin, a dry
mouth and/or a mild headache.
But the dehydrating efects
of being at high altitude and
low humidity for hours can
exacerbate existing illnesses.
Going easy on alcoholic or
cafeinated drinks can help, and
switching contact lenses for
spectacles is a wise idea to avoid
eye irritation.And deep vein thrombosis?
It’s a common misconception
that deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
is something that only happens
on lights — it’s more about being
immobile than being up in the air.
Risks are similar if you’re on a long
bus journey, for example. Lack of
movement can slow blood low in
the veins, leading to blood clots
— usually in the legs — which
can potentially break of and
cause a life-threating pulmonary
embolism. The NHS Fit For Travel
site says those who have had
recent surgery, are pregnant or
obese, or sufer from varicose
veins are among the groups at
most risk from DVT.What can be done to
prevent it?
Anti-embolism stockings, if worn
correctly, are a good bet, but most
of the best preventative measures
are behavioural. Advice includeschoosing an aisle seat, as this
extra room acts as an incentive
to move around more, carrying
out muscle exercises, avoiding
excessive alcohol consumption
and staying well hydrated — if
only because it’ll make you get up
to go to the toilet more oten.Anything else to fret over?
The main aspect of in-light
health that most of us will
encounter is tiredness and
changes to circadian rhythms.
Flying oten involves getting up
at unsociable hours, inadequate
sleep and messing up the body
clock — all of which leave us more
susceptible to being hit nastily
by any bugs that may be loating
about. Jet lag, alas, is something
there’s no easy cure for. However,
there are a number of things that
can be done to minimise it. They
include — get whatever sleep you
can on the plane, try to adjust
meal times to the destination,
don’t plan much for the irst day
or take a stopover. And — this
should be something of a mantra
— try to avoid going the whole
hog on the free wine and spirits. IMAGES: GETTYIN-FLIGHT HEALTH
IS THERE A HUMAN COST TO BEING ABLE TO JET OFF AT WILL? ALAS, IT’S NOT
EXACTLY THE HEALTHIEST THING YOU CAN DO — AND IT’S WORTH KNOWING
THE TOLL IT TAKES ON THE HUMAN BODY. WORDS: DAVID WHITLEYFREQUENT FLYERIN-FLIGHT
EXERCISES
Try to do these every hourKNEE HUGGING: Clasp your
knee so your leg lifts. Hold
for around 10 seconds, then
repeat with the other leg.
Repeat 10 times.NECK ROLLING: Relax your
shoulders, then lean your
head towards one, before
rolling it towards the other.
Repeat 10 times.ANKLE CIRCLING: Lift your
legs and circle your feet
clockwise from the ankle.
Then anticlockwise. Do both
10 times for each foot.FOOT PUMPING: Keep your
heels on the loor, and raise
your toes upwards as far as
possible. Switch directions.
Repeat both 10 times.GO FOR A WALK: A simple
one — try to make a point of
getting up to pace up and
down the aisle a few times.TRAVEL GEEKS
162 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel