It is always important to keep your body fit and healthy even during travel or vacations. Air travel brings some stresses and may expose you to some health problems. This article will discuss to you how you can prevent these problems from happening.
One of the stresses your body gets is not on board but before the flight. Most of the time, airports require the passengers to arrive 2 hours earlier the departure time. This brings stress especially if we are rushing to catch the check in time. To avoid this, leave your house early to avoid rushing. Wear comfortable shoes or sandal also because most terminals are huge and it would require a lot of walking just to reach the gate for boarding. Don’t give too much stress to your body by carrying your backpacks and luggage. There are free trolleys that you can use inside the airport. Dehydration can be avoided by taking lots of fluids. Small walks can prevent deep vein thrombosis which may happen especially during long flights. Nervousness can be avoided by relaxing and distracting yourself by reading.
Travel through air is not always advisable for those who had a recent surgery. Change in air pressure may compromise the speed of tissue healing. Cabin pressure may also worsen sinus infection and common colds. Bring all your important prescription drugs and medical history as well. Travel insurance is also an option if you don’t want to spend on unexpected health problem during the trip.
Here’s a list on what you can do during the flight:
1. Alcoholic and caffeinated drinks can add up to dehydration so you must stay away from these drinks.
2. Long flights will lead to long hours of immobility which can cause upset stomach. To avoid this, you should not eat a very heavy meal prior to the flight.
3. Immobility can affect digestion and can also cause muscle and joint pains and edema. During a flight, you may stand and move around to prevent the effects of immobility to your body.
4. Do some ankle pumping exercise by moving your ankle up and down. Compressive stockings may also help in preventing blood pooling and ensures good blood flow.
5. Prevent sinus and ear pain by swallowing sweets or pinching your nose, especially during take-off and landing.
6. Wear protective mask if you just recently got ill and have low immunity. Infection spreads easily inside the plain because of high humidity inside the craft. This is due to dehydration and drying of the oral and nasal mucosa due to high humidity.
7. If you have a history of motion sickness, it is helpful if you’ll take anti-motion sickness drug before boarding. Always bring all your important medications and consult your doctor for additional emergency prescription for the trip.
It is very important to follow the precautions above to avoid health problems during flights. This is always true for frequent travelers and to those who travel rarely as well.