What Is Jet Lag? Its Symptoms and How to Avoid It?

What is jet lag, can it be avoided, and how to deal with this condition after the flight? Let’s find the answers in the article.

When preparing to fly on vacation, do not forget to change time zones. Jetlag can manifest itself in different ways, and there are several ways to cope with this condition, the most unpleasant result of which is the loss of precious time to return to normal.

What is jet lag?

Jetlag is a time zone change syndrome when the body’s natural clock or circadian rhythm is disrupted. Traveling by car or train is not so fast, and it is easier for the body to adapt to jet lag. But flights have become a part of modern life. Few people want to spend half of their vacation in a reserved seat when you can be at sea a few hours after leaving home.

The body gets used to a certain rhythm of life – the time of getting up and going to sleep. Large fluctuations in the schedule negatively affect your well-being. And it’s not only about habits and enough sleep but also about the production of hormones depending on the biorhythms and time of day. Jet lag, also called desynchronises or circadian arrhythmia, is temporary but can have negative health effects.

As you travel east, the symptoms are aggravated: it is easier to stay awake longer than to force yourself to go to bed earlier than usual.

Main symptoms

Jetlag manifests itself with symptoms of varying severity, mainly these include tiredness and lethargy, headache, gastrointestinal disorders, drowsiness or insomnia, excessive irritability, disorientation in space.

In some cases, symptoms of chronic diseases and nervous disorders, up to depression, may increase. All this happens due to the inconsistency of the body’s internal clock and circumstances.

What to do to avoid jet lag?

There are several popular guidelines for dealing with jet lag symptoms.

Try to sleep on the plane. If you have to spend the whole day in a different time zone, it is better to give your body a rest. It is easier to fall asleep during the flight, despite the noise and unusual temperatures, because the atmospheric pressure in the cockpit is lower than on the ground.

Drink plenty of water. Traveling by plane is fraught with dehydration. You can drink mineral water, water enriched with electrolytes, sports drinks. In the event of dehydration, they can help restore water balance faster than plain water.

Try to make the flight enjoyable. Medical research shows that travel fatigue also contributes to jet lag. Changes in cabin pressure may cause some jet lag symptoms regardless of travel time. Try to calm down and have a good time: listen to your favourite music, read a book, think about good things.

Avoid coffee and alcohol on the plane. The nervous system of travellers is often in an overexcited state because a flight is stressful for the body. However, you shouldn’t try to calm yourself down with alcohol or, on the contrary, cheer up with a third cup of coffee in a row. These drinks in large quantities contribute to dehydration, affect the quality of sleep, unbalance circadian rhythms, and often provoke jetlag-like symptoms such as nausea, headache, and indigestion.

If you are experiencing more severe symptoms such as cold sweats, vomiting, and fever, a virus may have joined the jet lag, you have altitude sickness, or you may be hypothermic. When symptoms persist for more than a day, it makes sense to see a doctor. Alternatively, give a call to Lloyd’s Pharmacy, the experts thee will gladly assist you with the jet lag issue.

WANT TO RECEIVE PERSONAL, STYLISH SUGGESTIONS TO YOUR EMAIL?

FILL OUT THE FOLLOWING FORM: