Do You Ever Feel Weird After A Flight? Here Are The Reasons Why And How To Stop It From Happening The Next Time You Fly.

By Missy aka Tizzy in Health and Fitness On 4th January 2018
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You Become Dehydrated

Your body can shed 1.5 liters of water during a three-hour flight. This happens because the humidity inside an airplane is very low and will cause the mucous of our throat, mouth, and nose to dry out, and this depletes your natural water levels. Be sure to keep yourself hydrated before, during, and after your flight.

You’ll Start to Bloat

The air pressure inside the cabin of the plane can cause a variety of gastrointestinal issues like bloating and stomach pains because of a build-up of gas. The air pressure prevents gas from spreading through your body properly. Keeping yourself hydrated will help prevent bloating. You should not drink anything carbonated during your flight and try taking a Gas-Ex pill if the problem is painful.

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You’re Deprived of Oxygen

Most airplane cabins are pressurized to 75% of normal atmospheric pressure. This will cause less oxygen in your blood and can lead to hypoxia. That will leave you feeling dizzy, tired, and having a headache. This is not something that is easily remedied. If you are having issues, you can ask the stewardess for supplemental oxygen.

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You’re Surrounded by Germs

The chance of you catching a cold while on an airplane is very high because half of the cabin's oxygen is recirculated. This airflow makes the conditions for airborne infections such as colds, respiratory infections and viruses ideal for susceptible passengers as the humidity levels are so low. What makes things worse is that bacteria can live on an airplane for up to a week. Try taking something like Airborne or other immune system boosting supplements before you board your plane.

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You Can’t Hear or Taste Very Well

Did you know that a third of your taste buds can become numb at high altitudes? That on top of the air pressure affecting your hearing does not make for a fun flight. Our perception of sweet and saltiness drops by 30%. The other factors that contribute to these numbing of our senses are dull cabin lighting, high stress levels, and colder temperatures. There really is not much that can be done to prevent these things from happening.

You’re Exposed to Cosmic Radiation

During the course of a seven-hour flight, you are exposed to the same amount of radiation as an x-ray. This research came to light when there were fears that 'solar storms' could cause harmful radiation exposure to those who travel by air. You are exposed to stronger UV rays as well, and the windows do not always provide enough protection. We know this all sounds a bit scary, but the risk of severe damage from lying is very low.

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Blood Will Pool in Your Legs

When you combine lack of movement with the high pressure of the cabin, fluid will build up in your body and increase your risk of deep vein thrombosis. In order to avoid this, get up and walk around any chance that you get. That will increase your blood flow and reduce your chance of having your blood pool in your legs.

The two main things you want to take from this article is to drink a lot of water and move around the cabin when you are able to do so. Those are the best things to make sure you do not feel like utter crap after your long flight.