Flight Tips for Common Health Problems

Do you dread getting on an airplane because you know you’re going to feel awful the whole time?  Do you suffer from motion sickness, painful earaches and other problems when you fly?  Here are a few flight tips for dealing with those common health issues that make flying miserable for some people.

Aches and Pains
Let’s face it.  Anytime you are in an airplane these days, you are packed in.  Most flights are completely full, and there isn’t much legroom anywhere but first class.  The seats seem to get narrower all the time and the aisles are nearly impossible to get through.  And then the guy in front of you reclines his seat and you’re stuck in one position for the entire flight.

Most of us suffer from aches and pains after flying because we are pretty immobile the entire time.  A few flight tips for fighting the achiness are:
• Take an anti-inflammatory before getting on the airplane.  An ounce of prevention…
• Wiggle a lot.  Move around in your seat, wiggle your toes, move your arms and legs around.  Try not to annoy other passengers, but a little wiggle will loosen up your muscles and make you more comfortable.
• Get up and walk a bit if at all possible.

Motion Sickness
If you tend to suffer from motion-sickness, flying can be pure misery.  Try to get a seat in the most stable part of the airplane—in a window seat over the wing.  If you tell the flight attendant you suffer from motion sickness, he or she may relocate you to see if this helps.

Turn the air on.  You tend to feel less nauseous when cool air is blowing over you.

Don’t eat before flying.  The crackers or pretzels airlines sometimes give out may help your nausea.

Don’t drink alcohol or carbonated beverages.  Alcohol tends to increase queasiness, and the bubbles in carbonated beverages get bigger in your stomach during a flight.  That can send you from queasy to vomiting.

Don’t read on the plane.  Closing your eyes may increase nausea, too.  Try looking out the window and watching the horizon; sometimes that helps.

Avoid strong odors.  If your seat mate’s lunch is making your stomach lurch, he’d probably rather put it away than have you puking next to him.  If not, ask the flight attendant to relocate you.

Consider taking anti-nausea medication before getting on the plane.  You can buy Dramamine and similar products over the counter—even in the airport.  Ginger capsules help some people, too.

Ear Pain
If you routinely suffer from ear pain when you fly, take a decongestant an hour or so before getting on the plane.  It helps dry your ears out so that they “pop” instead of hurting.

Chewing gum or crunchy snacks frequently helps make your ears pop.

Another trick is to suck on something.  This works very well for children.  Younger children can use a pacifier, and a small lollipop works for older children and adults.

These flight tips should help you travel more comfortably the next time you get in the air.