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Jet lag

WHOEVER said it is better to travel than arrive had obviously never suffered from jet lag. (Actually, as it was Robert Louis Stevenson in the 19th century, that's not surprising.)

It's always the same. There's the excitement of the long-haul trip to an exotic destination to look forward to and you board the aircraft full of enthusiasm and anticipation.

Then reality sets in. For whilst your body arrives at the other end ready for holiday fun, or work if its a business trip, its time-clock is still in orbit and can take days to settle down, leaving you feeling as if you've been run over by a steam-roller.

And it's a distressing condition. Your body's rhythm is set on home time and usually its internal clock only resets itself by about one hour every day.

So you might just have adjusted to local time of wherever you are, when its time to come home again, and go through the same exhausting disruption.

It can be even worse for those who must undertake regular international travel as part of their work and the dangers of business people or politicans trying to do important deals whilst suffering jet lag are obvious.

Even professionals, such as flight attendants and crew are not immune.

It is likely the further east or west you travel from home the more likely you are to suffer from jet lag. Flying east seems more disturbing than flying west and problems increase with the number of time zones crossed.

And it can mean fatigue, disorientation, broken sleep, lack of concentration and general discomfort.

There is evidence that it also makes travelers more susceptible to colds, flu and stomach upsets.

So what causes jet lag?

Sitting in a tube suspended above the earth, able to eat, drink, and relax whilst you are transported to some glossy destination sounds wonderful. But in fact nearly everything about aircraft travel can cause the body problems.

Rapid transit across world time zones is the biggest cause of jet lag. The time difference disrupts the body clock, which has a great effect on blood pressure, heartbeat and temperature, leading to mental and physical fatigue and disorientation.

Excessive eating, and drinking alcohol and caffeine in flight, don't help. The dry air in an aircraft causes hydration, and alcohol is much more intoxicating when drunk at altitude than ground level.

Caffeine and heavy meals may cause problems with sleep and digestion.

Sitting for long periods causes discomfort, including swollen legs and feet, and in some cases has proved fatal, when blood clots have developed.

Altitude and pressure changes at take-off and landings also upset the body, especially if there are several during a long journey.

Do's and don'ts of jet lag

The golden rules are:

Be well rested before you leave - Try and get a good night's sleep before your trip, several nights uninterrupted restful sleep if possible.
Avoid alcohol before and during the flight.
Drink lots of water to compensate for the dry air
Avoid heavy meals - eat lightly
Exercise as much as you can. Walk up and down the aisle, do stretching exercises in your seat, and if possible, get off the plane at stopovers.
Try and fly during daylight
Try and get into the rhythm of your new destination as soon as possible. Setting your watch to the local time of the area you are flying when you board the aircraft, and taking meals and sleep accordingly if you can.
Once you arrive, try to keep awake so that you sleep at night local time.
Spend some time in daylight as soon as possible once you arrive. If you are travelling east, expose yourself to morning light, if travelling west, to afternoon light - this will help your body systems to adjust.
Try and get ''quality'' sleep when flying. Blindfolds, ear-plugs and blow-up pillows help. Take your shoes off to ease pressure on the feet.

Malatonin

This is a chemical produced naturally by the body, and a drug used by hospitals to stabilise sleep-patterns, for example in handicapped children and the blind. There are claims that it can ''re-set'' the internal body clock, and although not licensed as a medicine for jet-lag in the UK, it is available in countries such as the USA and Singapore.

But if you're tempted to try it, remember it is still controversial, and a small number of trials on its effectiveness have so far been inconclusive. Side-effects reported in some cases include symptoms similar to jet-lag itself, and there is still little information on its possible long-term safety.

Links
The Patients' Association
Propsals from the select committee on science and technology - air Travel and health summary
DOH Travel advice