| Causes and Remedies for Jet Lag |
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| Science - Science |
| Written by Diane Kelly |
| Saturday, 13 September 2008 08:55 |
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Physiological processes of all living beings like animals and plants work on a 24-hour rhythm, one complete cycle per day. We call it our "body clock". When you pass through a number of time zones in a short period of time, say from Houston to New York, your body clock loses its sync. It cannot adjust to the destination's daylight-darkness cycle quickly enough. The result is that you feel disoriented or jet-lag.
Physiological processes of all living beings like animals and plants work on a 24-hour rhythm, one complete cycle per day. We call it our "body clock". When you pass through a number of time zones in a short period of time, say from Houston to New York, your body clock loses its sync. It cannot adjust to the destination's daylight-darkness cycle quickly enough. The result is that you feel disoriented or jet-lag. A person experiencing jet lag can feel cranky, mildly depressed, as well as forgetful. The person may find it difficult to concentrate, may suffer a loss of appetite and may suffer from disturbed sleep pattern. The may become dehydrated and get swollen feet. Jet lag is not caused by the actual time in the air spent but crossing time zones. A journey from Frankfurt to New York is likely to cause jet lag but a journey from Frankfurt to Johannesburg will not. These two cities, Frankfurt and Johannesburg, lie within the same time zone. The length of time in an airplane is sure to cause discomfiture mostly because you are sitting in a little seat in the same cramped position for a long time but not necessarily jet lag. Of course not everyone gets jet lagged to the same extent. Generally older persons are found to suffer less from jet lag as compared to younger ones. Moreover, it is found that women in the reproductive age group are more susceptible to suffer from jet lag. It depends to a large extent on the personal physiological adjustability of each individual person. People who know they normally get jet lagged can take some precautions to avoid severity of discomfort from jet lag. Prior to your flight get a good night's sleep. Avoid embarking on the journey under strain; try to spend some relaxed time prior to the flight. Drink alcohol in moderation on the aircraft and, as always, DRINK PLENTY OF WATER. (Aren't you tired of hearing that?) Get some light exercise such as walking up and down the aisle and a little stretching will help. Remove your shoes and try to stretch your feet, wiggle your toes some. You can find many "anti jet lag" suggestions. Act on them with caution. Do not take sleeping pills to get over jet lag as some people may suggest; it may have rather unpleasant consequences. There are anti jet lag diets on the market. Efficacy apart, it is such a cumbersome remedy that it turns out to be not a very practical solution. An OTC (over the counter) homeopathic drug is available which is said to be effective and being homeopathic medicine it is stated to be free of side effects. As an anti jet lag drug Melatonin has claimed to be effective. You must take it at specific times for a number of days, starting with a few days prior to going on the journey. Research does not support its anti-jet-lag claims and quite the contrary. It may lead to worsening of the jet lag symptoms. You must adhere to its strict instructions regarding timing are not followed. In fact in UK it is banned. A jet lagged condition may carry on for many days. Recovery from jet lag at the rate of "one day per time zone" is considered quite reasonable. The easiest methods for rapid recovery are relaxation, good sleep, sensible diet and moderate exercise. No fun at all for a vacation. This is what you have to do at home. Give it go anyway and attempt to have fun. Bon voyage! About the Author: If you enjoyed this article and wish to read more about jet lag, don't forget to look at my further resources at www.jetlagsolution.net. |