Saturday, October 11, 2008

Jetlag Causes and Prevention

By Diane Kelly

Physiological & biochemical processes of the body follow a rhythm with a 24-hour periodicity of daylight-and-darkness; it is commonly called the body clock. When a person travels across a number of time zones in a short period of time, the body clock cannot get synchronized with the daylight-darkness periodicity of the destination and the body processes get disoriented. This disorientation is generally known as jetlag.

Generally long distance air travelers face this situation and hence this condition is known as jetlag. Apart from travelers some other people such as those working night shifts for long periods at a stretch or working long hours for a number of days may also be affected by jetlag. Their working conditions create an environment which has different rhythm of body activities effectively creating a different daylight-darkness cycle.

Loss of appetite, mild depression, loss of inability to concentrate, irritability, being confused or forgetful are common symptoms of being jet lagged. The affected persons may also suffer from swollen or uncomfortable feet, dehydration, disturbed sleep pattern, etc.

In case of travelers it is the time zones crossed and not the length of the flight-time that matters. For instance Frankfurt to Johannesburg journey would not cause jetlag since they lie along the same meridian (and hence same time zone); it may cause tiredness due to length of time spent sitting up or headache due to low cabin pressure for a longtime but no jet lag.

On the other hand a journey from Los Angeles to New York may cause jetlag. There are extreme periods of daylight or darkness near north and south poles depending on the time of year; jetlag effects can be quite severe in these areas.

You can take a few precautions to avoid being severely jet lagged. A good night's sleep prior to a journey, having light meals and drinking plenty of non-alcoholic fluid in the aircraft helps in reducing the jetlag effects. Remove your shoes and stretch your legs to avoid swelling of the feet. Take some exercise like walking up and down the aisle, stretching, etc. to avoid discomfort.

Some people believe that some drugs like Melatonin can help in avoiding the jetlag. Melatonin is required to be taken for a few days starting before the journey and continuing for a few days after it. It is required to be taken at specific times. The anti jetlag claim of the drug is not really supported by research and on the contrary, in some cases, it may lead to worsening the effect of jetlag. In UK has been banned.

Anti-jetlag diets are available on the market. But it is a cumbersome process to follow the diet for a number of days; it is not very practical solution. It is a mistaken belief that sleeping pills help you get over the jetlag; you are strongly advised against it as it can cause other complications. A homeopathic drug, "No Jet Lag", is said to be effective and being homeopathic medicine it is stated to be free of side effects. - 14130

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