The airlines may not want you to know to many of these details.
We are constantly told that flying is the safest way to travel, a statistical truth that is based on the incredibly low number of accidents. This is true, but it obscures the fact that the modern flying experience is filled with a host of other, less dramatic risks and stresses that can have a real impact on your health and well-being. These are not the things the airlines like to talk about in their glossy advertisements.
These are the hidden realities of air travel that can make a long flight a surprisingly grueling physical ordeal.
1. The risk of blood clots is real and serious.
The biggest real health risk of flying is deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot that can form in your leg during long periods of inactivity. Sitting in a cramped economy class seat for hours on end causes blood to pool in your lower legs, which can lead to the formation of these clots. For most people, this is not an issue, but for those with certain risk factors, it can be very dangerous.
If a piece of the clot breaks off, it can travel to your lungs and cause a life-threatening pulmonary embolism, as shared by USA Today. This is why it is so important to get up, stretch, and walk around the cabin periodically on a long flight.
2. The incredibly dry cabin air is bad for your body.
The air inside an airplane cabin at cruising altitude is drier than the air in the Sahara Desert, with a humidity level that is often less than 20%. This incredibly dry air leaches moisture from your body, which can lead to a number of unpleasant side effects. It can cause your skin to feel dry and tight, your eyes to feel itchy and irritated, and your nasal passages and throat to become dry.
This dehydration can also make you feel more fatigued and can increase your susceptibility to catching a respiratory virus, Forbes reported. It is essential to drink a lot more water than you normally would during a flight.
3. You are exposed to higher levels of cosmic radiation.
This is a little-known but scientifically proven fact. When you are at a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet, there is less of the Earth’s atmosphere to protect you from cosmic radiation, which is a form of ionizing radiation that comes from space. On a single long-haul flight, you can be exposed to a dose of radiation that is equivalent to a chest X-ray.
While this is not a concern for the casual vacationer, it is a recognized occupational health risk for pilots and flight attendants who spend their lives at high altitudes. It’s a reminder of the unique and unnatural environment you are in, as mentioned in Reader’s Digest.
4. You are trapped in a germ-filled tube.
While the HEPA filters on modern aircraft are very effective at cleaning the air of viruses, you are still in a small, enclosed space with a hundred other people for several hours. The greatest risk of getting sick on a plane is not from the recycled air, but from direct contact with a sick person sitting near you or from touching a contaminated surface.
The tray tables, the seatbelt buckles, and the lavatory door handles are all major hotspots for germs. The close proximity to so many other people inevitably increases your risk of exposure to a respiratory virus like the flu or the common cold.
5. The cabin pressurization takes a toll on your body.
The air pressure inside an airplane cabin at cruising altitude is maintained at a level that is equivalent to being on a mountain at about 6,000 to 8,000 feet. Your body is not used to this lower pressure, and it can have a number of physiological effects. The gasses in your body expand, which is why you can feel bloated or have ear pain during ascent and descent.
The lower pressure also means that there is less oxygen in the air, and your blood oxygen saturation level will be lower than it is on the ground. This can contribute to feeling tired and groggy after a long flight.
6. Severe jet lag is more than just feeling tired.
A long-haul flight across multiple time zones can cause a severe disruption to your body’s internal clock, or circadian rhythm. Jet lag is not just a feeling of being tired; it is a temporary sleep disorder that can have a host of unpleasant side effects, including insomnia, fatigue, digestive issues, and difficulty concentrating.
It can take your body several days to fully adjust to the new time zone, which can rob you of the first few precious days of your vacation. It is a significant physiological stress that airlines often downplay in their advertising for long-haul routes.
7. The constant noise and vibration are physically exhausting.
For the entire duration of a flight, your body is being subjected to a constant, low-frequency noise and vibration from the engines. While you may tune it out consciously, your body and your brain are still processing it. This constant sensory input is physically fatiguing and is a major contributor to the feeling of being completely drained after a long flight.
It is a subtle but significant physical stressor that is a part of the flying experience that we often don’t think about, but which has a real impact on how we feel when we arrive.