(from jetlag.co.nz)
* Fatigue
Being worn out and tired for days after arriving, generally accompanied by a lack of concentration and motivation, especially for any activity that requires effort or skill, such as driving, reading or discussing a business deal.
[So, a watertight excuse to lay in bed for a week]
But even simple daily activities can become harder, and one's capacity to truly enjoy a tourist holiday is significantly reduced.
* Disorientation, fuzziness
Having to return to check three times to see if a hotel room was left locked or unlocked is a typical symptom reported by flight crews experiencing jet-lag.
[Thankfully, I'm not staying in a hotel. But this fuzziness... will that abate, or will I need to seek depilation?]
* Becoming irrational or unreasonable
"Losing it" is another symptom reported by aircrew, which explains why long-haul flights get very tedious near the end, and why going through customs and immigration and getting to the hotel often seems like a real drama.
[And I'd always thought that being wedged into a cramped seat with a small child kicking the back of my chair for sixteen hours was what made the flight tedious. No. It's the malevolent jet lag.]
* Broken sleep after arrival
Crossing time zones can cause you to wake during the night and then want to fall asleep during the day at your new location. Your inbuilt circadian rhythms have been disturbed, and it can take days for the body to readjust. NASA estimates you need one day for every time zone crossed to regain normal rhythm and energy levels. So a 5-hour time difference means you may require five days to get back to normal! Can you afford that?
[*gasp!* Not with my high-powered lifestyle I can't! And how does NASA know my itinerary, anyway?]
In addition to the above symptoms of jet-lag, the syndrome is made worse by some common physical problems caused by being confined in an airliner for hours:
* Dehydration
This can cause headaches, dry skin and nasal irritation, and make you more susceptible to any colds, coughs, sore throats and flu that are floating round in the aircraft.
[Nasal irritation?]
* Discomfort of legs and feet
Limbs swelling while flying can be extremely uncomfortable, and in some cases may prevent travelers wearing their normal shoes for up to 24 hours after arrival.
[Popeye was a frequent flyer.]
A report from the World Health Organisation directly links jet-lag with problems of diarrhoea caused by microbiological contamination of water or food, which it says affects about 50% of long-haul travellers. "Factors such as travel fatigue, jet-lag, a change in diet, a different climate and a low level of immunity may aggravate the problem by reducing a traveller's resistance and making them more susceptible to this type of infection or poisoning," the report says.
[Great. A dose of the squits on top of having grotesquely distended limbs and "losing it" at customs due to severe nasal irritation.]
Journey is eastward through 8 timezones.
* What to do on the flight
Try to maintain a sufficient fluid intake - not all alcoholic - so as to prevent dehydration. Don't forget to have the occasional stroll to guard against muscle cramp. If you want to sleep, only do so if it is coincident with night time at your destination.
[Not all alcoholic? So 15 vodkas is just fine, so long as you temper it with a soda occasionally?
Perhaps another tip might be to remember that you've had a sleeping tablet before accepting the flight attendant's kind offer of a measure of sake... voice of experience here.]
* Exposure to light on arrival
Try to adjust your activities and lifestyle to be coincident with those at your destination.
[Unfortunately, I'm going to Britain, where there is no sunlight.]
* On day one at your destination:
Try to be active in bright light between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on the new local time. Try to relax and avoid bright light between 5 a.m. and 11 a.m. on the new local time.
* On day two at your destination:
Try to be active in bright light between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on the new local time. Try to relax and avoid bright light between 3 a.m. and 9 a.m. on the new local time.
* On day three at your destination:
Try to be active in bright light between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on the new local time. Try to relax and avoid bright light between 1 a.m. and 8 a.m. on the new local time.
After that, enjoy the environment at your destination
[No, you misunderstand; I'm going to England]
Perhaps I should phone ahead to have an ambulance waiting.
1 comment:
Hey Ms S, this is the exact reason I have remained on my designated continent..
I once had a big fight with the wait staff on the TRAIN from Brisbane to Sydney because they wouldn't put hot water in my cup to make tea because it didn't have a lid and they were worried I'd spill it and sue them...
I 'lost it'
'went off the nana'.. had to apologize later and I hate that... x
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