In this day and age most of us travel by air. Yet as you fly at that extraordinary speed, some thousands of feet in the air, your body needs to gear up. Else, you run the risk of developing a bad ear, blocked nose, itchy eyes, queasy stomach, and on a more severe note, blood clots in the circulation. Follow these simple measures to safeguard yourself.
Snack and swallow: Ear pain is common because of the pressure changes in the inner ear (Eustachian) tube, which draws the eardrum inwards. Some easy recipes can prevent this, just swallow, munch and chew, or perhaps even yawn. It will help equalise the air pressure in your ear tubes.
Take a deep breath; hold it for seconds.
Slowly exhale about 20 per cent of the air while gradually pursing your lips.
After about two seconds, exhale normally.
To avoid light-headedness, limit your pressure breaths to no more than 10.
Liquid is a must: The pressurised cabin of an aircraft has extremely low humidity, only five to 10 per cent. You could easily get dehydrated and your nose, eyes, throat and skin can go dry. By drinking a lot of liquids such as water and fruit juices during the flight, you could stay well hydrated.
Fly light: If you are the sensitive kind and feel queasy during travel, avoid partaking of a big meal before catching a flight. Travel on a light stomach. If you still feel awful, take an anti-sickness pill, like Avomine, 45-minutes before commencing journey.
The writer is Senior Specialist, Safdarjung Hospital and Professor, VM Medical College