Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Air travel and sickness


Travelling on planes is something most of us do

We have no choice as to who flies with us

No choice as to who sits next to us

Just a lottery

No way of knowing who has a cold, flu or virus

No choice about the oxygen levels chosen by the crew

Many airlines turn these down on long haul flights to make us drowsy

So that we sleep and are quiet

All modern airliners with the exception of the Boeing 787, which is not in service yet take their cabin air in through the engine nacelles

This approach has been of concern to pilots for some time as any engine seal failures can lead to contaminated air being brought into the aircraft

And yes there are other health factors we could worry about

And so it is no surprise to hear that there are more and more people feeling sick days after travelling

Often no connection is made with the flight

In these times of stress it is a good idea to become more aware

When travelling by air there is not much we can change about how we travel

We can though be conscious that stress can make us more susceptible to catching that cold or flu or nasty bug

The tensions we carry make us more vulnerable

Feeling fear is also not helpful

So the less we worry or carry concerns the less likely we will be to pick up nasties

Approach travelling by air as a day off

Something different

A change
.
A day or time to enjoy being away from normal routines
.
And even if you are subjected to delays or other inconveniences let them go
.
Take a good book with you
.
Your music a dvd
.
Magazines, that Sudoko you wanted to do
.
More relaxation = less stress = calmer immune system = better protection

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