Other Flying Health Risks

There are other health risks associated with flying that you may know or have heard of that make flying seem like a dangerous experience for you. But don't worry. This page will explain other minor health problems that may occur to you when flying. But most importantly this page will explain how to lessen those health risks so you can enjoy your flight and get to where you are going safely.

Firstly, none of these health risks are life threatening. If they were, we would still be using ships to get from continent to another.

Lack of Movement

Lack of movement or immobility in an aircraft can be a problem especially on long flights. This may lead to swollen extremeties, i.e. feet and legs, aching muscles, and indigestion which may lead to stomach pain. You can avoid these problems by simply taking a walk around the flight. Walk around as often as you see fit. This will keep your muscles from going stiff and will prevent the problems mentioned above.

Stress

It's easy to get stressed when flying if you had to rush through traffic, had to fight for parking space, had a hard time getting your luggage checked in and didn't get the best seat in the airplane.

The best way to avoid stress is to plan your flight and allow enough time for getting to the airport, getting your luggage checked in and everything else that you need done at the airport. The best person to prevent stress is yourself.

If your fear of flying is psychological and you get very anxious about flying, the web page about air rage will help you with dealing with extreme stress. Air rage is a result of extreme stress and anxiety.

Cabin Air Pressure

Air pressure in an airline cabin at high altitude expands slightly greater than that you're used to on land. This will mean that the pressure of air in certain parts of your body will expand too. The parts of the body normally affected are the ears and the sinuses.

This increase in air pressure could mean aches in your nose and ears. When you get off the airplane you may feel like you've lost some of your hearing. If there are small openings or cavities in your teeth and you have tooth decay, this increase in air pressure could mean more pain from your tooth. To reduce the pain, take some painkilling medication before and during the flight.

Air Quality

Air in an airline cabin is not fresh. It is recycled over and over again during the flight. This recycling occurs when the air passes through filters which filter out bacteria and other harmful substances from the air. If, however, the filters are not in good condition, the air could carry bacteria and travelers may suffer from minor colds and coughs. This could occur on old airplanes.