Jet Lag*
JETLAG, WHAT IS IT, HOW TO GET RELIEF?
Jet lag (aka "jetlag" or "jet-lag"), is a physiological condition which is a consequence of alterations to the circadian rhythm. Such alterations result from shift work, transmeridian travel, or altered day length. They are known as desynchronosis, dysrhythmia, dyschrony, jet lag, or jet syndrome. The condition is generally believed to be the result of disruption of the "light/dark" cycle that entrains the body's circadian rhythm. It can be exacerbated by environmental factors.
Characteristic symptoms of jet lag include:
Dehydration and loss of appetite
Headaches and/or sinus irritation
Fatigue
Disorientation and/or grogginess
Nausea and/or upset stomach
Insomnia and/or highly irregular sleep patterns
Irritability, Irrationality
The maximum jet lag a person can experience is 12 hours. If the difference in time between two places is greater than 12 hours, subtract that number from 24. For example, there is a 16 hour time difference between Los Angeles (standard time) and Hong Kong. Thus, 24 - 16 = 8 hours of jet lag. The person will incur the same amount of jet lag as someone traveling between London and Los Angeles, where the actual time difference is 8 hours. Disregard the difference in date if flying across the International Date Line.
AUDIO CD ON HOW TO RELIEVE JET LAG:
The condition is not linked to the length of flight, but to the transmeridian (ie,
East-West) distance traveled. Hence a ten hour flight between Oslo and
Johannesburg is less inducive of jet lag than a five hour flight between New
York and Los Angeles. There is no firm agreement as to which direction of travel
is worse. Some believe that travelling east is worse as it "accelerates" the
passage through various time zones (a night might only last 3 hours when flying
east), and because the symptoms of travelling west, such as waking earlier in
the morning, can be easier to integrate with ordinary life. Others counter that
the impact is worse when one travels away from one's "habitual" time zone, and
is minimised when returning to it.
Prevention and recovery
Simple prevention can be good sleep aboard and lots to drink (but not coffee or
alcohol) to reduce the effects of dehydration on the body, caused by the dry air
at altitude and the interruption of regular eating/drinking patterns. Seasoned
travelers set their clock to the destination time zone as soon as practicable
and join the new rhythm. Exposure to sunlight may be a factor to reset the
body's clock. For people who don't fly multiple times per week, it can be an
effective non-drug remedy to skip sleep entirely for one night and one day and
then go to bed at a normal destination-area bedtime on the next day.
Recent research shows that the pineal hormone melatonin may reduce the effects
of jet lag. Studies have not identified side effects from such short-term use.
Many products on the market claim to treat the effects of jet lag. Since the
experience of jet lag varies among different individuals, it is difficult to
assess the efficacy of any single remedy. In addition, most chemical and herbal
remedies are not tested or approved by the Food and Drug Administration, so
their safety has not been scientifically established.
Acupuncture or acupressure is also a common treatment for jet lag. Whereas
various parts of the body work optimally at different periods throughout the
day, pressure points are used to stimulate the nerves corresponding to each
period at the new location's corresponding time. For example, if a certain organ
"turns on" when you wake up, an acupuncturist/acupressurist would advocate
stimulating that organ at 7 a.m. each morning once you arrive at the new
location. Normally there is a whole series of these points, to be tapped with
the patient's finger, at different times throughout the day in order to "trick"
the body into thinking it's that time of day.
The condition of jet lag generally lasts a few days or more, and medical experts
have deemed that a recovery rate of "one day per time zone" is a fair guideline.
Sleep, relaxation, moderate exercise and sensible diet seem to be the simplest
recovery agents.
Good sleep hygiene promotes rapid recovery from jet lag.
The source of this article is
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this
article is licensed under the
GFDL
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