Have you ever slept all through a long flight only to wake up still feeling fatigued? What most travelers don’t realize is that dehydration from flying in an airplane, especially on long-haul flights, is a common occurrence.
So How Does Flying Dehydrate You?
The term “jet lag” is often used to explain feelings of irritability, tiredness, and fatigue after air travel. However, not too many people know why jet lag occurs. Jet lag occurs when you spend a significant amount of time in a controlled climate like that experienced on long haul flights. The average traveler will experience about 8 ounces of water loss per hour during air travel at high altitudes. This is because the relative humidity onboard an aircraft is quite low and hovers around 10 to 15%. Whenever you breathe on board an aircraft, you will experience water loss, especially with decreased fluid intake, and be further exposed to the dehydrating effect.
Some of the common symptoms of dehydration experienced by most passengers during air travel include trouble remembering or outright memory loss, muscle cramps, and issues with their circadian rhythm. Other passengers could experience mood swings, muscle soreness, dry mouth, sunken eyes and even deep vein thrombosis. Dehydration can also affect your brain as your blood oxygen levels drop. What’s more, long periods of flight across different time zones while breathing recycled air can lead to significant fluid loss. Staying hydrated on long flights is therefore very important for the overall health and wellbeing of the human body.
Here are 5 useful tips that frequent flyers can adhere to in order to stay hydrated on a long haul flight.
Consume Lots Of Fluids During Air Travel
One easy way to stay hydrated and avoid dehydration before and during your air travel is to drink water and fluids. When you drink water from a water bottle before you board a flight and while flying, your electrolytes will be up throughout your journey. Electrolytes help to provide fluid balance while maintaining your blood pressure and prevent blood clotting due to the air pressure in the airplane.
It is also important to drink enough water from a water bottle at different intervals during your flight. You should know that the best fluid intake for dealing with thirst is water, so make sure you have a water bottle close by when flying to maintain your fluid balance.
In addition to drinking lots of fluid, you should also consume plenty of veggies and fruits to avoid flying dehydration. The truth is, fruits like watermelon, melon, berries, and pineapple contain a lot of water that can help you stay hydrated, avoid dehydration and maintain your fluid balance.
Similarly, veggies like celery, cucumbers, and bell peppers are great for preventing dehydration while flying as they also contain a good amount of water. The only thing you should be concerned about is whether or not you are permitted to board a flight with these food items. To this end, you should always read through the traveling policies in play before taking raw food items along with you.
HYDRATION STARTS WITH RECOVERORS!
Be Wary Of Salty Snacks, Alcohol, And Diuretics
While fluid intake is important if you want to avoid dehydration from flying, you should always be cautious of what you drink. You should avoid taking alcoholic and diuretic fluids as they can cause you to urinate frequently and lose water quicker than normal.
Also, avoid salty foods and snacks while on the flight, as they tend to make you feel really thirsty while also promoting the symptoms of dehydration and even raising your blood pressure. If you ever feel thirsty during air travel, just stick with drinking as much water as possible to stay hydrated and avoid dehydration.
Splash Water on your Face
In the absence of a moisturizer, the one surefire way to stay hydrated and avoid travel dehydration is by splashing water on your face and hands. You can also hydrate your skin by using a damp towel to pat your arms, hands, and face. However, a water-based moisturizer can do wonders if you want to stay hydrated, so always have one in your handbag or purse.
To avoid getting out of your seat and going to the washing cabin all the time, you can also have some water in a spray bottle. Whenever you need to hydrate your face or hands, simply spray some water on your skin. You can also have a hand sanitizer in your handbag to moisturize your hands.
Use Nasal Sprays For Dry Nostrils During Long Haul Flights
Nasal sprays can help to keep your nostrils moist, preventing dryness, itching, capping, and even nose bleeds in dry cabin air. Use your moisturizing nasal spray just before you board your flight and anytime your nose starts to twitch or feels dry due to the air pressure and dry cabin air.
One other way to prevent dry eyes, dry mouth, dry skin, and dry nostrils is to place a damp handkerchief over your mouth and nose. The air you breathe with the damp handkerchief over your face will be moister in comparison to the dry air during a flight in an airplane.
Hydrate with Supplementation
Another excellent way to stay hydrated as a traveler is through good hydration supplementation. Typically, hydration supplements are available in tablet or powder form that can easily be diluted in water for a refreshing, energizing hydration drink. Instead of drinking tea, coffee, and any other diuretic fluid when on air travel, you can drink plenty of water and settle for hydration supplements like RecoverORS.
What is RecoverORS: Oral Hydration Solution?
RecoverORS is an active electrolyte powder supplement for adults formulated to replace and boost electrolytes to keep you hydrated during a long-haul flight.
RecoverORS is a medical-grade oral hydration solution that is produced in the U.S. with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) under the supervision and regulation of the FDA and/or USDA. In effect, RecoverORS is a trusted, reliable, and safe solution designed by Board Certified Clinicians and formulated with essential hydration-promoting ingredients only.
With this solution, you have no extra sugar or strange herbs to worry about. What’s more, RecoverORS is far better than any energy fluid or sports drink out there because it is an all-natural solution with three times as many electrolytes and just one-fifth of the calories.
Final Thoughts
Traveling by air can be lots of fun, but jet lag and travel dehydration can threaten your good time if you allow it. You can prevent dehydration from flying by drinking as much water as possible from a water bottle, eating veggies and fruits, and patting your face and hands with a damp towel.
You can also cover your face and mouth with a damp handkerchief and breath through it, use a nasal spray, or sprinkle water on your face using a spray bottle. Avoid drinking diuretic fluids like coffee, tea, and alcohol while onboard long-haul flights and consume hydration supplements like RecoverORS: Oral Hydration Solution to replace and boost your electrolytes.
