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Qantas will offer non-stop long-haul flights from Australia to the US and Europe. But how will 20-hour flights affect your mental and physical health?
For many people, the idea of getting a 13-hour flight is not tempting. But some airlines are now preparing for non-stop flights of 20 hours or more, known as very long-haul flights. Qantas has ordered aircraft that will allow the Australian airline to offer non-stop flights from Sydney and Melbourne to New York and London.
Some may think that non-stop flights are convenient. Others may feel that their stress levels exceed any limit. Getting to the plane on time can be stressful from the start: Arriving at the airport on time, finding your way around large and unknown terminals, language barriers, security and then boarding that plane with hundreds of foreigners for all those hours with that object that seems like without any salvation.
You might think that the longer the flight, the worse it gets. Well, the effects of flying are different for both body and mind, and it starts with your external level of physical and mental health.
If you are afraid of flying, known as aviophobia or aerophobia, being on the plane is a particularly disturbing experience.
There are two general groups of people who are afraid of flying: First, there are those who have an existing panic disorder or agoraphobia, a fear of crowded spaces, says Richard McNally, a professor of psychology at Harvard University. Then there are people who fear the plane will crash. “Those in the first group usually have a history of panic in places where ‘escape’ is inappropriate or difficult, such as on the subway, airplanes or crowded shops. “And those in the second group have a lot of misunderstandings about how common clashes are,” says McNally.
But once you are in the air, the difference between a 13-hour flight and a 20-hour flight may not be so significant. “Any anxiety that frightened people may have after boarding a plane will be reduced as those frightening events fail to materialize,” says McNally. “Even panic attacks are not dangerous and they go away on their own.”
There are therapies and medications to help you, ask your doctor for advice.
A major physical side effect of flying, whether you are at long distances or very long distances, is the delay in the plane. Jet lag occurs when a person spends two or more time zones. It can cause your circadian rhythm, the body’s internal clock, to become out of sync and cause difficulty sleeping, as well as problems with memory and concentration.
For every hour of the time difference, a person may need a day to adjust, says Jochen Hinkelbein, professor of Emergency Medicine at Cologne University Hospital and Vice President of the German Association for Aerospace Medicine. There is deterioration, when a person makes a return trip, passing several time zones, within a short time. This happens when your waking and sleeping rhythms are “completely disrupted”, says Hinkelbein.
The National Health Service (NHS) recommends that you change your sleep schedule to the new time zone as soon as possible and go outside during the day because natural light will help you adjust.
Oxygen supply to an aircraft
The amount of oxygen in an aircraft is the same as that on the ground. But when you fly at high altitudes, the air pressure in the cockpit affects the way oxygen is absorbed into the bloodstream.
Your blood oxygen level should be between 95-100%, but it can drop when you are in the air. This is not a problem for most healthy people. But if you have an existing condition like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), you can start your flight with a lower level of oxygen in the blood and then see that level drop even more during the flight. “Someone with COPD can start with 92% [oksigjen në gjak] on the ground and end up with 70% on the plane, ”says Hinkelbein. Low blood oxygen can result in hypoxemia, which can cause headaches, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, cough, wheezing, confusion, and a bluish tinge to the skin, nails, and lips.
Greece Passenger car with hooded body in an Airbus A320 by Aegean Airlines
Exercises in flight
Qantas says its new long-haul aircraft will have more space in “economy” and “economy premium” cabins. There will also be an “accommodation area” in the center of the plane to ensure people can stretch their legs, the airline says.
Exercise is important to help prevent health problems, such as blood clots or deep vein thrombosis. Blood clots disperse on their own, but if part of the clot breaks off and moves to the lungs, it can cause a blockage or pulmonary embolism and this can be fatal.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the longer a person is immobile, the greater the risk of blood clots and deep vein thrombosis. And the risk increases with age, over 40, for example. Other risks include obesity, recent surgery or injury, use of estrogen-containing birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy, recent pregnancy or childbirth, cancer or recent cancer treatment, and varicose veins, the CDC says.
How to stay healthy while flying
Aerospace medicine expert Jochen Hinkelbein recommends some basic steps to staying healthy while flying. First, if you have a problematic health condition, you should talk to your doctor before you fly and make a plan of when you should take any routine medication. Changing time zones can confuse normal routines, so it is important to be aware of the time in the city you have left.
Second, Hinkelbein says you should take a walk every two hours during your flight. Also, drink about 100 milliliters of water every hour, this will keep you hydrated but will also encourage you to get up and walk to the toilet.
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