Travel insurance - Tips & Advice - Holiday health

Extreme exhaustion, headaches, disorientation, loss of appetite, muscle weakness, even stomach pains and upsets – these are just some of the symptoms associated with the travel syndrome that’s commonly known as jet lag.

The world is divided into 24 time zones and research by health experts shows that jet lag happens when you cross over a number of these zones and disrupt the body’s normal circadian rhythms, another name for your biological or body clock.

Your body clock controls when you are sleepy and when you’re alert, plus hunger, digestion, body temperature, blood pressure and hormone secretion. So when you upset its balance – by flying over several time zones, for example – you can throw all these elements out of order.

Jet lag isn’t the end of the world, but it can be a real pain and get in the way of business or holiday plans. Your body is clever and will eventually adjust, but it does need time to do this – hence the reason why it can take a few days to feel ‘normal’ again. However, there are some things you can do to help prevent and alleviate some of the symptoms.

Wear sunglasses
New research conducted on more than 1,000 airline passengers by scientists at the Edinburgh Sleep Centre on behalf of British Airways reveals that people could adjust their body clocks when traveling through different time zones by altering their light patterns with the use of sunglasses.

According to researcher Chris Idzikowski: ‘The internal body clock steps up at dawn, which is when we can manipulate exposure to light – it’s a way of fooling the biological clock.’ There’s only one drawback, Chris admits: ‘I have used this technique on a flight but you have to be aware of immigration officials as they can ask you to take them off, which weakens the outcome.’

Drink lots of water
The effects of jet lag can be made worse by the dehydration associated with flying, so stock up with lots of water (remember, for more than 100ml you’ll have to buy this in the departure lounge as per the new airport laws on transporting liquids) and avoid alcohol, tea and coffee.

Sleep through it
Medical research shows that those who have a very strict routine – mothers with children, for example – suffer most with jet lag. That’s why children and babies, who can sleep almost any time, rarely show symptoms of it. Obviously not every parent would agree with this! However, what it indicates is that if you can sleep through as much of a long haul flight as possible then your symptoms will be reduced. Health experts also advise that you try to get plenty of sleep in the days before you travel: if traveling east try going to bed and getting up earlier; for westward journeys try going to bed and getting up later.

When you arrive
For long-haul journeys of three days or more it’s wise to adjust your watch to the local time as soon as possible. It usually takes 72 hours for jet lag to wear off so for shorter breaks it’s better to keep to UK time. You should also avoid going to sleep until bedtime (local time), so try not to nap in the day. If you can make it through until the night – exercise and upbeat music can help – then a relaxing bath before bed can set you up for some well-needed rest. Aromatherapy experts recommend a few drops of lavender essential oil to the water to help send you off and nutritionists suggest eating sleep-inducing foods such as milk, yoghurt, turkey, tuna and chicken.

Back home
Eastbound journeys are proven to produce worse jet lag as you ‘lose time’ across zones. This means that if you’re travelling east on your way home – from the US or South America, for example – then the symptoms could be worse when you return. In this case, try and plan to have some days off, at least over a weekend, before returning to work.

Jet lag can be stressful so don’t add to your worries by not travelling insured. With Direct Line you can choose from single trip travel insurance, annual travel insurance and Discoverer (for longer trips), which all include important medical cover. Get a travel insurance quote today and we could cover you as soon as you book your trip.

Related information:
No place like home – you don’t have to worry about jet lag at all if you holiday in the UK

Health factors – remember to inform Direct Line of any pre-existing medial conditions before you take out a travel insurance policy

Lost or stolen passport – what to do if the worst happens and you don’t have a passport when you need to travel home