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Many are looking forward to the long New Year holidays and, like migratory birds, “stand on the wing” to go to warmer climes. Although doctors warn: a sharp change in climate and long flights are stressful for the body. What can be done to enjoy and minimize health risks?
A couple of centuries ago, the best way to “dispel longing” or, in modern terms, get rid of depression was considered to be traveling around the world. Doctors recommended that patients go to warmer climes to recover from blues, suspiciousness, despondency and loss of strength.
Today air communication connects different parts of the planet, and tourism has become almost a public entertainment. It brings with it a change of scenery, new experiences – it is with travel that our ideas about relaxation are closely connected.
The reverse side of the coin is the stress of flights and difficult acclimatization: it takes about two weeks for the body to fully adapt to climate change. And by this time it is already time to return home and … get used to winter again.
Blood of the nomads
The fact is that in the course of the evolution of the mechanisms of quick and painless acclimatization, a person has not developed. “Our ancestors did not move as fast as we do,” explains anthropologist Stanislav Drobyshevsky. “They trudged slowly—long distances, across the same climate zone. Some groups of ancient people were more inclined to nomadism, others sought to settle down at the first good opportunity, to settle in one place.
TAKE CARE OF THE “INTERNAL CLOCK”, TRY TO FALL ASLEEP AND WAKE UP IN LOCAL TIME.
Archaeological finds indicate that nomadic people had more diseases, and infant mortality is higher. On the other hand, it is the “nomadic blood” that carries the ability to adapt to change. Among us, modern people, there are also “nomads” and “homebodies”. “So with unexpected climate changes, natural disasters, the population has more opportunities to survive,” the anthropologist explains.
Belt change
In the middle lane, the synthesis cycle begins at about nine o’clock in the evening: breathing becomes deeper, body temperature drops by half a degree, and metabolism slows down. At about XNUMX:XNUMX a.m., a “full recharge of the batteries” takes place. And from four o’clock the body is again ready for active life. If this habitual rhythm is disturbed, the work of the adrenal glands and the entire hypothalamic-adrenal system is unbalanced.
“Catching up with the sun”, that is, flying along its course, is much less traumatic for the body than vice versa. The day increases by several hours, but there is no serious failure of the “internal clock”. In order to quickly adapt to changing time zones (whether we are moving against the sun or with it), the main thing is to try to fall asleep and wake up at local time. If you can’t fall asleep at a time when the internal clock still has a clear day, it’s better to resort to a light sleeping pill.
OUR CONSULTANTS:
Stanislav Drobyshevsky, Candidate of Biological Sciences, employee of the Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University
Sergey Stebletsov, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Head of the Therapeutic Department of the Moscow Clinical Hospital No. 1, Andrey Kuleshov, Researcher at the Research Institute of Pulmonology of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation.
Easy flight!
A flight – even in the most comfortable conditions – cannot be called a vacation. Being forced to stay in one position, changing the pressure at altitude and the oxygen content in the air always bring certain inconveniences. By the way, hypertensive patients tolerate them more easily than those whose blood pressure is below normal. To overcome the discomfort of flying, many take alcohol. This intuitive choice is not without meaning, which is confirmed by doctors. But with two caveats. Firstly, not during the flight, but after it. Secondly, it is better if it is not wine, but one serving (50–100 g) of whiskey or cognac.
To help the vessels cope with the load, doctors may recommend … Viagra. “The fact is that the drug was originally developed for high altitude conditions and showed excellent effectiveness as an adaptogen at an altitude of seven kilometers above sea level,” says Sergey Stebletsov. “At a low dosage of half a tablet a day for three days before the trip, it will help both men and women to endure the flight more easily.”
The effectiveness of this drug for rapid acclimatization in high altitude conditions is confirmed by pulmonologist Andrey Kuleshov: “My patients who traveled through the mountains of Peru and Tibet noted an improvement in well-being, a decrease in dizziness and discomfort in the heart region”*. Since this remedy has a number of serious contraindications, it is better to consult a doctor before using it – even in small doses.
Resistance group
If you flew to the coast, the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx and lungs will certainly respond to changes in humidity and temperature. In the middle lane, about 400 ml of liquid evaporates through the lungs per day – almost half a liter! In a maritime climate, the mucous membranes will “swell” due to difficulty in evaporation, and a cough may appear.
As Andrei Kuleshov explains, the main thing here is not even the humidity itself, but its combination with a high salt concentration: “A person breathes a kind of aerosol that acts on the mucous membranes and increases secretion, which, in turn, causes a runny nose and cough.”
Hormonal shake-up to a greater or lesser extent affects the immune system. “Each locality has its own microbial landscape,” explains immunologist Mikhail Nelyubov. “And the farther away from the usual conditions, the more likely that we will encounter completely new microorganisms in the air, water and food. The first days we will exist quite safely due to immune reserves, and by the end of the second week, pathogens will be recognized by the body and the fight against them will begin. This stage manifests itself rather unpleasantly: fever, aching bones, malaise. Excessive insolation (abuse of the sun) and stress during the flight will only increase the reaction of the body.
“As an adaptogen that will help mitigate the troubles of acclimatization, you can take melaxen (melatonin) one tablet per day,” advises Sergey Stebletsov. “You need to start drinking it four days before the trip and continue taking it for another four days.” But for those who travel to hot countries, this simple and effective method is not suitable: melatonin increases the skin’s sensitivity to sunlight, which can lead to age spots.
Of course, a course of multivitamins is an excellent preparation for the trip: they support the body and help fight stress. But a really effective remedy for those who fly is a combination of vitamin C and aspirin: ascorbic acid acts as a powerful antioxidant, and acetylsalicylic acid relieves swelling of the meninges. So the effect of this duet can literally be felt physically – your head will not hurt.
ACCLIMATIZATION IS EASIESTLY CARRIED OUT BY LOVERS OF CONTRAST PLUGS.
All experts unanimously declare that acclimatization is most easily tolerated by people who practice contrast douches. “They have a trained circulatory system,” says Sergey Stebletsov. “In addition, a cold shower “trains” the adrenal glands, which are responsible for the synthesis of hormones and are very sensitive to a sudden change in the environment.”
Healthy Travelers Club
So, from the point of view of “naked physiology”, long-distance travel with a sharp change in conditions is harmful to the body. “But these troubles more than pay for new impressions, a change of scenery, the joy of discovering the world,” says psychotherapist Boris Egorov. “Don’t underestimate the benefits of positive emotions.” This “positive” brought from vacation will energize you for new achievements and, in the end, will benefit both the soul and the body.
When we return to winter, we will again have to go through acclimatization, and it is better to take care of ourselves, smoothly entering the familiar rhythm. Go to bed on time and try to get enough sleep – in a word, lead a healthy lifestyle. And dream, standing under the jets of a contrast shower, about a new journey – to where we have not been before …
*The Journal of Applied Physiology was the first to report on this use of Viagra. In June 2006, he published research from Stanford University that the drug increases the body’s endurance in high altitude conditions.
Inhaling the smell of travel
Changing time zones disrupts the biorhythms of the body, and science has not yet found effective and safe means that would help rebuild the internal clock without interfering with brain activity. Aromatherapy offers a solution to the problem: you can gently correct biorhythms through the sense of smell.
The results are so good that British Airways commissioned renowned aromatherapist Anastasia Alexander to create special kits for long-haul First Class passengers.
It is important where we are moving, says aromatherapist Olga Irisova *, to the west or to the east. “If the flight took place against the movement of the sun, the person does not get enough sleep, becomes lethargic, Leuzea, a well-known adaptogen, is best for him. At a high concentration, Leuzea essential oil perfectly tones: it is worth applying two drops to the “pulse points” (wrists, inner surface of the elbow, behind the ears). A very effective way is a cool dousing with leuzea oil.
Kefir or yogurt are suitable as a carrier-emulsifier for oil: five drops of oil are added to a glass of fermented milk product, then the contents of the glass are poured into a basin with cool water, and then onto the body.
From tonic oils, hypertensive patients can be advised grapefruit oil (by the way, it reduces appetite) or orange oil (on the contrary, it increases it). And hypotensive patients benefit from rosemary oil. If you were “catching up with the sun”, I would recommend lavender, geranium, tuberose, honey essential oil, vanilla, sandalwood, cedar or Peru balsam. Choose a fragrance according to the “like it or not like it” principle, this is the most direct way to achieve the desired effect. For lovers of mixtures, I would advise a universal recipe: cedar, Peruvian balsam and sandalwood in a ratio of 1:1:1.
Inna Popova
How to maintain immunity
Popular remedies – eleutherococcus, ginseng, echinacea – when traveling “from winter to summer” may not be useful at all, says Mikhail Nelyubov, MD, leading specialist of the Center for Modern Medicine and the Research Institute of Immunopathology of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences.
“The fact is that these drugs are immunostimulants, agents that enhance the immune response,” explains Mikhail Nelyubov. – Our task is not to strengthen the immune response, but to make it adequate. That is, gently stimulate the work of precisely those parts of the immune system that are needed in this particular case. For this, special drugs have been developed – immunomodulators. Here are some tips from an immunologist that may come in handy before you travel.
- To avoid a blow to the immune system, you can recommend the drug “Glimuride” as a biologically active food supplement – one or two capsules per day for a week and a half to two weeks on a trip and the same amount upon return.
- Likopid and Polyoxidonium are also good, but only in tablet, not injectable forms.
- Take eubiotic preparations on a trip, such as Normoflor or Florodofilus tablets, which will support the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract. Firstly, it will help to cope with unfamiliar food, and secondly, there are a lot of lymphatic glands responsible for immunity here – you should take care of them.
VLADIMIR SIDORENKO
*Olga Irisova, aromatherapist, candidate of biological sciences, executive director of the Iris Aromatherapy Center.