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COMMON QUESTIONS
Review information concerning jet lag
This section answers travel related questions
on jet lag for international patients visiting the United States of America
for health care and medical treatment.
Jet Lag
What is jet lag?
It is nothing more than a confused body "clock". The more time zones your
body crosses, the further behind your body clock lags. Some symptoms include
dizziness, headaches, and sore muscles, and physiological processes are
out of sync. For example, you may be wide awake at 3:00 a.m. and hungry
at 3:00 in the afternoon.
What factors influence the severity of jet lag?
- The direction you travel: Traveling east usually produces more severe
jet lag than west.
- The number of time zones you cross; each time zone you cross multiplies
the effect of jet lag.
- Stress
- The quality of your flight: low humidity, excessive noise and vibration,
turbulence, sitting for long periods, and a warm, stuffy atmosphere
can compound the effects of jet lag.
- How much you drink: If you drink or eat more than you normally would
before, during or after your flight, you may be asking for discomfort.
- How much caffeine you consume; the caffeine in coffee and soft drinks
can ward off the initial fatigue, but will only intensify the effects
of jet lag later on.
How can I prepare my body for jet lag?
- Try to schedule your flight according to the direction you are traveling.
Book an early flight if you are traveling east, an afternoon or evening
flight if traveling west.
- Adjust your schedule before you leave. Go to bed earlier and get up
earlier three days before your trip if you are heading east, and later
if heading west.
- Consult your physician about a jet lag diet. Also, many health food
stores sell special "anti-jet lag" vitamin and amino acid products,
but there is no clinical evidence that proves their effectiveness.
- During your flight, you can minimize the effects of jet lag by drinking
plenty of fluids, eating light meals, wearing loose-fitting clothing
to reduce stress, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, doing simple isometric
exercises, and, if all else fails, keeping your home schedule while
traveling.
Jet Lag - Online Resources
Argonne
National Laboratory Anti-Jet Lag Diet
No Jet-Lag
Techniques for Reducing Jet-Lag
Time Zone Information
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