From constipation and DVT to cancer and diabetes: The effects of flying long-haul revealed
- Flying long-haul regularly can have serious implications on your physical health
- One study has linked sitting for extended periods with cancer and diabetes
- Journeys closer to the North Pole for example can be subject to higher radiation
An exotic trip to the Maldives might do your mind a world of good, but the lengthy flight could do some serious damage to your body.
Headaches, constipation and an increased risk of cancer, organ damage and diabetes are common complaints of people who spend too long sitting down, according to several studies.
And as the race for ever longer distance flights continues, MailOnline Travel looks at some of the ways that your body can be affected by these journeys.
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Short-term effects of flying
Flying long-haul is great when you get to an exotic destination but it could have unwanted health implications (file photo)
Constipation
Sitting down for long periods of time can make you constipated as your metabolic rate and digestion slows due to the inactivity.
You will probably also experience bloating and become gassy after long periods in the air.
Headaches
Air cabins are notoriously dry and you might find yourself severely dehydrated.
This alone is enough to give you a headache but it could be compounded by the cabin pressure.
One study published in Sage Journals revealed that shortly before landing, some people can experience severe headaches.
This is attributed to the difference in pressure between the cabin and the sinuses.
Jetlag
Anyone who has flown long-haul has experienced jetlag, which is as a result of the body's internal hormones being out of sync with your new time zone.
Sleep is regulated by the hormone cortisol, which varies in levels according to the time of the day.
When you land in a new time zone, your body will take a few days to adjust to producing the right level of cortisol at the right time.
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
DVT has long been associated with sitting still for extended periods of time and many experts advise passengers to get up and walk around the cabin during a long flight
Sitting still for extended periods of time has long been associated with DVT, which kills thousands of people every year.
The condition occurs when blood clots develop within the deep veins of the legs, causing pain and swelling.
According to the American Heart Foundation, long periods of immobility in cramped spaces, low cabin pressure and dehydration can all contribute towards the likelihood of a passenger getting DVT.
It can be fatal when the clots break off as it can block blood vessels or travel through the bloodstream to other parts of the body, such as the lungs, the heart and brain, and cause havoc there.
Long term health implications
An analysis published in the Annals of Internal Medicine reviewed 47 previous studies into the effects of sitting down for long periods of time.
It revealed that increased instances of cardiovascular disease, cancer and Type 2 diabetes were among the long-term impacts on health.
While these are not only associated with long haul flights, your journeys can certainly increase the risks.
Diabetes
An article from the Harvard Medical School said that while there is no clear indication of why sitting for long periods of time affects your body in this way, some research has shown that it negatively affects sugar and fat metabolism in the body.
According to Dr. I-Min Lee, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, both of these could impact diabetes and heart disease risks.
There has also been research showing that prolonged sitting can lower your body's response to insulin, according to the Washington Post, which in turn could lead to diabetes later in life.
Heart disease
Sitting for extended periods of time can cause your entire body to slow down.
Over the course of years or even decades, this could cause a build up of cholesterol and increase blood pressure.
Both of these can cause heart disease in the long run.
Cancer
Journeys that travel closer to the North Pole have greater exposure of UV and cosmic rays
In terms of cancer, it's likely to be due to the increased exposure to radiation and UV rays.
Passengers are exposed to tiny amounts of radiation from cosmic rays on every flight.
These are energetic particles from space, made up of protons, that increase with the length of time of the flight and the proximity to the North Pole.
Flying on a roundtrip from New York to Los Angeles (2,451 miles) three times per year for example, would expose passengers to the equivalent of three chest X-rays, or about 100 microSieverts.
A trip from New York to Beijing (6,828 miles) can easily exceed that.
Similarly, passengers can be exposed to unusually high levels of UV rays in the air.
Abi Cleeve, MD at UltraSun UK told MailOnline Travel: 'At high altitude, over 54 per cent of UVA rays penetrate glass, making pilots spending long periods in the cockpit up to twice as likely to develop melanoma.
'In fact, 56.6 minutes in the air is equivalent to 20 minutes on a tanning bed.'
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