How to stay flying fit

Dr Ludmila Vassilieva (MBBS, MD, PhD., GP, Homeopath) is a certified doctor specialising in homeopathy. Having practised medicine for over 25 years, she is the first licensed homeopathic doctor in Dubai. She writes a fortnightly column for Tabloid. Today: Homeopathy for the world traveller

From physical to psychological, flying can wreak havoc on your body. Homeopathy can help


No one can argue that traveling the world is an incredible experience. But is the life of the global traveler truly glamorous? Whether you are taking a family vacation to Mauritius, making a business visit abroad, or heading to the Far East to explore ruins and experience Eastern culture, you must board a plane to get there. Amidst all the excitement and planning for your trip, most of us living here in Dubai are familiar with the anxiety that looms concerning potential health problems resulting from the flight. From physical to psychological, there's no denying that flying wreaks havoc on the body.

Think back to the last time you flew. Even if you experienced no major health issues, by the time you get off a five- or six-hour flight, if nothing else, you are jet-lagged and dehydrated. Yet most of us experience one or more of the common flight repercussions of edema in your hands, legs and feet, headache, tightness in your chest, constipation or diarrhea, or bloating.

What can we do to avoid or ease these symptoms? We certainly cannot stop flying! However, there are some basic health habits we can adopt and, combined with homeopathy and a holistic approach to travel, we can alleviate much of our discomfort and truly enjoy our trip.

No matter what symptoms flair up as a result of flying, the bottom line is, flying dehydrates our bodies. The obvious solution is to keep ourselves well hydrated. Yet, flying on a late-night flight, we may order a drink with our meal and even another afterwards to help relieve our insomnia — and why not, the drinks are free! Of course upon awakening, we order a cup of coffee to "give us the jolt we need" to embark on the day ahead of us in our city of destination.

While this may seem like the perfect solution, drinks and caffeine exacerbate dehydration and therefore, should be avoided. Moreover, toxins can cause digestive complications such as nausea, constipation or diarrhea. Avoiding these toxic substances and drinking plenty of water is a good habit to develop when flying.

So, you already have good health habits but you still experience common flight problems every time you fly? Homeopathy can help. Homeopathic remedies are particularly suited to the needs of the global traveler for the following reasons:

• They are safe and easily prescribed
• They are easy to administer, and effective without side effects
• They have a long shelf-life
• They are compact and light
• They are relatively easy to obtain and inexpensive
• They are legally transportable across international borders
• Their nomenclature is standardised worldwide.

Common Problems:

Jet-lag: Caused by crossing time zones rapidly, our biological clock is unable to adapt with sufficient rapidity to the new time of the destination resulting in fatigue, lack of concentration and disturbance of bowel movements. Left untreated, it takes approximately one day for each time zone traversed for recovery. Fortunately, the adaptation of the biological clock can be accelerated with a homeopathic remedy that can be taken two to three days before the flight. The timing of administration of the homeopathic remedy is crucial as the same remedy taken after the flight may induce oversleeping.

Constipation: Disturbance of the biological clock when rapidly crossing time zones, delays at airports, low aircraft humidity and suppressing the "call to stool" due to unavailability of sanitary lavatories, all can cause constipation while traveling. The abdomen becomes bloated and uncomfortable, the appetite impaired, the sense of motivation depressed, and energy depleted.

In addition to reducing drink consumption and increasing water and fibre intake, depending on the individual symptoms, there are various homeopathic remedies such as Nux Vomica that can be prescribed to relieve constipation when flying.

Oedema: Swollen legs and feet, promoted by immobility and more common in women, especially the elderly, it may reduced by frequent walks up and down the aisles of the plane, though this may not always be realistic given the number of people traveling and the size of the aircraft. Therefore, a homeopathic remedy can be taken to prevent swelling, though it should be taken at least 24 hours before a flight.

Earache and sinus pain: As a plane descends, the pressure within the aircraft increases leading to contraction of the air contained in the middle ear. (Just look at your water bottle after you have landed!) Furthermore, if you are experiencing blocked sinuses when flying, the increased pressure can cause intense pain in the cheeks or eyes.

A potentially helpful treatment you can do yourself for ear or sinus pain to force air into the middle ear cavity or sinuses is to pinch your nostrils shut with your finger and thumb and take a deep breath and hold it. Seal your lips tightly and forcefully breathe out as to puff out your cheeks. Popping sounds signify success. You can also try wiggling your jaw from side to side or opening the jaw wide.

However, if none of these techniques help and you continually experience either one of these symptoms when flying, see a homeopathic doctor to obtain the appropriate remedy for you. There are several that can be used to treat these specific problems depending on the individual.

Phobias: Homeopathy cannot only help physical problems but can also be useful for travelers who experience psychological effects when flying. Consistent with a holistic approach to healing, meditation can also assist in such situations.

These are just a few of the common health problems experienced by travellers. Homeopathy and a holistic approach to travel ailments can benefit travelers greatly. If employing healthy travel habits alone does not seem to help, you should seek consultation with your homeopathic doctor before your trip for homeopathic remedies. While the travel symptoms may be similar, every individual is unique and therefore, to be effective, the homeopathic remedy must be individually prescribed.

— Dr Ludmila Vassilieva can be contacted at the Holistic Healing Medical Centre in Dubai