Symptoms, Causes & Treatments

Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments: Jet Lag

Jet lag happens when a mismatch happens between a person’s normal circadian rhythm and the routine changes that occur at a new destination because of traveling across several time zones. It may make a person feel tired when they should be awake or make them not able to sleep when it is night. It always seems to be worse when you travel eastward than when you travel westward.

Jet Lag Causes

Symptoms of jet lag don’t occur when you travel from north to south or south to north. It only happens when you change time zones and affects your daily routine. Usually you need to travel through more than two zones to have significant effects on your body.

Our internal clock is located in the lower part of the brain called the hypothalamus. This organ gets signals from eyes that tell it whether it is dark or light. Hormones are released based on that information that will make you sleepy or alert. Melatonin gets released when it is dark. An increase in melatonin will cause you to be sleepier. If you turn on the lights you can quickly stop the release of melatonin.

Traveling through time zones will cause everything in the world to happen with the wrong timing. Eventually your body will adjust to these changes but it may take a few days. This time of adjustment is called jet lag.

Complications and symptoms of Jet Lag

The major symptom that occurs during jet lag is that everything feels like it is taking place at inopportune times. Bedtime and mealtime is either too late or too early depending on which way you traveled. Your body begins to adjust quickly upon arrival but it does take time depending on how many time zones you traveled through.

Many common symptoms that occur during jet lag are as follows:

• Diarrhea and constipation

• Upset stomach

• Frequent waking during sleep

• Irritability

• Impaired judgement

• Insomnia

• Difficulty concentrating

• Fatigue

• Apathy

• Daytime sleepiness

Jet lag is actually a nuisance but it can have complications. Woman may see a disruption in their monthly menstrual cycle if they fly often. Peptic ulcer symptoms may also worsen due to jet lag. The stomach secretes acid when the body thinks it is time to eat and if no food is taken in, the acid can become corrosive. Diabetics should also seek guidance from their physician about how the time change will affect their insulin schedule.

Prevention of Jet Lag

Try to get your body to adjust to what your new hours are going to be at your destination before you even leave. Try to wake and sleep at the times you will be doing that at your destination. Do this slowly a couple of days before you leave. This will help your body to adjust quicker to the new time zones.

Some other suggestions that may help reduce the effects of jet lag are as follows:
• Eat frequent small meals and eat lightly with foods such as vegetables and fruit
• Drink lots of water
• Try to get ample sleep before you travel
• Try not to drink caffeinated or alcoholic drinks
• Take a nap if you feel tired
• Wear comfortable, loose clothing
• Get exercise on the plane during flight where possible

The Perfect Jet Lag Diet

Is it possible to fly across the country and be able to handle the different time zones? Can you have your body and brain set for the new time zone?

When you need to feel great and not be worried about the change in the time, you need to know how to eat and drink the right foods. That way you can kill that meeting with a new client, enjoy you vacation, or just feel well whenever you fly.

Tens of thousands of people have tried this diet and almost every one found it to be highly effective. After years of research, a working system has been developed that reset your body’s rhythms. When the body’s circadian rhythms are messed up and not in sync with the environment around you, the symptoms of jet lag occur.

This temporary physical and mental dysfunction occurs and your body can’t adjust quickly enough. The plan is designed to help your body make abrupt shifts in its cycles to prepare for the departure. When you are traveling over multiple time zones, it may be necessary to utilize the plan for longer to help your body adjust to the huge change.

To determine how many days you will need to utilize this diet, you need to know how many time zones you will be crossing. For example, for trips within the United States, you should only need to use the diet for two days. However, if you plan on traveling out of the country, you will need to utilize the plan for four days.

The plan alternates the times that you eat and the times that you fast. It works like this:

Find when breakfast time is at your destination and then begin your diet for the allotted amount of days before you arrive. Caffeinated drinks or alcohol should only be drank between three and five. Eat all meals at their regular time. On the first day eat a diet that includes a breakfast and lunch high in protein and a dinner high in carbohydrates.
Day two’s diet should include light meals that don’t include lots of fats, calories, and carbohydrates.
On the third day, repeat the diet of your first day.
On the departure day and the fourth day, you will fast again. Be sure to only consume caffeinated beverages between 6 pm and 11 pm if traveling eastward and in the morning if travelling westward. Avoid drinking alcohol on the plane.
Have a breakfast that is high in protein at the breakfast time of your destination. If you take a nap before breakfast and then eat all of your meals on schedule.

These tips will give your body the ability to effectively modify its sleep cycle and help you avoid the symptoms of jet lag.

Jet Lag: Things You Need to Know

Things You Need To Know To Reduce and Prevent Jet Lag

You may have to travel for work or for fun. Either way, if you experience jet leg it is not fun. Jet leg is a condition that is usually temporary where your body’s sleep cycle is disturbed because you have traveled into a different time zone. The body is used to going to sleep the same time each day but because the time in the new location is not the same, the body is ready for sleep at inappropriate times. This is especially true if the amount of light changes.

When your body sees it getting dark, it releases a hormone that induces sleep. When you are used to it getting dark at seven and then go to a different time zone, you may find your body is messed up. There are several symptoms that people with jet lag experience.

What is jet lag?

Some of the symptoms that a person with jet lag would experience includes gastrointestinal irritation, daytime fatigue, muscle aches, and headaches. Most people also experience a sick feeling which can ruin any vacation or make it really hard to nail that meeting with an important client.

What can be done?

When your brain reacts to the light from the eye and releases the hormone to make you sleepy, it causes a lot of issues for those that travel. There are some things that can be done to prevent the symptoms from being severe.

Make a plan

If you think about how your body will react to the different time zones, you can do some things to help prevent the symptoms from affecting you. Before your trip, you want to get the proper amount of sleep, exercise three days a week, and eat a diet that is healthy and balanced. Plan on arriving at your destination early so that you can give your body time to adjust. You can also adjust your sleep schedule to match the time zone of your destination.

Reduce the effects

There are also some things that you can do during your flight to help reduce the effects of jet lag. If you keep hydrated by drinking lots of water and eliminating caffeine or alcohol from your diet, it will help with the symptoms of jet lag. During a long trip, you want to make sure that you get up and move around when it is safe. That way you will avoid blood clots from developing and decrease the chance of soreness due to sitting in the same position for long periods of time.

If these don’t help, you may need to consider taking medication or talking to your doctor. She will be able to help you deal with the symptoms so that you can handle the change in time.

You can start to feel better when you get to your destination, but you have to make sure that you handle the time differences effectively so that your body has time to adjust.

Jet Lag Can Cause Weight Gain

Everyone who travels through various time zones will know the horror of experiencing jet lag. Jet lag is caused when a person travels to a different time zone which then disrupts their own internal clock which can lead to sleeplessness and restlessness. However, recent studies have also shown that not only does jet lag cause loss of sleep but could also cause a person to gain some unwanted weight.

Jet Lag Affects the Body’s Metabolic System

Scientists in Israel conducted a study that showed our body’s Circadian Rhythm or internal clock gets disturbed whenever we jump from one time zone to another. This in turn disturbs our body’s metabolic system, slowing it down. The problem here is during the time that our body should be resting, we could possibly be still awake and eating lunch. Our body gets jolted and cannot react accordingly to this sudden change of eating habit or schedule which can therefore lead to weight gain.

This discovery further lends credence to the connection between sleep disorder and obesity. People with difficulty sleeping have a higher chance of developing obesity than those who have a relatively healthy sleep and wake cycle.

A Solution is Currently Underway

These findings are not just bearer of bad news though. Learning more about the causes and effects of jet lag can help researchers find better ways to combat and prevent it. The disruption of our internal clock can be caused by several factors such as change in time zone, changes in lifestyle such as a shift in working schedules.

Sleep patterns are known to have an effect with several health complications, most notably obesity, but is also known to be linked to cancer, cardiovascular illnesses and diabetes. However, it was not until recently that sleep patterns where proven to directly affect the chances of developing diseases. Recent tests with mice showed a dramatic shift within the body from abrupt changes in the day and night cycle which caused the body’s immunity system to fluctuate. Another important factor that was discovered was the increased weight of these mice which were similar to obesity in humans as well as the increased chances of diabetes. At the moment, researchers are looking at possible techniques and strategies to prevent jet lag from causing too much harm within the body. What was originally conceived as a mere inconvenience has turned out to be the seed that could cause numerous health risks.

Preventing Jet Lag

There are several ways to help prevent jet lag such as easing your internal clock into the current time zone. For constant travelers this is an issue that they must look into with more care as their health is at stake. It is vital not to force the body past its limits; jet lag is a nuisance that should not be overlooked as it can be the root or more serious ailments in the future. Having a healthy lifestyle and eating habit will help dampen the impact of jet lag on the body and ensure that you maintain your ideal weight as well as prevent sleep disorders from affecting your physical and mental state.