“I seem to spend a minimum of eight hours a day in transit of some sort or another – that’s eight hours of your life gone. People always ask if I suffer from jet lag, but it’s kinda become really normal for me. Although jet lag does become a factor and you’re pretty much always tired.” – Anonymous
If you travel abroad, one of the problems you will encounter after you arrive at your destination is jet lag, especially if the trip is more than 10 hours and you’re in a different time zone.
Take the case of the United States in North America. It is in the other half of the globe. On my recent trip – from Manila to New York – the non-stop travel time was 17 hours. I left Manila at broad daylight and arrived in New York by midnight on the same day.
As much as I want to sleep, I cannot do so. Even if I hadn’t drunk alcohol during the flight, I was feeling somewhat groggy after I landed at the JFK International Airport. My friend, Atty. Nicolas “Nick” Caraquel picked me up and brought me to his apartment in Queens Boulevard.
We had a sumptuous dinner (Nick knew that I was hungry) at one in the morning. After that, he went to sleep while I was there in the room staring at the blank wall. Sleep was elusive since it was daytime in the Philippines at that time.
That’s what jet lag is all about. The Encarta Encyclopedia defines jet lag as: “a range of physiological disturbances associated with air travel across time zones.” It affects everyone, male or female, rich or poor, fat or thin, young or adults.
Children under the age of three, however, don't seem to suffer jet lag badly as they are more adaptive and less set in their ways. Adults who adjust readily to changes of routine also seem less susceptible to jet lag.
But those who are slaves to a fixed daily routine are often the worst sufferers. Jet lag should not be confused with tiredness caused by the stress or exertion of traveling.
Medical News Today says symptoms of jet lag vary but they may include the following: sleep disturbances, insomnia, lethargy and fatigue; a heavy, aching head; irritability, confusion and difficulty focusing; mild depression; loss of appetite; a dizzy, unsettled feeling; and gastrointestinal disturbances such as diarrhea or constipation.
Other experts also mention these symptoms: clammy sweat, disorientation, dry cough, dry eyes, dry skin, earache, headache, impaired vision, lightheadedness, loss of libido, low blood sugar, memory loss, nausea, sore throat, and swollen feet.
