Nowadays, air travel is preferred more often than other transportation means because of its many advantages. These journeys, despite all the benefits, can sometimes cause health problems.Motion sickness, also known as seasickness, car sickness, simulation sickness or airsickness, is a disorder developing in the inner ear. Individuals with motion sickness have difficulty controlling their physical movements and experience balance problems. With the rocking and dizziness, the sensation of nausea begins to occur. This whole process is defined as motion sickness meaning that it is more likely that the disease occurs in vehicles, ships and aircraft in motion.

The perception of the motion in the brain takes place in three different neural ways. The stimuli coming from the inner ear, the stimuli coming from the eyes, and the stimuli coming from the body tissue enable the motion to be perceived. During the movement, messages are transmitted to the brain from these routes and the brain coordinates the movement. When the movement occurs unconsciously (for example on sea voyages) the messages coming to the brain are confused, and the brain cannot coordinate the movement. That is, while the stimuli from your eyes give a movement message, the inner ear does not approve that the body does this movement. So, confusion occurs and this disagreement among alerts is called motion sickness.

The condition of motion sickness can also manifest itself on the aircraft. There is a movement, but it is unconscious. These mixed signals transmitted to the brain may result in nausea and vomiting.

If you are prone to motion sickness on aircraft, avoid heavy meals prior to flying. Be careful about what you eat at least 24 hours before your flights. Do not eat greasy, heavy spicy or salty food. Instead, try eating a snack before your flight. Avoid foods that cause stomach ache or acid reflux.

Try not eating anything right before your flight, but do not board the plane with an empty stomach either.

Muscle relaxation

Be sure to consume plenty of water during your flight.

Carefully choose your seat. Be sure to choose a seat on the wings and by the window. During the flight, the seats near the wings feel the least movement. Window seats also allow you to focus your gaze on the horizon or another fixed object at a distance. If these seats are not available, then choose a seat in front of the airplane and near the window.

Use motion sickness drugs.

Avoid playing games or reading books. Focusing on something closer to your face and your eyes cause confusion in motion signals to the brain. Listening to a recorded book or music contributes to a healthy flight. You can also watch movies from a certain distance.

Focus on the horizon. As you focus on the horizon, moving away at a fixed point helps relieve your brain and stabilize the balance.

Set the ventilation ducts and make sure they blow fresh air around your face.

Eat lightly while you fly. Avoid caffeine.

Make sure not to eat anything that irritates your stomach. If you are experiencing nausea during your flight, you can eat salty dry crackers. If you start vomiting, stand up. It is not helpful to lie down on your back. Standing up helps your body feel a sense of balance and copes with the feeling of nausea.

Focus on other things. For example, if you are on a business trip and are going to make a presentation at your destination, think about your presentation.

If you are going on a holiday, you can plan the places to visit.

Try to loosen your muscles with the progressive muscle relaxation technique. This technique is meant to control your muscles.

It also teaches you to focus on your thoughts and energy. For example, starting with your toes, pull your body up and release it freely. Focus on tightening a muscle group and keeping it for about five seconds and rest the muscles for 30 seconds.

Sit up and support your waist

Back pain caused by sitting still for a long time is one of the most frequently reported inconveniences to airlines. Even if you do not have any back problems, air travel can be difficult for you. This is simply because the body is not fit to sit for hours without moving.

Many people have an acute back pain attack. The backache you notice after a long flight can become chronic over time. These aches are always caused by the usual weak stances. Playing tennis, swimming or exercising strengthens the muscles that keep your spine upright.

If you do not like exercising or doing sports, the muscles, tendons, and bonds that hold the bones of your spine may weaken. Weak posture and weak spinal muscles can cause permanent damage to your back. The spine structure is flexible and easily adjustable while standing and in motion.

However, it can be challenging with seat structure and inactivity while sitting. You can bring along the necessary requirements for your waist and back before you flight and get support from your cabin attendant. You can reduce your pain by filling your waist with a pillow or shoulder bag.

Neck pillow

If you continue to suffer from pain despite sitting upright and supporting your waist, this is because of remaining in the same position for a long time. Hold your seat upright on long flights and adjust your seat when you start to feel pain. If you feel tired, release the spine and remove the cushion from your waist. Sleeping on flights can sometimes cause problems. You can experience posture problems during sleep and stay in that position for a while. It is very important to support your head and neck with a neck pillow.