(AFA - 2009)Warning: Flying is bad for your health

(AFA - 2009)

Warning: Flying is bad for your health

 

Flying is  the safest way to travel - or is it? Some doctors think the airplane is a dangerous place, especially for the old or the unhealthy.

Although the airplane is pressurized, there is less oxygen than on the ground. So anyone who has had a heart attack should not try for at least two weeks after the attack. After an operation, you should stay on the ground for at least ten days.

Sitting on a plane for many hours – especially in economy class where there isn’t very much leg room – gives everyone [10] aches and pain, so you should get some exercise, especially on long flights.

Flying also causes dehydration. If you drink or eat too much, you’ll wake up feeling sick. Everyone needs to drink more in the air, but you shouldn’t drink alcohol because it makes you even more thirsty.

The most common problem is jet lag. You should change to your new time zone as soon as possible, and you shouldn’t sleep if it’s still daylight.

Crowded airports, long lines, and delays cause stress and high blood pressure. So, be careful! Flying is the safest way to travel, but is it the healthiest?

(Move Up, Heinemann)

Aches and pain (line 10)