This happens to your body when you fly

Some people seem completely immune to being thousands of feet into the air, others feel their bodies ache as soon as they set foot aboard an airplane. Your throat gets dry and hoarse in no time. The food rubs you the wrong way (but that’s probably the case with all the airplane food). Your ears clog up. Let’s face it: flying couldn’t possibly be the healthiest thing for your body…

Personally, I always have problems falling asleep on board of an airplane, and I’m never truly excited about the (vegetarian) meals that are being put in front of me. But my boyfriend falls asleep as soon as we take off from the tarmac, and he eagerly devours whatever microwaved meal he’s being served – including mine! It seems to be different for each and every person how you deal with your time up in the air. But it can’t be denied that the act of flying does challenge your body in ways that being on the ground does not. The air and air pressure aboard the plane have everything to do with that.

What actually happens to your body when you fly?

Dehydration and headaches: the air around you is very dry, because it comes directly from outside, where – because of the altitude – the humidity is very low. Inside the cabin, the humidity can even reach desert standards! Make sure to drink a lot of water to avoid headaches and fatigue.
Loss of taste: the lack of humidity also dries out your mucous membrane, causing you to taste less of what you’re consuming.
Your body expands: the lower air pressure actually inflates the natural gases in your body, which makes you feel bloated.
Ear pain: the radical difference in air pressure is difficult for your ears, which might cause ear pain and the sensation of feeling your ears “pop”. To avoid this, keep your nose closed and swallow, or chew on chewing gum as you’re taking off and landing. Never blow your nose while keeping it close; that old trick might actually damage your eardrums!