The word is borrowed, literally translated from English means “jet plane” in the first part of the word and “late” in the second. This condition arises when the biological rhythms of a person do not coincide with the onset of the day in the country of arrival, if there is a different time zone. The body's natural response can seriously cloud the journey. Unpleasant malaise with certain symptoms cannot be completely ruled out, but you can still relieve some tension. When a person travels on a ship, for example, or in a car, the body smoothly rebuilds, unlike a flight on an airliner. The body does not have time to adapt, hence all the problems that arise.

Symptoms vary. This is a headache, sleep disturbances, a feeling of fatigue, and a lack of appetite. The body is forced to waste energy on adapting to the new schedule of life, routine. This leads to a decrease in the immune status, a malfunction of the hormonal system can occur, even the muscle tone becomes weaker. After a few days, at most after 3 days, the condition returns to normal, but internal processes return to normal only after a week. The hormonal background suffers the most, and that is why overweight often appears during holidays.

Circadian rhythms

The world we live in is cyclical. Day gives way to night, coolness to heat, winter to spring, and so on. A person is a part of the world, which means he also lives in a mode of alternating phases. Circadian rhythms are called periodic fluctuations in the characteristics and indicators of various processes occurring in the human body under the influence of the change of day at night and vice versa.

The simplest biological rhythm is the alternation of sleep and wakefulness. This cyclicality is a biological clock, the course of which determines our well-being, mood, performance, and general health.

One complete circadian cycle is approximately equal to the revolution of the planet around its axis, takes about twenty-four hours. A similar periodicity is inherent not only to us, but also to all living organisms on the Earth: animals, fish, plants, even bacteria.

External stimuli (day or night) act on fluctuations in the characteristics and indicators of the processes occurring in our organisms. But internal factors have a decisive influence on the biological clock.

The main ones are:

general health;
the immune system;
gender identity;
age;
heredity.

At different times of the day, we feel differently: alert or tired, ready for activity or drowsy, thinking quickly or unable to concentrate. All these conditions are a consequence of the changing concentration of certain hormones in the blood, that is, the activity of the endocrine system.

For example, the endocrine system produces sleep-inducing hormones only when we fall asleep at night. The active development of these elements is carried out from eleven o'clock in the evening to half past one at night. When the rays of light hit the retina, the production of sleep hormones stops, their concentration in the blood decreases sharply. Moreover, this process will occur even if you close your eyes.

Symptoms of the disease

The main symptom is sleep disorder. This is either excessive sleepiness, or, on the contrary, insomnia. Cyclic and wakefulness disorders – such is the group to which the jetlag is attributed in the International Classification of Diseases. Although jetlag, or desynchronosis (this is the name of the disease that appeared several decades ago), as the concept appeared long ago, it has become more often mentioned today. The number of travelers has increased, new opportunities have appeared, and rhythm mismatch has become an urgent problem for many people.

However, when describing the symptoms, mention of the root cause of the appearance of such a condition is often overlooked, namely, the actions and the therapeutic approach of the attending physician depend on this. Jetlag is the result of a specific reaction of the body to stress, and although a sharp change in time zones is a common cause of malaise, illness can occur for other reasons. For example, biological – when taking medications, and social, related to the work schedule or moving the clock hands one hour back or forward.

Jetlag occurs in people of all ages, no matter what their status or wealth, so the disease is quite common. It is important that the term combines a previously scattered description of a similar state: after vacation, during the session, after working in shifts.

But most of all, people suffer who have to regularly travel long distances and soon return. Airliner pilots, diplomats, heads of large corporations, etc. Young people are less exposed to the effects of flight on the body, in contrast to those who crossed the threshold of fifty years. The biological clock is set to the usual time, and when the sleep and wakefulness regime changes, an imbalance of the circadian internal rhythm and the solar day occurs in the region where the person has arrived.

Excessive sleepiness appears during the day or, on the contrary, insomnia on the second or subsequent night. This condition can last for about a week, while working capacity, mood, and concentration of attention decrease. Somatic symptoms are also noted: disorders in the work of the gastrointestinal tract, diarrhea, constipation, problems with the menstrual cycle in women.

Most of us tolerate the syndrome easily, and consider the inconvenience insignificant, since after a few days the jet lag symptoms disappear. But for the above categories of citizens, the problem can be serious, with relapses, and often the disease becomes chronic. Constant tension, fighting sleepiness during the day, can cause social discomfort, which leads to the consumption of alcohol more than the prescribed measure, invigorating energy drinks, coffee.

Possible causes of biorhythm disorders

As long as the biological clock is working properly, we feel great. But what happens if you disrupt the natural course of things? What can cause the body's circadian rhythms to malfunction?

The most common cause of a destructive effect on human biorhythms is a long flight on an airliner crossing a number of time zones for several hours. Moreover, the scale of disturbance in the course of biological rhythms is largely influenced not by the duration of the flight, but by its vector. From the course of school geography, you can recall that at the same moment in different parts of the Earth, the clocks will show different values of time. This is due to the spherical shape of the planet, the peculiarities of its movement around the axis, as well as relative to the Sun.

Time zones are located along the meridians from pole to pole, there are twenty-four of them in total. Time in any point of the planet on the same meridian is the same, and on adjacent ones it differs by sixty minutes. If you fly on an airplane along the meridian, without changing the time zone, even ten to twelve hours, then there will be no failure of the body's circadian rhythms. If the flight path crosses the meridians, then several time zones change in a relatively short period. Such an air journey, even lasting three to four hours, significantly disrupts the naturalness of human biorhythms.

Even the direction of the flight vector affects the subsequent recovery. If the plane flew in a westerly direction, then the biorhythms are normalized at a speed of one hour during the day. In the east, the rate of normalization is about one and a half hours per day.

Biological clock failure syndrome – albeit on a much more modest scale – can also manifest itself when the hands are switched annually to winter (summer) time. Circadian rhythm disturbances are also possible during shift work, when you have to adapt to night work shifts, and try to get enough sleep during the day.

Jetlag: treatment

The symptoms of jet lag disappear after a few days, as soon as the internal clock is synchronized with the new local time. This means no treatment is required. When traveling to the west, this usually happens faster than when traveling to the east.

Typically, it takes a person on average one day to adjust to the new local time and recover from jet lag.

Interestingly, different body functions adapt at different rates. You are already getting used to the new sleep-wake cycle, while hormonal balance still takes time to completely rebuild.

Jetlag: symptoms

Do you think you have a jet lag?

Here's how it manifests itself:

disturbed general condition,
fatigue,
violation of the rhythm of sleep-wakefulness,
increased sleepiness
increased fatigue
daytime sleepiness
lack of concentration,
decrease in efficiency,
headaches,
lack of appetite,
gastrointestinal problems,
depressed mood
decreased motivation.

Jet lag occurrence

A sharp change in the time zone does not leave time for the body to smoothly rebuild, adapt to new realities. For example: the average flight time from Berlin to Washington is about nine hours. If you fly out in the morning, you will find yourself in America at lunchtime (according to the local chronometer), but the internal chronometer tells you it's time to get ready for bed! A conflict arises that destructively affects the metabolism, the activity of the nervous, cardiovascular, endocrine systems, disorientation or disruption of many vital systems occurs.

This natural reaction of the body to a gross violation of the course of circadian rhythms in medicine is called desynchronosis or transmeridian dyschronism.

But more often such a disorder is called jet lag, in the English spelling – “jet lag”. The first part of the phrase is translated as “plane, reactivity”, the second – “slow, late, delay”.

If the profession requires frequent, multiple transmeridian air travel, this threatens the development of chronic desynchronosis.

Causes and risk factors

You need to know a few things about jet lag to understand what it is:

People have internal biological clocks, they do not correspond to natural ones. The internal rhythm is 24 hours and 15 minutes, slightly longer than the astronomical cycle. Therefore, a person transfers movement to the west much easier than to the east, since it prolongs his internal days. When moving to the east, an artificial interruption occurs, a suspension of the biological clock.
A difference of 1 hour will require 1 day of adaptation. With a difference of 2 hours, it will take 2 days to get used to it, with a difference of 6 hours – 6 days, etc.
It is much more difficult for a physically and psychologically untrained person to cope with changes.

The higher the resistance to stress, the easier it is to rebuild.

Before the flight, it is advisable to bring the emotional sphere to the most stable state.

What is jetlag?

Jetlag is a human condition characterized by unpleasant symptoms that arise as a result of a sharp change in time zones and requires the necessary adaptation. Translated from English, it sounds like the phrase “jet plane” and “lag behind.”

The primary role in this malaise is played by the change of time zones, and not by the flight distance, although a long stay in flight is also unpleasant in its own way and can affect health.

The main symptoms of jet lag include:

fatigue;
digestive problems;
irritability;
drowsy state;
depression
great feeling of depression.

No one wants to experience these unpleasant symptoms immediately after landing. Yes, and it only at first glance may seem that there is nothing serious in this state.

It is not uncommon for passengers to have their ears blocked and seasickness diagnosed. But this is most often the result of flight.

Unfortunately, sometimes jetlag is accompanied by very severe headaches, which are especially dangerous for people suffering from migraines. Nausea, disorientation, dehydration, and other rather dangerous signs may appear.

From this it follows that one should never turn a blind eye to such a state. After all, many people fly for a specific purpose. Some have to rush to the meeting almost immediately and resolve organizational issues.

Others have to give a concert in a couple of hours. Even if the flight was carried out on a tourist voucher, in order to relax and walk around an unfamiliar city, you need to feel satisfactory. Therefore, jetlag should be considered as a malaise that requires special attention and treatment.

Fortunately, pharmacists and researchers took care of the person in this case too.

There are tips, methods, medications, with the help of which it is possible to normalize a person's condition after a flight.

How to recognize it

Jetlag symptoms are almost the same for most people:

Sleep disturbances. With a change of more than 6 time zones, a person wants to sleep when everyone is awake, and suffers from insomnia when it is supposed to sleep.
There is a desire to eat at night, which further agitates the internal routine, disrupts metabolism.
Altered digestion leads to nausea, bloating, heartburn, and other gastrointestinal problems.
Jetlag syndrome is characterized by weakness, irritability. Children become especially whiny, capricious. Some adults lose emotional stability, may show increased aggression, irascibility. A person can get sick physically, especially if travel is frequent and systematic.
Absent-mindedness, inability to make decisions is another sign of cycle failures. Therefore, when traveling on business, it is necessary to adapt as much as possible to new conditions before starting the work process.

Symptoms are the same for everyone, but their severity depends on the preparedness for changes, the number of time zones crossed.

Some signs (dry eyeballs, headache, dizziness, increased swelling) are associated not with jet lag, but with dry air, strong pressure in the plane.

To avoid this, you need to drink more water.

How to deal with jetlag?

Medicines are the main and decisive means of dealing with such ailments. One of the helpers in this case is the drug Melaxen, which regulates circadian rhythms and helps to fight against obvious signs of jet lag.

But, before buying and using this drug, you should consult with your doctor who will consider all contraindications and, if necessary, give important recommendations.

As for the dosage of these tablets from jetlag, the question is decided by the doctor on an individual basis. Usually, one tablet is sufficient for

Another helper in the fight against malaise associated with jet lag or social jetlag is the neurohormone Melatonin. It has corrective properties and acts as a mild hypnotic.

A milder medicine for jetlag are herbal preparations that are sold at the pharmacy. But about this remedy, you also need to consult a doctor.

There are recommendations of doctors, the implementation of which will help to avoid unpleasant symptoms after changing time zones:

It is categorically contraindicated to consume coffee and alcoholic beverages shortly before, during and after the flight. You should not overload your nervous system;
it is not advisable to give up food, a hunger strike will not bring anything good. But overeating is categorically contraindicated;
the risk of dehydration can be avoided by drinking enough fluids. Moreover, it is worth giving preference to plain water over fruit juices. By the way, tomato juice is also not the best option, it is advisable to temporarily abandon it.

It is important to get a good night's sleep before the flight. Do not heed the advice not to sleep at all in order to fall asleep faster on board. The preliminary rest should be complete. The use of sleeping pills should also be discarded. They thicken the blood, which is highly undesirable in flight. In addition, such drugs can aggravate a person's disorientation.

If there is a transplant

In order to save money on the flight, some passengers refuse direct flights and get to their destination in several stages, with transfers. Many airlines meet such people, working on creating convenient transport hubs and making it possible to get from one point to several at once.

If there is such a flight with transfers, then you should not sit out, waiting for the next flight without benefit for yourself. Following some tips will help you avoid jetlag:

it is very important in this case to warm up for the legs, which are tired of many hours of flights;
if you wish, you can eat. It's only better if it's not “fast carbohydrates”;
it is advisable to refrain from a large amount of glucose, which for some reason always really wants in such situations;
food should be light, healthy and quickly digestible.

Causes and risk factors

The main reason for the jet lag is the desynchronization of circadian rhythms (the body's biological clock) with the real time mode of the arrival time zone.

Circadian rhythms are understood as cyclical fluctuations in biological processes that regulate various aspects of life. These rhythms are quite stable and have an endogenous (internal) origin.

The likelihood of the syndrome is not related to the duration of the air travel, it is based on the change of several time zones: for example, a flight lasting 9-12 hours, made along the meridian, is transferred much easier than a 4-5-hour flight with the intersection of several meridians.

In persons for whom flights with a change of time zones are of a regular (more often professional) nature, jetlag can acquire a chronic recurrent course.

In addition to flights, the development of jet lag is capable of provoking a change in the usual “sleep – wakefulness” regime on weekends in individuals (mostly of the late chronotype, “owls”) working on a 5-day week schedule. A shift in the time of falling asleep and waking up by 1-2 hours compared to weekdays provokes the same symptoms as a flight with a change of time zones, which is explained by a shift in the peak of activity on weekends to a later time.

It was found that after flights to the west, the sleep phase returns to the initial one at a rate of 60 minutes per day, and after flights to the east – 90 minutes per day.

The main reason for the jet lag is the desynchronization of the biological rhythm of the body due to the change of 2 or more time zones.

Forms of the disease

Depending on the reason, a distinction is made between a jet lag provoked by a transmeridian flight and a social jet lag (of a weekend).

Severity: mild, moderate and severe.

Depending on the duration of the symptoms, the following are distinguished:

acute form (7 days or less);
subacute form (duration from 1 week to 3 months, symptoms associated with more than one episode of jet lag);
chronic, lasting 3 months or more, the symptoms in this case are associated with many episodes of jet lag.

Jetlag affects more than 30 million jetlag passengers annually in North America alone.

Diagnostics

Jetlag is diagnosed, as a rule, on the basis of anamnesis data, such as the history of the development of the disease, existing chronic pathologies, possible allergies, hereditary tendencies, etc. The anamnesis data are supplemented by the patient's complaints. In most cases, complaints relate to disturbances in the quality of sleep, although often the symptoms are complex: insomnia, accompanied by constipation (for example), irritability, and so on.

The causes of biorhythm disturbances are also determined by the polysomnography method, which consists in a complex of studies of the body during sleep. A person suffering from desynchronosis can be sent for tests, an ultrasound scan. This will help make sure that there are no diseases of the internal organs that cause manifestations similar to those of jet lag.

Sometimes a psychiatric consultation is required, since the signs of certain mental disorders are similar to those of desynchronosis.

Effects

Most often, jet lag symptoms go away on their own after a couple of days. However, if the syndrome becomes chronic, it is fraught with complications.

The consequence of constant disturbance of circadian rhythms can be nervous exhaustion, accompanied by suicidal moods. Attempts to cope with symptoms of transmeridian dyschronism often take the form of taking large doses of sleeping pills, alcoholic or caffeinated beverages. Such excessiveness can lead to overdose, alcoholism, cardiovascular disorders. If there are any chronic diseases of internal organs, then against the background of jet lag, they can worsen. The same applies to mental disorders.

What to do during the trip?

There are tips for people suffering from jet lag. If you adhere to them, you can quickly cope with ailments:

It is advisable to spend the first day after arrival on the street. Thanks to the positive influence of sunlight, the body will be able to quickly adapt to the new rhythm. Prolonged stay in the room only intensifies jet lag symptoms;
movement has a positive effect on a person. It is worth paying attention to sports. With the help of it, the body is invigorated and its internal clock is readjusted faster;
do not exercise shortly before bedtime. This can cause even greater disturbance of the diurnal cycle;
it is not advisable to sleep in the daytime, it is fraught with an even greater disruption to the rhythm. If, nevertheless, there is fatigue and there is a desire to rest, you can take a nap, but not more than 2 hours. An alarm clock will help you not to oversleep;
the nervous system should not suffer from unnecessary noise and light. Earplugs and an eye mask will help with this. Thanks to restful sleep, it will be possible to cope with the problem of a violation of the biological rhythm much faster;
a visit to the swimming pool helps to cope with jetlag. Thanks to this, the muscles come into tone faster, fatigue and tension are relieved;
Instead of coffee and alcoholic beverages, it is better to calm the excitable nervous system with herbal teas. A restful night's sleep will be if you first drink chamomile, valerian. The scent of lavender also has a positive effect on the nerves;
if the planned trip is delayed for just a couple of days, there is no need to rebuild your body. It is better to eat and stay awake at the time to which the person is accustomed.

As it turns out, the Jedlag is hard to avoid. For each person, the change of time zones takes place individually. But the correct approach to solving this issue and the implementation of all the recommendations of doctors help to significantly improve the condition and reduce the negative symptoms of jet lag to a minimum.

Proper flight preparation to mitigate desynchrony

There are many recommendations to help you avoid serious manifestations of jet lag. It is important to properly prepare for the flight. This helps to prevent desynchronosis and quickly adapt.

It is worth highlighting the following recommendations before the flight:

It is necessary to pay special attention to sleep. It is important to get a good night's sleep before traveling. In most cases, on the eve of the flight, there are many urgent matters. A person becomes nervous and busy, which is why insomnia often occurs. You should take light sedatives, with the help of which you will be able to fully rest. Some people do not sleep on purpose before flying. Explaining this by the fact that they supposedly fall asleep faster on the plane. This is not recommended. Lack of sleep along with anxiety before the flight is a stressful situation for a person.
It should always be possible to plan the first days after landing. You should limit yourself from emotional events and experiences. It is better to keep such loads to a minimum.
If you are taking medications on a regular basis, you should consult your doctor on how to take them in the new time zone.

Jetlag control methods

Jetlag can and should be fought so as not to overshadow part of the journey and quickly switch to a new rhythm of life. There are some tips that you just need to heed.

Actions during the flight and after landing

Experts studying the consequences of jet lag have made a number of recommendations that clarify how to behave on the plane and during the first time after arriving in a new country. Following these tips in conjunction with the preparatory steps will reduce the risk of long unpleasant adaptation in a different time zone. These are the guidelines:

Psychological preparation. You should definitely stock up on a gadget with your favorite music, movies, and take a good book on your trip. You can find information about the culture and specifics of the new country, learn a few phrases in the language used by the locals.
During the flight, you should leave the seat once an hour. You can walk around the cabin, squat, do a light warm-up. Sitting in its place, you should periodically rotate your head, this activates the blood circulation in the brain. Sometimes you also need to wash yourself with cold water, it invigorates.
If the flight is long, then it is desirable that there is a transfer. Some inconveniences are compensated by the fact that the body, while at the intermediate airport, will correct its biorhythms.
You do not need to starve on the plane, the menus on the ships contain dishes that are easy to digest. The body of a well-fed person is more successful in dealing with any stress. But one should observe the measure – overeating will force the body to spend a lot of energy on processing food.
After landing, you must immediately get used to local realities. For example, if it is morning in the country of arrival, then you need to have breakfast, do business. To go to bed, you need to wait for the evening, during the day it is advisable to follow the usual diet.
For the first 24 hours in the new time zone, you don't need to sit in your room all the time, but you also should not take tedious walks or participate in crowded noisy events. It is better to spend the first day after landing in a quiet introductory mode: go to a cafe, shopping center or cinema.
Going to bed in the evening should avoid taking sleeping pills or alcohol. You should try to sleep on your own. Earplugs can be used to keep the noise out.

Arrival actions

When you arrive at your destination during the day, it is best to try to stay awake so as not to experience sleepless nights. If it tends to sleep and it is difficult to fight it, you can take an hour nap, but no more.
Moderation in physical and emotional stress will significantly improve the state of night sleep.
Being in the fresh air is a great help to cope with jetlag. With the help of sunlight, it is possible to quickly normalize the internal clock and restore the biorhythm.
It is important to try to avoid getting a lot of arousal after the flight. You should protect yourself from stressful situations, stop drinking coffee, coffee and energy drinks.
It is not advisable to overeat. Food should be easily digestible.
A visit to the pool has a good effect on the body.

A gadget for correcting biological rhythms

It would be strange if in the computer age the industry did not offer some kind of electronic device for dealing with jetlag. There is such a gadget, of course. A well-known Australian company produces something like electronic glasses that generate a special type of radiation that corrects circadian rhythms. The action of the gadget is based on the stimulation of a specific sector of the brain, which is responsible for the normal course of the body's biological clock.

Companies developing software for electronic devices also did not stand aside from solving the problem of transmeridian desynchrony. A number of applications have been created that anyone can install on their smartphone or tablet. The program will inform about jet lag prevention measures, make up the daily routine, etc. The most famous programs of this profile: “Entrain”, “JetLagApp”.

Conclusion

In many cases, the start of a vacation and the success of a business trip depends on the craftiness of the jet lag. Sometimes in a person who is poorly prepared for this pathology, the adaptation period is delayed, which is why some days simply fall out of life.

Therefore, people who often cross time zones should know the techniques of dealing with jet lag and choose from them the one that suits them directly. This will help to avoid dizziness and chronic fatigue during the trip.

Sources and useful links on the topic: https://MedAboutMe.ru/obraz-zhizni/publikacii/stati/profilaktika/dzhetlag_chto_eto_takoe_i_kak_svyazano_s_pereletami/ https://DobryjSon.ru/rezhim/vzroslye/dzhet-lag.html https: // prosimptom .ru / az / jetlag.html https://poryadkov.ru/poleznye-sovety/dzhetlag-chto-eto/ https://tvojajbolit.ru/terapevtologiya/dzhetlag-chto-eto-takoe-etiologiya-kak-spravitsya- s-dzhetlagom-sposobyi-preparatyi / https://www.neboleem.net/dzhetlag.php https://znatoksna.ru/vidy/dzhetlag-chto-ehto.html

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