Tight shoes and socks should be avoided as well. In flight, this means avoiding the peanuts, chips, and pretzels that are commonly given on-board. While in your destination, it may be harder to say no to the cuisine. After all, a big part of travel is trying new food! But it does pay to be mindful of what you eat, and try to avoid mindlessly snacking. One of the best parts about flying is that you can sit back, relax, and order a drink.
Just be aware that alcohol dehydrates your body, which is the main reason you might experience a headache when you overindulge the night before. In response, your body may also react by retaining fluids. Alcohol depresses the nervous system as well, which can make you more likely to fall asleep in a bad sitting position in-flight after a few drinks, which may cause ankle and foot swelling.
Travel can be hard on the body. It promotes dehydration, impairs circulation and exposes you to pollutants which have negative health impacts. Another supplement to consider bringing is probiotics, which promote gut health. This will help lessen the impacts of swelling from the foreign food. Omega-3 is also known to be an effective anti-inflammatory to reduce swelling and pain. Flying usually leads to swelling in the ankles and feet, while a new travel diet can lead to swelling in the stomach and face.
If the weather or change in climate is the cause of swelling, it can happen anywhere in the body, from the neck, limbs, or even hands. If you do experience swelling during your travels, there are a few ways to find relief quickly.
Here are some key tips on what to do if you start to swell. If you feel your ankles and feet swelling in the airplane cabin, try to stretch it out before it gets worse.
Start by rolling your ankle around in a circular motion, extend your legs and stretch, then change positions. It also helps to continue changing positions and stretching frequently until landing. This keeps blood circulation up, and prevents it from pooling into the lower body again. Walking helps to bring back proper blood circulation, which stops the swelling from getting worse. If you find yourself swelling during your trip because of hot weather or from the foreign cuisine, opt for some cardio.
If the swelling is too painful to do those, going for a brisk walk also works. Exercise helps improve blood flow giving relief from swelling.
Plus, the salt your body loses from sweating helps to release excess fluids your body may be holding onto. If possible, elevate the swollen limb above the heart, on a chair or cushion in bed. If swelling persists, you can elevate the limb overnight while sleeping. Holding or placing your feet above your heart is obviously a great way to keep the blood from pooling in your feet and ankles. If you can, see if you can lift your knees and legs up high, placing them on the seat in front of you — obviously trying not to annoy the passenger in front of you.
After your flight, when finally somewhere you can lie down, put your legs up the wall. This is awesome to drain the legs lymphatic system, encourage oxygenated blood to circulate up the legs and feet.
Post-flight massage is also a great way to alleviate any swelling. You could do this yourself, or find somewhere close by that you can walk to. The gentle practice of just walking will also assist the body in circulating the blood. You might also like Physiotherapy for Pain Management. How do I choose a good pillow? Barefooter Kate Mendel loves her Rock Climbing! Jason — A life of sport, dance and timber. Preparing for your Physiotherapy Appointment.
Catherine Explains Medical Imaging. The Best Mattress For You. The Effectiveness of "Self Releases". Leave a Reply Want to join the discussion? Feel free to contribute! Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Holland Park. Stones Corner. When I came home, all of the swelling had gone by the next morning.
This is more likely to occur in a plane than a car because there is less space and opportunity to move around. Most airlines provide beverage service with water. You can also purchase a large bottle of water after you pass through security. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email.
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Tips for traveling with diabetes. Reply Marilyn Jones October 3, at am Excellent article! Reply Irene S. Reply Suzanne Fluhr October 3, at am Maintaining a healthy body weight is probably the one piece of advice that may be difficult to achieve on the fly—so to speak. Reply Laura October 3, at am Maintaining a healthy body weight is most important.
Levine October 3, at am Good advice from your doc! Congratulations on your weight loss. Reply Mary Charlebois October 3, at pm Very helpful, thank you. Levine October 3, at pm People make the mistake of thinking that cruises are sedentary but most travelers do far much more walking and standing than they usually do.
Reply Suzanne Stavert October 3, at pm Your timing is epic. Levine October 3, at pm You look like a leg-crosser! Levine October 6, at am You are one of the few. Many people dread putting them on. Levine October 6, at am I think genetics makes some people more prone than others. Reply Michele Legge October 12, at am What a great article people often avoid writing about these things as they think they are not interesting. Levine October 13, at am Hope it helps!
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