Snow storms and lost bags are beyond our control, but we can make traveling more pleasant by staying healthy, avoiding jet lag and curbing our fears. I’ve spent 30 years either as a pilot or passenger, and I realized that many cases of pucker power could be avoided if we all knew what was really happening in the airplane. I’m sure that even frequent flyers get white knuckles when the turbulence keeps them from working on their laptops. We sit in the back and trust whoever is flying the airplane to tell us everything is okay.
The symptoms associated with fear are real (sweaty palms, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, claustrophobia) so don’t let others pin your fear on psychological insanity. The inside of an airplane is no place to get a panic attack. Since you are unable to get away from the reason for the fear, I suggest you try a flower remedy. It works in seconds, right in the middle of a panic attack and stops it cold. The combination flower remedy tincture I use is called Fearfulness. It contains aspen, blackberry, cherry plum, garlic, mimulus, red chestnut, and rock rose. The remedy addresses the fear of flying by directly bringing up and calming the underlying emotional issues that cause the fear. If you aren’t afraid, but just apprehensive, you can try another flower remedy combination that combines agrimony, aspen, bottlebrush, impatiens, red and white chestnut, and chamomile.
A homeopathic remedy called gelsemium also can help. Gelsemium is used as a relaxant. In fact, there are lots of alternatives you can try — as long as you don’t use them all at once! Elixir of passionflower acts as a sedative; skullcap, normally compounded with St. John’s wort, can act as a relaxant; lemongrass and kava kava can calm the central nervous system, and good old valerian root relaxes the muscles.
If you have used valerian before and liked it, you may also think of trying an herbal combination of valerian and wild lettuce. These two herbs complement each other by providing a very strong relaxant for extreme cases of panic.
Since many panic attacks can be caused by a release of adrenaline, sometimes caused by low blood sugar, it is important to eat before a flight. The meal should be of protein (meat or vegetable) and carbohydrates. No sugar should be taken before or during the flight as sugar spikes adrenaline responses. This includes soda and alcohol, which instigate sugar highs. Caffeine also can provoke a response similar to an adrenaline rush, therefore, colas or coffee are not good beverage choices.
Once you have conquered your fear of flying, you may have to contend with jet lag. Some less well known symptoms of jet lag include anxiety, body aches, dehydration, dry cough, disorientation, headache, impaired vision, impatience, inability to concentrate, loss of sexual impetus, memory loss, nausea, and swollen feet. Since they may last up to three weeks, these are not really symptoms you want to have on your holiday trip.
Jet lag is relatively easy to address with a few key single homeopathic remedies including arsenicum album, crataegus, and ginseng. The latest and trendiest fix for jet lag is to carry your own personal light box. To quickly effect a remedy you must reset your circadian rhythms and your body clock. The most important regulator of these is the daily alternation of light and darkness. In plain English, our bodies are controlled by our internal clocks that base everything on sunrise and sunset. By exposing yourself to a light source 20 times brighter than normal indoor lighting at specific times, you can reset your body clock within one day. This new technology can also reduce the impact of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Many of these light boxes are so compact you can carry them on a plane.
All that’s left is avoidance of the barf bag. Air sickness is as miserable as sea sickness. Air sickness is caused by the inability of the mind to make sense out of what the eye sees and what the ear feels. You are flying in the clouds in a tube that looks like it should be vertical. Instead your ears tell you that your body is leaning at a 30-degree angle. Your stomach doesn’t like the discrepancy and prefers to get rid of its contents in rebellion.
There are certain drugs that can prevent air sickness but natural alternatives are equally as effective. A homeopathic remedy for vertigo (ear/eye inconsistencies) is tabacum. Ginger has been used as an old home remedy for sea sickness and car sickness and is perfect for air sickness. Ginger tea or ginger powder on the tongue is best, but real ginger cookies will do in a pinch. Other effective herbs in combination are ginkgo biloba leaf, passionflower, clove buds, St. John’s wort, lavender flower, and hyssop herb, to name a few. To be most effective, these remedies should be taken for five days prior to travel. If you become nauseous on the plane, see if someone has peppermint. Oil of peppermint without the sugar is best, but not many people carry that, so search out peppermint gum or candies.
A great help to stomach upset is to take along some digestive plant enzymes. They also have the ability to settle your stomach. There are herbal combinations that supply nutrients to help balance the body’s equilibrium and reduce trauma in the stomach. Herbal formulas that contain liquid extracts from ginger, cassia, clove bud, hyssop, black caraway seed, nutmeg, peppermint, and red poppy flower can do the trick.
As a matter of fact, I suggest you pack an emergency travel kit when you fly. The items suggested will not only fortify your immune system against getting that cold from a sneezing passenger, but also prepare you for any of the maladies that are associated with traveling by air. No one can get rid of in-flight hazards, but these steps can help make your flight more fun — and healthier.
Nina Anderson was a commercial pilot for 30 years prior to her entry into the field of alternative health. She is the author of 11 books. Her book, The Backseat Flyer, is available at bookstores or by calling 800-903-3837.
Air Travel Survival Kit
Mineralized water
Digestive Enzymes
Flax
Light box
Natural supplement for jet lag symptoms
Natural air sickness remedy
Protein snack (no sugar added)
Herbal antibiotic
Personal air purifier/ionizer
Elemental diode
Natural nasal spray
Wheat grass powder
Natural detoxifier