Attendant Talks - Low Humidity Airline Cabins, Dry Eye and Jet Lag

October 03, 2011

30-Year Flight Attendant Talks about Low Humidity Airline Cabins, Dry Eye and Jet Lag.

Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water Interviews Flight Attendant Chris Smith about Cabin Humidity, Dry Air, Dry Eyes and the Need for Extra Water During Airline Travel

Hear Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water on-demand on World Talk Radio, Voice America, Green Talk Network and Apple iTunes and Twitter

Sharon Kleyne, host of the Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water radio talk show and Founder of Bio-Logic Aqua Research, interviewed longtime airline flight attendant Chris Smith. The interview revealed important information about airline travel and the problem of dry skin, dry eyes and disease caused by extremely low airline cabin humidity and dry air. Ms. Smith and Sharon Kleyne recommended several ways to avoid symptoms of low cabin humidity.

The interview may be heard on-demand on World Talk Radio, Voice America, Green Talk Network, Apple iTunes and Twitter.

Sharon Kleyne began by explaining that the humidity in airline cabins can run as low as 3% during flights, which can cause dry eye, dry skin, dull-looking hair, dry mouth and nasal passages, fatigue, elevated stress levels and the spread of disease.

Low cabin humidity and dry air are believed to be a major contributor to jet-lag fatigue. Re-circulated cabin air, crowded conditions and compromised defenses can lead to the spread of diseases such as flu. Bacteria thrive in dry, unhealthy air.

Chris Smith noted that so many people are flying, and airline cabins are so dry and unhealthy, that protecting ones health should be a major consideration when flying. To prepare for a flight, Smith begins drinking more water two or three days prior, taking long baths, taking vitamins and trying to relax and reduce stress. She packs well in advance and gets plenty of sleep.

Cabin humidity differs from airline to airline, according to Ms. Smith, but they're all too dry, considering the crowded conditions and presence of disease vectors. Overly dry skin is more prone to shedding, bacteria laden skin particles are sucked through the air circulation system, and they land on passengers whose defenses may be compromised by dry eyes, dry skin and stress.

Ms. Smith notes that some airlines are becoming more health conscious, encouraging "Water Walks" on long flights because of the threat of deep vein thrombosis from inactivity. According to Ms. Smith, it is common on long flights to page a doctor because a patient has become ill. Many passengers are ill, dehydrated, stressed or fatigued when they board.

Sharon Kleyne asked about bringing your own bottled water. Ms. Smith suggested bringing an empty bottle and filling it after you clear security, or purchasing bottled water inside the security gate. She notes that the airline doesn't turn on the cooling or air circulation system until the plane begins to move, so cabin air can quickly go from very warm and stuffy to extremely dry.

To maintain skin and eye hydration during flights, Ms. Smith uses Nature's Tears EyeMist "relentlessly" and loans it to other flight attendants. She also drinks lots of water.

For maximum hydration, Sharon Kleyne suggests baths, not showers, preferably with Epsom salt. It is especially important to keep eyes moist because dry conditions make them extremely vulnerable. Eyes are the only external part of the body not covered with skin.

According to Ms. Smith, flight attendants have an unusually high rate of allergies, chronic sinus infections and dry eye.

Ms. Smith recommends that passengers do their homework before a flight, by reading about the place they're visiting and watching for travel and health warnings. Most passengers avoid drinking airline tap water, but between tap water and no water, she'd take the tap water. Sharon Kleyne and Ms. Smith agreed that any water is preferable to alcohol, coffee or soda.

Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water is sponsored by Bio-Logic Aqua Research, whose Nature's Tears® EyeMist® product naturally soothes and humidifies dry eyes caused by low humidity airline cabin air. Nature's Tears® EyeMist® is available at www.BioLogicAqua.com, Amazon.com, drugstore.com and selected drugstores nationwide.

Listen to the Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water Mondays, 10 a.m., PST/PDT. The syndicated radio talk show is heard on Voice America/World Talk Radio, Green Talk Network and Apple iTunes. Go to www.SharonKleyneHour.com for written summaries and on-demand replays. Also visit www.naturestears.com, whatistheeye.wordpress.com, "Nature's Tears EyeMist" on Facebook and "Bio-Logic Aqua" on Twitter.

©2011 Bio-Logic Aqua Research