MICHAEL ARNOLD GLUECK -- Community commentary

It’s the one issue related to airports we can all agree upon and it

has nothing to do with the politics of John Wayne or El Toro: We in

Newport-Mesa (and South County) love to travel for vacation or business

and that means more flying, along with the fear of it.

The fear of flying now means the dread of lots of unplanned extra time

on the ground, a shortage of time between connecting flights and

potential unplanned delays.

As a physician who has been turned from a fairly rational traveler

into a shaking psychotic mass of quivering Silly Putty, I know that

airline rage is not good for your health. What then should an airline

passenger do to convert rage to sage for the sake of his or her

well-being?

The syndrome of airline rage was first described in winter 1998. The

most notable incident was the case of a Northwest Airlines plane stuck on

the tarmac in Detroit for hours while the passengers were stranded

without food and overflowing lavatories. The cabin allegedly turned into

a boxing ring and people began to throw things at one another.

Dealing with the airlines is not always a “friendly skies” process.

These are the same guys who rolled the “hub-and-spoke” concept over us

and then selected hubs with the worst weather. Many connections are so

close in time and long in distance that Olympic sprinter Carl Lewis would

be stressed.

Once, an elderly couple standing next to me and boarding the same

connecting plane were one step from having congestive heart failure. And

the writer is only a radiologist who can diagnose disease but not treat

it.

Airline executives are the same scholars who never acknowledged that

smoke in row 20 of the smoking section can drift to row 19 of the

nonsmoking section. They alternated smoking and nonsmoking sections so as

to ensure the smoke was evenly distributed.

For 50 years, they loaded the front of the plane first until my

10-year-old niece pointed out that by loading the back of the plane first

it saved one hour of everyone tripping all over each other.

Airline travel not only takes a toll on your psyche but on your body

too. Here are some practical recommendations to turn potential airline

“rage” into airline “sage:”

HAVE THE RIGHT ATTITUDE

Start out with your attitude in line. Once you leave your house,

you’re on the road, so try to enjoy the ride.

You’ll get there when you get there and screaming at the gate agent

because of snow delays won’t change the weather, just increase your

stress level and your blood pressure.

Take a breath instead of venting. You’ll probably find the agent will

bend over backward to help a considerate passenger.

MINIMIZE DEHYDRATION

The poorly circulated air on airplanes with 4% humidity at cruising

altitude is low enough to make your contact lenses crumble.

For the 35 million contact lenses users, I recommend always wearing

new, fresh disposable contacts the morning of departure. The lack of

precipitated protein on new moist lenses avoids the scratchy eye

syndrome.

That same low humidity takes it toll on the rest of your body.

Avoid alcoholic beverages that further dehydrate your system, and

drink water throughout your flight. Carry a bottle with you.

GET UP AND WALK AROUND

Getting even minimal physical exercise is difficult while traveling,

especially when confined to your airplane seat.

Sitting for hours doesn’t keep the blood moving very well and can lead

to clots in veins that go to the heart. A recent report from Japan

acknowledges 27 such deaths.

Get up and walk, especially on longer flights to avoid “coach-class

syndrome.” Some airlines have published stretches and exercises that can

be done even while sitting. I recommend they do it again.

For exercise in airports during delays, take advantage of

near-marathon-length airport concourses by walking before or between

flights.

A colleague always carries walking shoes in her bag and uses the time

between connecting flights to take a power walk. Others may give you

funny looks, but your heart will thank you.

AVOID AIRLINE FOOD

Find or bring healthy food. All airlines will provide low-fat meals on

request, and many airports now have juice bars where you can power up on

fruit smoothies or shots of wheatgrass before or between flights.

ADJUST TO JET LAG

A recent study by Yale University’s Department of Medicine notes that

melatonin will help you sleep at night but does not aid in readjusting

your circadian cycles.

Although melatonin is not very toxic at higher doses, a safer

recommendation is to take physiologic replacement doses of 300 to 600

micrograms, if needed. Let other people be the 3,000 microgram (3

milligram) and up guinea pigs.

WEAR LAYERED CLOTHING

Dress for comfort in all temperatures.

You may be traveling from a frigid climate to Hawaii, but who knows

what the temperature may be on the airplane?

You may be sitting in uncomfortable heat before takeoff and then find

yourself freezing midair.

Wear layered clothing so you can adjust to whatever you encounter. Do

not wear synthetic fabrics, which can flash ignite in an emergency.

PLAN AHEAD, AVOID STRESS

Neutralize the enemy by planning far ahead. This is easier than ever

with the Internet.

Check destination(s), routes, airlines, plane type, hotels, weather,

city maps, functions and dress requirements before you book. A few

minutes of homework may save hours of ground work.

If the weather looks bad, don’t go. Some airlines now allow you to

download boarding passes on your personal computer from home up to 12

hours in advance.

It often is worth the extra money to fly direct. This also means you

can check your luggage with greater confidence that it will actually

arrive with you. If everyone checked luggage, boarding and deplaning time

could be cut in half.

If possible, select the carrier with the hub that is most convenient

to your destination. For example, I recently was able to fly direct,

nonstop, in half the time and cost to a meeting in St. Louis by finding

an airline with its hub in that city.

Take early flights when possible. The hub system has a domino effect

so that any delays or problems only become worse as the day goes on. If

your flight is delayed or canceled, you have more time to make alternate

plans and adjust to the airline schedules.

Take earplugs to minimize babies crying and inconsiderate, noisy

adults.

By incorporating these strategies into your travel plans, you may

avoid becoming a blithering idiot. You will reduce stress, elevated blood

pressure, that ulcer flaring, increased insulin requirements or the

requirement for post-flight tranquilizers.

At least that’s my “vantage point” (the title of the American Airlines

magazine) from the ground where Orange County passengers seem to spend

most of their time when they fly.

* MICHAEL ARNOLD GLUECK is a Newport Beach physician.