How can I have a healthy and comfortable flight?

Before your flight

• If you need to take medication, find out if you can take your medicine abroad.
• If you have a history of travel sickness, find out some self-care techniques, or get advice from your pharmacist.
• If you think you are at risk of developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT), see your GP before you travel. They may recommend wearing compression stockings during your flight.
• Get plenty of sleep the night before your flight.
• Wear loose, comfortable clothing on the plane. Consider taking a pair of ear plugs and a travel pillow.
• Check the hand luggage restrictions with your airline, or see the GOV.UK website for hand luggage restrictions at UK airports.

During your flight

• Drink plenty of water and other fluids to ensure you stay well hydrated. Avoid alcohol or caffeinated drinks, such as tea, coffee or cola, because they will make you thirstier.
• Consider wearing glasses instead of contact lenses, because the dry air in the aircraft cabin can irritate your eyes if you have contact lenses in.
• Move around. Sitting still can increase your risk of DVT, so do some simple exercises as you fly. Bend and straighten your legs, press the balls of your feet down hard against the floor, and walk around the cabin when you can. Avoid taking sleeping pills, as these can put you into a deep sleep, meaning you won’t be able to move for a long time.
• To help prevent jet lag, change your watch to your new time zone when you board the plane (if you haven't done so already), and try to get some sleep during the flight.

Avoid ear trouble

The change in air pressure in the cabin as the plane takes off and lands can be painful as your ears adjust. Yawning, swallowing, sucking a boiled sweet or chewing gum can help. See below for other tips you could try:

• Wake up around an hour before landing, so that your ears have time to adjust to the descent.
• If you’re travelling with a baby, let he/she drink during take-off and landing.
• It’s not advisable to fly if you have an ear, nose or sinus infection, as the swelling can cause pain, bleeding or a perforated eardrum. If you have to fly, ask your GP or pharmacist about decongestants to help reduce the swelling in your ears.
• If you’ve recently had any type of ear surgery, check with your GP or specialist before flying.

Air quality in planes

Most planes are fitted with air filters that change the cabin air every few minutes. There’s no evidence that the air conditioning systems in planes spread infectious diseases. You can catch infectious diseases, such as the common cold, simply by sitting or standing near someone who is infected, or by touching an object like a door handle after they have.

Further information:

• Can I take my medicine abroad?
• Can my GP prescribe extra medication to cover my holiday?
• Is it safe to fly with a perforated eardrum?
• DVT
• Jet lag
• Motion sickness
• Travel health
• Find your local pharmacy
• Civil Aviation Authority