The doctor spoke about the real dangers of air travel and ways to protect yourself

The main danger during air travel is associated with prolonged immobility, which can lead to the formation of blood clots in deep veins. To avoid this, it is recommended to get up every hour and walk around the salon or perform simple exercises on the spot. On July 3, Svetlana Burnatskaya, a general practitioner and occupational therapist at JSC "Medicine" (Academician Roitberg Clinic), told Izvestia about this.

The doctor paid special attention to the problem of dry air on the plane, where humidity can drop below 20%. This causes not only discomfort, but also increases the body's vulnerability to viruses. Burnatskaya refuted the widespread myth about the circulation of microbes through the ventilation system, noting that modern HEPA filters effectively purify the air, and the main risk of infection is limited to a couple of rows around the sick passenger.

The expert touched upon the topic of cosmic radiation, the level of which is really elevated at flight altitude.

"A single dose is not dangerous for ordinary passengers, but pilots and flight attendants are under constant medical supervision. Low pressure in the cabin can cause discomfort for people with chronic diseases, so such passengers should pay special attention to their condition," the therapist said.

Burnatskaya also dispelled the myth of fuel vapor entering the cabin, emphasizing that the air supply system is completely isolated from the engines.

In conclusion, the doctor noted that if simple precautions are followed — maintaining water balance, regular exercise and hygiene — air travel does not pose a serious threat to health. The main thing, according to the expert, is not to panic and focus on real, not imaginary risks.

On May 4, Elena Prokhorova, head of the Sber Eaptek pharmacy, told Izvestia how many Russians are susceptible to jet lag. When changing time zones, the body does not have time to adapt to the new time, the biological clock gets lost, so symptoms such as malaise, drowsiness or lack of sleep, headaches of various etiologies, and fatigue may appear.