Can flying make allergies worse?
Can flying make allergies worse? There are many reasons why allergies can become worse when traveling. In general, changes in climate can make them worse. For example, a dry climate and low humidity in an airplane or new location. Traveling to areas with higher counts of pollen, mold spores, dust mites, and animal allergens can impact your allergies.
Are antihistamines good for flying?
Many pilots are unaware that there are wait times after each use of sedating antihistamines. For cetirizine (Zyrtec®) and levocetirizine (Xyzal®), you should not fly for 48 hours after taking the last dose. For diphenhydramine or doxylamine, you should not fly for 60 hours after taking the last dose.
Do antihistamines help with flying?
Try antihistamines: For those with allergy symptoms and air pressure regulation difficulties, medications like Claritin, Zyrtec, or Allegra may be a good option. Antihistamines are often formulated to include decongestants (such as Claritin-D, Allegra-D, and Zyrtec-D).
Can I fly with allergic rhinitis?
Swelling and congestion of the nasal passages in allergic rhinitis can cause discomfort and prevent normal breathing. This becomes a significant distractor while flying and may lead some aviators to take over-the-counter allergy medications that are not approved for flight duties.
Can I fly with seasonal allergies?
Bring a saline spray or mist for airplane travel, as dry plane environments can aggravate allergy symptoms. Keep car windows rolled up and the air conditioning on if traveling during high pollen or pollution times. Drive in the early morning or late evening, as air pollution levels are typically lowest at this time.
Why should people avoid flying?
Flying produces an inconceivable amount of C02 emissions and air pollution. For those that don't know, CO2 (carbon dioxide) is one of the key greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming – flying produces a whole lot of it.