Jet Lag – Digestive System Problems

We have all had digestive problems in the past. And we all know that when one experiences issues with bowel movement or stomach pain the condition can be fairly irritable and uncomfortable. There are various kinds of issues that you can face that are related to the system. Since it is one of the main systems in the body, any disorder can affect other parts of the body. Constipation, heartburn, diarrhea, ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome are all commonly known digestion system disorders that we are aware of. For anyone to know what a problem in this system can cause, one only has to think of the day that you had to rush to the bathroom some 10 times or how uncomfortable you were all day when you could not relieve yourself in the morning. There are various causes of these conditions that occur and many of them are related to the kind of food that you eat.

However, digestion issues can also occur due to jet lag when you travel across time zones within a short span of time. Some of the typical symptoms that can be observed in such a condition are indigestion, diarrhea, heartburn and constipation. The main reason for the cause of digestion issues due to long distance travel can be explained by the circadian rhythm that we all have. It is the body clock that tells us when to eat, when to sleep and when to wake up among other things. It regulates the temperature of the body, release of hormones and bowel movement.

A digestive problem occurs when the circadian rhythm is disturbed since the body starts to give signals to eat at weird times. The confusion that is caused either leads to a situation where you starve or eat too much for comfort. This causes issues with being able to digest food in the proper manner.

Digestive system problems like heartburn occur due to less food intake since stomach acids are produced based on the previous cycle that the body was following. With a new eating routine, the body gets confused and heartburn occurs. Bowel movement disruption causes constipation creating a lot of discomfort for the person.

Digestive system issues during and after international travel can be avoided by consuming large amounts of water, while on the flight. Alcohol and caffeine should be avoided or kept to the minimum. There is some research that suggests that consuming only fluids during a flight can reduce these symptoms to a large extent.

While there are other issues that are created due to travel across multiple time zones, the ones that are related to digestion cause the maximum issues. Digestive problems that linger on for a few days can really spoil a holiday or vacation completely and make you feel unhappy about the outcome.