What should you never do on a plane? 5 things that could be dangerous to your health

• Flying involves following lots of rules and regulations.
• It’s important that we follow them to keep ourselves and other passengers safe.
• These are the 5 things you should avoid doing on a plane that could be dangerous to your health.

Flying on a plane involves following a lot of rules and regulations, no matter what destination you are heading to. From visa rules, to following security procedures and remembering to switch your phone on flight mode.

However, there are some things you should never do whilst flying. Here are the 5 things you should avoid doing on plane that could be dangerous to your health.

Getting intoxicated

While it may be tempting to have a few glasses of something alcoholic to help you relax and fall asleep on a flight, it can have an impact on your health. Not only will alcohol affect your sleep quality and cause you to dehydrate, you could wake up with an intense hangover.

If you drink too much alcohol and become intoxicated, you may be denied boarding the plane or could become unruly whilst on board. This could land you in hot water with local authorities when you arrive at your destination.

Smoking or vaping

Smoking and the use of vapes is banned on planes around the world. Passengers may think they can get away with it by lighting up in the cabin bathroom, but most airlines have installed smoke detectors and breaking this rule can get you fined or in some places a prison sentence.

According to FlightRight, there are additional dangers. They explain: “The cabin environment in aeroplanes is set to a specific air pressure level. Smoking can affect the sensors and jeopardise the correct functioning of the cabin pressure system. It could also lead to a lack of oxygen, which is problematic at flight altitudes.”

Staying seated

It’s not recommended to stay seated throughout your flight, especially if you are travelling on a long haul journey. When we fly, our blood circulation is slower, so remaining sitting for hours at a time could increase the risk of developing thrombosis, the formation of clots in the blood vessels.

To prevent this, the NHS recommend that you:

• Move around as much as possible.
• Choose an aisle seat where feasible as this is known to encourage moving around during the journey .
• Carry out calf muscle exercises.
• Try to avoid placing cabin baggage where it can restrict your leg movement.
• Avoid excessive alcohol consumption and the use of tranquilisers or sleeping tablets as this may discourage you from moving.
• Keep well hydrated as this this can encourage walking to toilet.
• Seek urgent medical attention if you develop swollen, painful legs especially if one is more so than the other, breathing difficulties.

Going barefoot

Taking off your shoes or socks might feel like a good way to get yourself comfortable on a flight, especially if you’re on a long haul or flying overnight. However, what is lurking on the floor of the cabin and the cabin bathroom may surprise you.

Hailey Way, a flight attendant with charter airline company iAero Airways, told AFAR: “By walking barefoot or even in socks around the cabin, you are putting your own health at risk.” Adding: “The lavatory floors are probably the worst place to be barefoot. There’s likely a mixture of water, urine, and other bodily fluids in there. You can never be sure.”

Wearing contact lenses

You can wear contact lenses on a plane, however it’s important to plan ahead and be aware that the dry air in a plane can cause your eyes to dehydrate making your contact lenses feel uncomfortable, especially on long-haul flights.

If you plan to wear your contact lenses make sure you plane ahead, drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and pack eye drops in your carry-on to keep your eyes hydrated and avoid any unwanted pain or discomfort.

Have you ever encountered any of these issues? We’d love to hear from you about your travelling experiences, please share your thoughts in the comment section below.