Besides the cramped conditions, there's a lack of fresh air, and a relaxing drink is tempting. Make it something other than alcohol, which is dehydrating, and twice as potent when you're airborne. Drink mineral water instead. If the change in cabin pressure causes you to have earaches while flying, a decongestant can be helpful. Descents can be especially painful, so take the pill at least one hour before landing.
Travel is never hassle-free, and folks often arrive at their destination feeling fatigued.
Try to get some sleep during the trip. If that's difficult, bring along a boring book. In a study of 107 men, averaging age 76, various tests showed those with high blood pressure were less mentally alert than the others. Concluding that this was probably because hypertension interferes with the flow of blood to the brain, the researchers stressed the importance of medical care to help prevent an onset of the condition. Under a new Federal policy, Medicare beneficiaries will soon be able to discover what, if any, mistakes were made by doctors who treated them for illness or injury.