Letters to the Editor

Lynne Bunnell, RN

A Common Sense Approach to Patient Teaching: Drinking Fluids During Air Travel

To the Editor:

Recent studies have noted that an individual’s water loss during air travel is not as great as a previously believed. Thus, some have said that the old recommendation of “drink a lot of water on a flight” is faulty, and should be discontinued.

I disagree. Perhaps the way we teach should be modified to say that flying on airplanes, per se, does not cause dehydration. What causes the symptoms of dehydration (and the resulting problems during travel) is the fact that people drink less than they would have if they were not sequestered on a plane. This is true for a number of reasons:

• On many flights, fluids are not continually available, except in the business or first class sections. Also, caffeinated beverages and alcoholic drinks may be consumed, which are diuretics, and worsen dehydration.
• People drink less to avoid having to climb over seatmates to go to the toilet and to avoid discomfort during long stretches when passengers are told to remain seated – during take-off and landing and periods of turbulence.
• The stresses of embarking on a trip often contribute to the traveler’s dehydration even before leaving for the airport, no time to take in fluids, for example. Then not taking in adequate fluids during the trip, further worsens the dehydration.

We should continue to encourage travelers to keep themselves well hydrated before and during air travel to minimize associated discomforts such as constipation.

Lynne is nurse manager for International Health at CitiGroup in New York City.