a233  1438  09 Jun 88
AM-Jet Lag,0610
Jet Lag Afflicts Nine of 10 Long-Distance Travelers, Survey Finds
By BRENDA C. COLEMAN
Associated Press Writer
    CHICAGO (AP) - Nine out of 10 people who fly across multiple time
zones suffer jet lag, yet many take no preventive action to reduce
the notorious wrecker of vacation happiness and business acumen, a
survey indicates.
    Most travelers would probably recommend taking ''a semi-rest for the
first day or two when you arrive,'' said Dr. Michael Irwin, medical
director of the United Nations.
    ''The three or four ways of coping with jet lag are not known.''
    Irwin was in Chicago on Thursday to discuss findings of a survey of
784 long-distance jet travelers. The survey explored how many
suffered from jet-lag symptoms and what, if anything, they did about
it.
    Ninety-four percent said they were bothered by fatigue,
sleeplessness, impaired concentration, slowed reflexes, irritablity
or other symptoms associated with jet lag if they flew across three
time zones or more.
    Forty-five percent reported severe problems, with inability to sleep
and daytime sleepiness or fatigue being the most disturbing, the
survey said.
    Yet only about 45 percent of the total said they used any strategy
to try to head off jet-lag symptoms, it said.
    Those who did report having helpful strategies most commonly listed
avoiding alcohol on the flight, resting a few days on arrival,
exercising daily on arrival, adjusting sleeping patterns before
leaving and using a short-term sleeping medication the first night or
two in the new place.
    ''Most people still don't realize to avoid alcohol on the plane,''
said Irwin, who became interested in the problem of jet lag in his
duties overseeing the health of U.N. staff.
    ''The reason is that the combination of dry air inside the plane -
less than 5 percent humidity - with the alcohol makes you very
dehydrated, and it's harder to adjust to a different time zone.''
    He said at least 100 biochemical and hormonal rhythms in the body,
which govern daily cycles such as sleep, all suffer with dehydration.
    Jet-lag symptoms are worse flying from west to east, as evidenced by
the finding that 23 percent of East Coast travelers to Europe
reported severe jet lag, while only 14 percent had severe problems on
the reverse trip, the survey said.
    Similarly, 39 percent of those traveling east from the Orient to
California were extremely bothered, compared with 24 percent
traveling west from California to the Orient, the survey said.
    On long trips - three or four time zones - exercising outdoors can
do much toward resetting the biological clock, Irwin said.
    Ideally, the exercise would be in morning daylight after an eastward
flight, to encourage the body to adjust to an earlier day, and in
evening daylight after a westward flight, to encourage the body to
adjust to a later day, he said.
    Short-acting sleeping medications, known as benzodiazepines, are
also very useful to help readjust sleeping patterns the first day or
two after arrival, without causing grogginess during normal waking
hours, he said.
    ''Only take medication prescribed by a doctor, not something given
by a friend or (bought) over the counter,'' Irwin said.
    The study, commissioned by the Upjohn Co. of Kalamazoo, Mich., was
conducted by an independent polling organization, R.L. Associates of
Princeton, N.J., with the help of United Airlines and British
Airways.
    Subjects were travelers who had made at least two round-trips of
5,000 miles, once going eastward and once going westward, in the 24
months before the survey conducted in June 1987, said Upjohn
spokesman Leonard H. Gross.
    
 
AP-NY-06-09-88 1725EDT
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