Jetlag
The content of the article:
- Causes and risk factors
- Forms of the disease
- Jet lag symptoms
- Diagnostics
- Treatment
- Possible complications and consequences
- Forecast
- Prevention
Jet lag (from the English jet - "jet", lag - "delay") is a sleep disorder that develops when changing 2 or more time zones in a limited period of time.
Jetlag is a sleep disorder
Jetlag is included in the International Classification of Diseases under the heading "Violation of cyclicity and wakefulness", and it is also highlighted in the International Classification of Sleep Disorders as a separate nosology.
Jetlag affects more than 30 million jetlag passengers annually in North America alone. There is no sufficient volume of statistically significant information on the syndrome under consideration, nevertheless, a number of sources indicate a high frequency of its manifestation in people over 50 years old, in both sexes equally.
Synonyms: desynchronism during transmeridian flight, transmeridian dyschronism.
Causes and risk factors
The main reason for jet lag is the desynchronization of circadian rhythms (biological clock of the body) with the real time mode of the arrival time zone.
Circadian rhythms are understood as cyclical fluctuations in biological processes that regulate various aspects of life. These rhythms are quite stable and have an endogenous (internal) origin.
The likelihood of the syndrome is not related to the duration of the air travel, it is based on the change of several time zones: for example, a flight lasting 9-12 hours along the meridian is transferred much easier than a 4-5-hour flight with the intersection of several meridians.
In addition to flights, the development of jet lag can provoke a change in the usual "sleep - wakefulness" regime on weekends in individuals (mostly of the late chronotype, "owls") working on a 5-day week schedule. A shift in the time of falling asleep and waking up by 1-2 hours compared to weekdays provokes the same symptoms as a flight with a change of time zones, which is explained by a shift in the peak of activity on weekends to a later time.
It was found that after flights to the west, the sleep phase returns to the initial one at a rate of 60 minutes per day, and after flights to the east - 90 minutes per day.
The main reason for jet lag is the desynchronization of the biological rhythm of the body due to the change of 2 or more time zones
Forms of the disease
Depending on the reason, a distinction is made between a jetlag provoked by a transmeridian flight and a social jetlag (weekend).
Severity: mild, moderate and severe.
Depending on the duration of the symptoms, there are:
- acute form (7 days or less);
- subacute form (duration from 1 week to 3 months, symptoms associated with more than one episode of jet lag);
- chronic, lasting 3 months or more, the symptoms in this case are associated with many episodes of jet lag.
Jet lag symptoms
The main symptoms of jet lag are sleep disorders, falling asleep and waking up of various nature:
- the disappearance of drowsiness when the patient is in bed;
- excessive physical activity in an attempt to find a comfortable position;
- superficial drowsiness, easily interrupted by minimal stimuli (creak of bed, rustle of bed linen, etc.);
- prolonged falling asleep (up to several hours);
- frequent nocturnal awakenings with difficulty falling asleep again;
- superficial, shallow sleep;
- uncharacteristic early or late awakening;
- feeling of dissatisfaction, fatigue after a night's sleep;
- daytime sleepiness.
Jetlag is characterized by daytime sleepiness and prolonged falling asleep, frequent nighttime awakenings and a feeling of fatigue after sleep
In addition to the symptoms described, nonspecific somatic disorders are sometimes noted:
- violations of menstrual function in women;
- dyspeptic disorders (change in appetite, diarrhea, constipation);
- headache, dizziness;
- irritability;
- increased episodes of nighttime urination;
- changes in pulse and blood pressure.
As a rule, within 2-3 days after arriving in a new time zone, jet lag symptoms stop on their own, without requiring special correction. However, there have been cases when the manifestations persisted for 7-8 days or more.
In persons for whom flights with a change of time zones are of a regular (more often professional) nature, jet lag can acquire a chronic recurrent course.
Diagnostics
Diagnosis of desynchronosis is based on the analysis of anamnestic data and typical patient complaints:
- sleep disorders are the main ones;
- painful symptoms occur 1-2 days after crossing 2 or more time zones;
- at least 2 of the listed symptoms are detected (decreased daily activity, impaired appetite or gastrointestinal tract functions, nocturia, general malaise);
- violation of chronobiological rhythm, confirmed by polysomnographic research;
- the absence of somatic or mental illnesses that could cause symptoms;
- Symptoms not meeting the criteria for another sleep disorder with insomnia or excessive sleepiness.
The diagnosis "jetlag" is made on the basis of collecting the patient's anamnesis and conducting a polysomnographic study
The main sign of social jet lag (for the first time the diagnostic criteria were proposed in 2006) is the discrepancy between the usual sleep pattern and that during non-working days due to social factors. On weekdays, early awakening and falling asleep are due to a person's social obligations, and on weekends, late awakening and falling asleep compensate for the accumulated sleep deficit.
Treatment
There is no consensus on how to deal with jetlag. Sleep systematization, planned light stimulation and pharmacotherapy are suggested as possible treatment options.
Taking the neurohormone melatonin takes a fundamental place in the drug correction of jetlag. It has a corrective effect on internal circadian rhythms and has a direct hypnotic effect.
In order to correct jetlag, patients are prescribed the neurohormone melatonin
In addition to melatonin, short-acting hypnotics are recommended to help you fall asleep and stimulants to keep you active during the day.
Possible complications and consequences
Complications of jet lag can be:
- subjective distress;
- taking alcohol, coffee in large doses, as well as energy drinks as stimulants;
- exacerbation of somatic pathology;
- increased symptoms of mental illness.
Recommendations for preventing jet lag or mitigating the consequences
Forecast
Favorable when following the doctor's recommendations, observing sleep hygiene.
Prevention
How to deal with jetlag:
- you need to give up physical and mental activity, taking stimulants 1-1.5 hours before the intended fall asleep;
- light therapy should be carried out (targeted exposure to bright light at the optimal time of the day for this);
- it is necessary to provide comfortable conditions for sleeping on the eve of the set time for falling asleep (well-ventilated room, comfortable bedding, low level of extraneous noise, minimal lighting, etc.).
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Olesya Smolnyakova Therapy, clinical pharmacology and pharmacotherapy About the author
Education: higher, 2004 (GOU VPO "Kursk State Medical University"), specialty "General Medicine", qualification "Doctor". 2008-2012 - Postgraduate student of the Department of Clinical Pharmacology, KSMU, Candidate of Medical Sciences (2013, specialty "Pharmacology, Clinical Pharmacology"). 2014-2015 - professional retraining, specialty "Management in education", FSBEI HPE "KSU".
The information is generalized and provided for informational purposes only. At the first sign of illness, see your doctor. Self-medication is hazardous to health!
