The air pressure makes you bloated and gassy. That can make your stomach feel uncomfortably full or crampy, or make you fart more. You can't change the air pressure on the plane, but you can take steps to minimize bloating by steering clear of gas-causing foods like broccoli or beans before and during your flight.
For some people, however, long bouts of inactivity can make the contractions slow or sluggish, causing the colon to absorb too much water, making your stool hard and dry, and leading to constipation. It's possible, too, that the low-pressure environment in airplanes can contribute to stomach discomfort.
"When you're sitting on an airplane and the altitude gets higher, the surrounding pressure decreases and the gas in your bowel expands," explains Dr. Brandt. The World Health Organization notes that air cabins are pressurized to replicate the air pressure at about 6,000 feet above sea level.
Air pressure in the cabin is lower than at sea level. As cabin pressure falls while flying, gas starts to expand. As a result, you may feel pressure in your stomach or digestive system. Gas and bloating are common.
“First of all, the stress associated with catching with your flight and getting to the hotel can make your symptoms worse. But also being away from your usual place of eating and going to the bathroom can disrupt the bowels.
Drink plenty of water, which will not only help with jet bloat, but it can also keep your skin and eyes from feeling dry and itchy. Water goes a long way here — drink it regularly throughout your flight and upon arrival. (Alcohol will not help you in this arena.)
That's because when you travel, so does your gut microbiome. Your digestive tract is home to trillions of different bacteria, viruses, and fungi—all of which might be disturbed by a jaunt to a new locale.
It's really down to physics. Pressurised cabins on aeroplanes are having an effect on the air inside you, so as the cabin pressure decreases, the air inside the bowel expands by up to 30% more than usual, and that needs to get out.
Airplane belly happens when your body doesn't release all of the excess gas it accumulated throughout the duration of the flight. So even though you've landed at your final destination, you might not feel as relieved as you would like to be.
There is lower atmospheric pressure at higher altitudes. Something known as the ideal gas law explains why the same mass of gas expands and takes up more space in your bowels. The greater the volume of gas building up in your belly, the more likely you are to pass it.
When traveling, it's easy to become dehydrated due to low humidity on airplanes and the simple fact that many people don't drink enough water while traveling. Dehydration can quickly lead to constipation. On the flip side, travel-induced exhaustion can have the opposite effect, causing stomach upset, gas and diarrhea.
The pressure from the high altitude when you're flying is known to cause trapped gases in your stomach to expand and take up more room, making you feel bloated. This is bad news for those who are susceptible to bloating as it might even cause them to feel nausea and stomach pain.
As the pressure around you decreases, the gas in your belly isn't constrained as much and it expands. This can make you feel bloated or become distended," he told TPG.
Drink Plenty of Water
Whether you had a little too much alcohol or had a giant cheeseburger, drinking plenty of water can help you debloat overnight—or even faster, says Burgess. "Although it may sound counterproductive to drink more, water can actually help flush our system and reduce the puffiness."
Water weight. Flying and the changes in pressure cause your body to retain water.
Dehydration: Our bodies get dehydrated from the airplane cabin's low humidity levels, which can make us feel thirsty — as well as dry out the mucous membranes in our throats and sinuses, which can leave us not just feeling crappy, but also more vulnerable to illness.
There's not as much airflow as on Earth. You gotta introduce airflow to get rid of contaminants and carbon dioxide," explains astronaut Mike Massimino. According to Massimino, if you feel the urge to fart in space, it's best to head to the bathroom where there is more ventilation to help disperse the odour.
Many people have a normal bowel-movement routine, pooping at regular intervals throughout the day. But when jet lag or a new time zone shifts that schedule ahead or backwards by a few hours, it can mess up that routine, causing constipation.
To prevent regular, everyday constipation, you should drink plenty of water, eat a diet that is rich with fiber-filled foods, exercise often, and take a probiotic.
Generally speaking, you can go about five days without pooping before you run into the risk of serious health issues like fecal impaction, hemorrhoids, or a bowel perforation. That said, there isn't a magic number of days to set a countdown for.
Travel: For some people, sitting for a long time in a car or airplane can cause fluid retention. The lack of circulation allows fluid to build up; however, the swelling usually goes away in a day or two.
Once you've landed, you can use a lot of the same tools to reduce swelling after your travel: “Stay hydrated, move around, and wear compression socks,” says Wurster. “Also, be mindful of what you're eating and avoid foods too high in sodium because that can also add to further swelling.”
The effects of flying on the human body vary from mild skin dryness to more severe problems like deafness. Flying increases the risk of catching a cold, dehydration, aging faster, reduced alertness, increased risk of diseases like cancer, fuzzy thinking, and many others.