Hey mom, so I’m flying to see my girlfriend this summer and I’m uh kinda a nervous flyer. Always gives me a headache and makes me feel sick and anxious. Any tips on how to make it better?

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fthgurdy:

thebibliosphere:

Unfortunately no. I’m also an awful flyer and get severe migraines from it, and I’ve never been able to overcome it 😦

I just wind up standing in passport control on the other side, swaying and feeling like I’m about to have a full on aura migraine/collapse.

Maybe someone else will have some handy advice though?

Sorry if this is obvious stuff, but I fly fairly frequently and have had some bad flights- I spent the last one with my head pressed against the seat in front of me and my hoodie up the entire time, lol- here is my accumulated experience, maybe some of it will be helpful:

-don’t rush on or off the plane. There’s only one or two exits, a certain number of seats, and everyone has to wait their turn, you might as well stay comfortably seated at the gate or in your seat until the line has moved.

-make sure you have water with you, and that you’re properly hydrated before the flight. Small sips can help if you feel sick or your head hurts.

-getting a good night’s sleep is also very helpful

-try not to fly hungry.

-uh, gross but true- try to give yourself time before the journey to do all your bathroom business in peace. Rushing out of the house in the morning without going number two does not help because your bowels are gonna wake up at 35,000 feet while the seatbelt light is still on.

-sucking hard on a sweet or chewing some gum can really help relieve the pain from the altitude change, and on take-off and landing. You can even just suck on your teeth, honestly.

-disposable tissues are your friend. You can blow your nose, spit into them if you have a nasty taste in your mouth, wipe your brow. Cloth tissues are ok too, actually, you just have to keep them afterwards 😛

-take a small soft pillow on the flight, or something to make it possible to rest your head comfortably. It may not seem like much but it can make a huge difference.

-comfy clothes. Don’t worry about flying dress code, that doesn’t exist anymore. If the flight is longer than a couple of hours you should wear stuff that won’t poke or scratch or restrict your breathing.

-if you like listening to audiobooks or music and it doesn’t make your headaches worse, prep something soothing and comfortable for the flight, to drown out the engine hum. Sometimes I just put on an audiobook and drift off without even listening to the words.

-always ask the flight crew for help if you need it. You can tell them as you get on the plane that you’re not feeling well and would appreciate a glass of water as soon as they can, for example, or a sick bag just in case. If you’re polite, they are usually very accommodating. I mean they should be either way but being polite makes their jobs easier.

-do not feel bad about feeling sick or being anxious. This happens to people all the time on planes. If you need to go to the bathroom and stay there for twenty minutes, that’s ok. If you need to ask the person next to you to move so you can leave your seat, that’s ok. If you don’t want to talk to them, that’s ok- you have nothing to apologise for and have no obligations to be sociable. 

I just want to add that a pair of noise cancelling headphones can help a LOT. I have a cheap-ass pair and even they changed things from ‘I feel like my ears are bleeding’ to ‘I actually snoozed a bit’.