Do you like drinking on flights? Read this first

Do you like drinking on flights? Read this first

Those ‘free drinks’ in Flights In fact, they may have a more real cost to them: they are more dangerous than you think! And no, we are not just talking about jetlag and hangovers. Recent studies have highlighted the greater vulnerability of passengers to the effects of alcohol at high altitudes.

Researchers found that even in young, healthy individuals, consuming alcohol before bed at the lower air pressure of an airplane cabin can significantly increase heart rate and decrease blood oxygen levels.

The study, published in the journal Thorax, involved dividing 48 healthy adults into two groups: one group slept at normal atmospheric pressure, while the other slept in a simulated airplane cabin. Within each group, half of the participants drank the equivalent of two beers before bed, while the other half slept sober, NBC reported.

The results were alarming. Those who drank alcohol before sleeping under airplane pressure experienced a staggering 85% drop in oxygen saturation and a significant increase in heart rate, averaging 88 beats per minute. The researchers warn that these findings could have serious implications for people with pre-existing health conditions, as well as for young, healthy people. In addition, alcohol can contribute to dehydration, which can lead to fatigue, headaches, and other health problems.

Dr Elmenhorsten, who helped carry out the study, also warned young, fit and healthy people that the effect of alcohol under reduced pressure is “very strong”. The combination of alcohol and the reduced pressure of cabin air can overload the cardiovascular system and lead to prolonged periods of low oxygen levels.