Scientists have done the math, and it turns out that frequent fliers actually age the tiniest bit more quickly than people with both feet on the ground. But not to worry, the difference is so small, you don't have to worry about extra wrinkles.
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Believe it or not, an hour of flight time is akin to spending about 20 minutes in a tanning bed. Except, instead of achieving a healthy tanned glow, all it does is just deteriorate your skin condition. Sun exposure is actually one of the key reasons for the skin to lose its elasticity.
The amount of radiation is minuscule, and jet lag can usually be overcome in a few days. But for anyone flying dozens of times per year — say, at least two cross-country flights per month — these stresses start to add up, putting frequent fliers in higher risk categories for cancers and other chronic health issues.
Using those numbers as reference, we can calculate that if an observer at sea level stayed there for 100 years, someone who would have stayed on the Everest would be older by roughly 0.003 seconds. Technically yes, relative to an observer on Earth, a person at higher altitudes will age faster.
You could develop blood clotsBlood clots, associated with being immobile for long periods, are usually a big concern for passengers. These include clots that form in the leg (deep vein thrombosis or DVT) that can travel to the lung (where it's known as a pulmonary embolism).
Lower oxygen levels contribute to the fatigue you're feeling. Because plane cabins are pressurized to simulate a 6,000-8,000 feet elevation, your blood absorbs less oxygen at those altitudes. This can cause dizziness, sleepiness, and a lack of mental sharpness.
From memory, the net effect after 15,000 hours in a jet (a large but achievable number for an older pilot) is on the order of 30 nanoseconds. Subjective to their own experience (a clock that rides along with them their entire life), no.Everyone ages the same rate by that measure.
No. As a retired flight attendant I saw no major difference in the aging process between my colleagues and the general population. The cabin of an aircraft does have far less humidity than normal ambient air, which *might* temporarily make lines very slightly more pronounced.
Roughly 100,000 flights take off and land every day all over the globe. Say an average length of a flight is two hours; that would mean that six million people fly somewhere every day. That's nearly 0.1% of the entire world's population.
Prevent Blood Clots During TravelStand up or walk occasionally. Select an aisle seat when possible so you can walk around every 2-3 hours. If traveling by car, include breaks in your travel schedule to stretch and walk around.