Jet Lag Pills ? Panacea or Placebo Effect?

We live in an age that demands an instant cure for every conceivable ailment under the sun and so it's no surprise that jet lag has joined the band of conditions for which there is the promise of a cure in the form of a pill. But can a pill really provide the panacea to jet lag, or are the results of taking such pills nothing more than imagined.

Jet lag is a common sleep disorder that just about any long-haul air traveler will be familiar with. It is caused by the body's inability to reset its internal clock quickly enough to bring it into line with local time when arriving at your destination.

For example, consider flying from London to Singapore. You arrive at eight o'clock in the morning local time to start a busy day of meetings or sightseeing. Your internal clock, however, is still set on London time of two o'clock in the morning and is telling you that you should be in bed and fast asleep.

Whatever method you use for either preventing or curing jet lag, and there are many different ways of doing this, the end result must be a realignment of your own body clock to that of local time, if the symptoms of jet lag are to disappear. So can this be achieved with a simple pill?

One of the most widely used pills available today is a homeopathic preparation containing such things as extracts from the chamomile plant and a common form of daisy. Now while homeopathic remedies have a long and well established history, and while chamomile itself is known for its properties in assisting sleep, it seems more than a little far fetched to suggest that taking a pill before you take off will fast forward your body clock some six hours during the course of your flight from London to Singapore.

So why do so many people swear by such pills? There are probably four reasons:

First, we are conditioned to believe that the advance of science is such that doctors can cure just about anything today and so why shouldn't we believe in a pill to cure jet lag.

Second, different drug trials have demonstrated time and time again the power of the "placebo effect". In other words, the mere fact that something is being done to combat a condition can in itself produce the felling that it works.

Third, jet lag doesn't always kick in straight away. We're all familiar with the fact that a few late nights doesn't always effect us straight away and that it may be two or three days before our late nights catch up with us. Because many travelers also feel fine for their first couple of days they assume that the pills must have worked. When jet lag does catch up with them, they then often wrongly attribute their symptoms to the change in climate or something they've eaten.

Fourth, the sale of pills, of any description, is big businesses supported by big advertising budgets and clever marketing. This marketing extends to jet lag pills and is even supported by studies which clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of such pills. The only problem here is that many of the studies quoted are fundamentally flawed and lack any detail. Most studies, for example, involve airline crews, in particular cabin staff, who are hardly representative of the bulk of the traveling public and might well be thought to have a vested interest in promoting air travel.

It would be lovely if we could just take a pill when we board the aircraft and arrive at our destination with no jet lag. Unfortunately, at least for now, this simply isn't possible.

Preventing jet lag, or at least reducing jet lag symptoms considerably, is not difficult and involves a little bit of planning in advance of your trip and following a careful, but simple, plan before, during and after your flight. The one thing is doesn't involve is a so-called magic jet lag pill.

Copyright 2005 Donald Saunders - http://help-me-to-sleep.com

Donald Saunders is the author of a number of health related publications including "Jet Lag ? A Natural Approach". Learn more about jet lag and pick up your free copy of "How To Get A Good Night's Sleep" to discover how to cure insomnia

---

Another Cold Sore! Why Me?

An estimated 85 million Americans have acquired the herpes simplex (cold sore) virus. And the majority had received the virus before the age of 3.Not such a big surprise when you realize how... Read More

What You Should Know About Mixing Medications and Diet...

I had a call the other day from a potential client in a serious situation. He was young and had been diagnosed with CAD (Coronary Artery Disease), suffering from extremely high blood pressure... Read More

VIOXX Lawsuits

Vioxx is a prescription medication that has been used primarily in the treatment of signs and symptoms of arthritis, but has also been prescribed to treat acute pain in adults and menstrual pain... Read More

Where to Find Maryland Drug Rehab Centers?

Everything can be found on the Internet. At various sites there's a comprehensive list of all Maryland drug rehab centers along with contact information and short advertising articles. There are lots of various... Read More

The Pharmaceutical Drug Cartel and the FDA

According to the Los Angeles Times, the California Association of Physicians and Surgeons, and even the Center for Diseases Control's own admission, well over 100,000 people in this country die each year from... Read More

195,000 Die Annually From Hospital Mistakes

It just seemed too absurd to be true, but there it was in the August 2, 2004 edition of Newsweek I picked up the other day: "According to HealthGrades, the health-care-rating organization that... Read More

The Medical Community Changes Its Mind

How many of us have taken aspirin or a similar popular product found at the drug store when we had some type of discomfort? Of course, many of us have and why shouldn't... Read More

Drug Interactions: Five Common Dangerous Interactions You Should Know About

Prescription drugs can save your life. But interactions between prescription drugs and other drugs or with illnesses or conditions you have can lead to significant consequences. Drug interactions may make your drug less... Read More

How to Find a Drug Rehab in Florida?

When you're in need, the quickest way is the best: if you put "drug rehab in Florida" in your search engine, the first page it finds will be the right one. There you'll... Read More

The Check Doctor Credentials Theory

In 2003, there where more than 890 million doctor visits in the U.S. according to the (CDC) Center for Diseases Control and Prevention. "More now than ever consumers are not only researching their... Read More

Physicians, Chiropractors and Physical Therapist Agree on a New Treatment for Low Back Pain

One of the most prevalent and difficult health conditions to treat in the physical medicine is low back pain. The difficulty in treating low back pain comes from the fact that there are... Read More

Lunesta Revealed: 7 Things You Must Know Before You Buy Lunesta Prescriptions

Lunesta is a newly released sleeping pill. Marketed as a revolutionary sleep aid, Lunesta is the only medication approved by the FDA for long term treatment of insomnia symptoms. Although Lunesta is a... Read More

CT and MRI Scans in Neurological Practice: A Quick Overview

Before computed tomographic (CT) scans became available in the 1970s, there was no good method for imaging the brain. The available methods and technologies struck around the target without quite hitting the bull's-eye.We... Read More

The Power of Ice

Using ice to treat injuries is one of the oldest methods of pain control. Proven to be safe and effective at reducing swelling, relieving pain and decreasing muscle spasms, ice therapy is an... Read More

The Top Seven Myths About Arthritis

Myth #1: "Nothing can be done about arthritis..."You don't have to put up with arthritis. Now motre than ever, there are excellent medicines that can not only treat the symptoms but also, in... Read More

Antibiotics and Bowel Flora

The word Antibiotic is constructed from Greek words anti, which means "against" and bios, meaning "life", is a phrase used to describe an antibacterial substance made from micro-organisms, all though nowadays most are... Read More

The Controversy of Viagra? (Sildenafil Citrate), Other ED Medications, and Their Generic Counterpart

There has definitely been a good deal of controversy over Viagra?, it's use and more recently, it's side effects among some unfortunate patients however, apart from the specific drug itself and the effects,... Read More

Lunesta Personality Changes

Lunesta is a newly released sleeping pill. Marketed as a revolutionary sleep aid, Lunesta is the only medication approved by the FDA for long term treatment of insomnia symptoms. Although Lunesta is a... Read More

Orthotics: Prefab or Custom-Made?

If you take a simple stroll down the foot product isle at your local drug store you will find an array of foot products and inserts. You will find inserts for cushion, for... Read More

Anxiety Management With Prescription BuSpar: Don?t Worry, Be Happy

We've all had one of those weeks: the washing machine overflows, the dog forgets his housetraining and the toddler her toilet training, the boss is going through a divorce and making everyone miserable.... Read More

Naturopathic Medicine

Naturopathic Medicine is an holistic approach that relies on natural remedies. Sunlight, air, and water are thought of as natural healers; this, along with nutritional supplements and massage therapies are all part of... Read More

Check Out The Wonders Of Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil is the essential oil comes from the Australian plant Melaleuca alternifolia. This species is unique to Australia and native to Northern New South Wales. This tree has very strong therapeutic... Read More

The P Value And Its Significance

When diversifying an investment portfolio, one needs to consider investing in the healthcare industries. Pharmaceutical companies that have strong pipelines of investigation drugs have strong growth speculations. In addition to examining its pipelines,... Read More

Hypertension & High Blood Pressure: How To Improve Life Threatening Weight-Related Diseases

The American Heart Association estimates that one of three Americans have have hypertension. And yet many of us don't know what it is, why it's dangerous, and what the treatment options are.What Is... Read More

Residential Drug Treatment Centers

Chemical dependency recovery provides with positive changes in reactions and behaviors. Residential Treatment Centers can be accommodate those suffering from alcoholism, drug addiction, gambling addiction, and more. Treating both men and women together,... Read More

The Pain Factor

Last year I told an acquaintance that at the age of 46, I had taken up running. The reply was, "Oh, that's awfully hard on your knees." At first I was taken aback.... Read More

Signs of an Addiction

Addictions come in many forms. It's important to recognize the signs of addictions in order to seek out help before the problem becomes to large.Some different types of Addictions are: Caffeine addiction, nicotine... Read More

Sinusitis: Sinus Infection Deals a Corporate KO

Sinusitis and Sinus Infection Starts with a Little SniffleYes, I hear it too. A simple sniffle in a distant cubical. No big deal. But wait. There went another. Before long the office uproars... Read More

The Right Stethoscope For Your Needs!

Just about all health care providers have need of stethoscopes. Whether you're a nurse, respiratory therapist or a medical doctor, the need to auscultate the chest, lungs and heart is a necessary and... Read More