Travel q&a

Shape, May, 2007

Q Why do I get parched and have trouble breathing when I fly?

A Blame it on the altitude. Though cabins are pressurized, air has less moisture and oxygen at 35,000 feet. These changes dry out your throat and make your lungs work harder (but not enough to hurt you). Taking regular sips of water helps your throat stay moist, says Paul Sanders, M.D., a travel-medicine physician for thetraveldoctor.com in Dallas. Another tip: Before you board, moisten your nasal passages with a couple of squirts of a sterile saline spray like Naturade ($5; iherb.com). And keep an Evian mister ($17 for three; drugstore.com) with you for refreshing spritzes during the flight.--SB

Send your travel questions to travelq&a@shape.com.