Excedrin surveyed 754 Americans 18 and older to determine what triggers travel-related headaches. It found sitting too long in one position was the primary cause (72.9 percent), while road construction is No. 2 (69.5 percent).
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Others in the top 10 list of travel headaches are lack of leg room (47.3 percent), fed up with fast food (45.8 percent), cutting it too close (45.6 percent), need for fresh air (40.2 percent), canceled or delayed flight (39.8 percent), tired of traveling (38.5 percent), “Are we there yet, Mom and Dad?” (36.2 percent) and too much luggage (36.1 percent).
And who are the most headache-provoking passengers?
Heavily perfumed passengers, loud passengers, passengers who are too close for comfort, crying babies, unpleasant smelling passengers, those who smoke, who recline in front of you, are overly talkative, have intrusive elbows and are drunk.
Ideas for eliminating those headaches:
– Sitting too long. Wear loose-fitting clothing. Remove your shoes and put on a pair of heavy socks to help improve circulation. Walk up and down the aisle a few times, or stop the car every few hours to stretch your muscles.
– Road construction. Call a travel club before setting out to learn the latest road conditions. Travel agents, tour operators and hotels also can help you plan the best route.
– Lack of leg room. Request an aisle seat when traveling by air, bus or train. Seats in a bulkhead or exit row usually have more leg room.
– Fed up with fast food. Carry fresh fruit for a quick, healthful snack. Reserve a special airline meal, such as low-sodium, seafood or vegetarian, which frequently taste better than the scheduled meal.
– Cutting it too close. Arrive at the airport in plenty of time-at least an hour before departure for flights within the continental U.S., earlier during holidays. Don’t underestimate the time it takes to check bags, ensure a good seat, etc.
– Need for fresh air. Breathe deeply to get adequate oxygen at high altitudes, where the air is thin. Drink a lot of water. If you wear contact lenses, carry eye drops or remove your lenses before the flight and wear glasses instead.
– Canceled or delayed flight. Call the airline to double check your departure time before leaving for the airport. Call your travel agency to see if another flight or airline is available. Carry reading materials or headphone-stereo for those times when a wait is unavoidable.
– Tired of traveling. Read a good book instead of doing paperwork if you’re a business traveler. Leave plenty of free time to relax at home before you leave and after you return from a heavy travel schedule.
– “Are we there yet, Mom and Dad?” Bring travel games to keep children occupied. Bring along a “surprise bag” with little prizes to hand out throughout the trip to get the troops’ attention when they get restless.
– Too much luggage. List what you’ll wear each day of your trip and bring only what you need. Take outfits that are interchangeable. Pack a folding tote bag to carry home items you buy instead of starting out with more luggage than you need.