All the things that can happen to your body on long-haul flights and what you can do about them

If you feel groggy after a long-haul flight then you'll be happy to learn that you are not alone.

The excitement of a summer holiday is sometimes put on hold straight after a lengthy plane ride - and it's got nothing to do with the turbulence.

Being confined in a small space for an extreme length of time is likely to have some impact on your body - and if you plan on 'raw-dogging' the entire flight, then here are a few symptoms you might experience after an extensive travel journey.

Feeling tired after a long flight is normal. (Getty Stock Images)

Feeling dry

If you ever feel completely dehydrated after a long flight, that's because you probably are.

The humidity inside an aircraft is very low and the air that circulates is far drier than what we are used to.

That's why you can come off a plane with dry lips, nose and eyes.

Also if you're drinking booze during the flight, it can actually make you pee more, and make you feel more dehydrated.

A simple solution is to drink plenty of water throughout and not to have too much alcohol on board, as tempting as it may be.

Oh, and also have some moisturiser handy too.

Blood clots

This potential side effect can happen from being still for too long, rather than being on a plane.

Blood flow in the veins in our legs can slow down and increase the chances of a blood clot happening.

However - not to worry - because the chances of this taking place is very low.

It's more for those who are pregnant, on hormone replacement therapy, or birth control, who need to look out for it, as per IFLScience.

To avoid any risk of a blood clot, make sure you get up and move whenever you can and only when it is safe to do so, of course.

The NHS also recommends wearing flight socks to help 'improve your blood flow on long flights'.

Jet lag

Keep an eye on these three symptoms. (Getty Stock Images)

The most common symptom of a long flight is jet lag - and most of us know exactly what this feels like.

Crossing multiple time zones can mess up your body clock and make you feel really drowsy.

Sadly, you can't really avoid it - but to minimise the effects, you can get to sleep a bit earlier on your first night if you've not tried to get some rest on the plane.

When offering her tips on battling jet lag, Dr. Kat Lederle told Marie Claire: "If you're travelling East, go to bed and get up earlier and expose yourself to morning light while dimming the lights earlier in the evening.

“If you're travelling West, go to bed and get up later, eat later, and go outside later.”