Do you usually get sick when traveling? If you do, you should consider taking some motion sickness pills before boarding your flight. However, even if you do not get motion sickness, getting sick is still entirely possible especially if you are on a long-haul flight. How do you avoid getting sick?
Flight Tips to Prevent You From Getting Sick
Aside from taking motion sickness pills before a flight for those who easily gets motion sickness, you can actually control whether or not you make it through your flight without risking getting sick. Here are some flight tips you should keep in mind:
- Keep yourself hydrated. During a flight, your throat, nostrils and mouth might end up feeling extra dry. Dehydration is actually a serious problem when traveling. This is because the pressurized air within the cabin of an airplane has a lower humidity compared to what we are usually used to. When these places dry out, they will not able to function properly which means that they will not be able to effectively flush out irritants to your body. In order to prevent this, and to help protect your body, drink liquids (water or juice) to stay hydrated. However, remember that not all liquids are advisable when you are on a flight. Avoid drinking tea, coffee, or colas before or on your flight since they can also cause dehydration.
- Do not touch your nose, eyes or mouth. In a closed and confined space such as an airplane packed with many people, germs and viruses can really get around. In order to avoid infection, avoid touching your nose, eyes or mouth. It is extremely easy for germs and bacteria to enter your body through your nose, eyes or mouth. Additionally, you can also take measures to protect these areas. For instance, if your nose becomes dry, you can make use of a saline spray for some relief. Also, you may wear glasses or shades to protect your eyes. If you have a protective mask, use it.
- Pack a moisturizing hand sanitizer. Planes are commonly full of germs. Plus, on any flight you take, you do not know who sat on your seat before you did. Also, no matter how much you try to avoid it, you end up touching areas and surfaces which are not exactly clean. These areas are teeming with viruses and bacteria and when you touch them, make sure to disinfect your hands. Make sure to pack a hand sanitizer to keep your hands extra clean. Plus, make sure to use a moisturizing hand sanitizer since the extra moisture is useful in keeping your body protected against infection.
- Get up and walk around. The National Institutes of Health says that the chances of developing a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) during long flights is miniscule, however this risk increases the more you travel. In accordance to this, the NIH suggests that you take the time to walk around during your long flights. You can do this by simply walking up and down the aisles of the airplane. You can also simply stretching your legs or you can do some flexing to boost blood flow, especially within your calves. Wearing comfortable and loose clothing can also help prevent the risk of restricting the circulation of your blood.
- Avoid ordering drinks with ice. Some expert travelers and some health care professionals suggest that you should avoid ordering drinks with ice when you are on a plane. The water onboard used in making that ice is usually jam-packed with bacteria.