Tips to Staying Healthy During the Busy Holiday Travel Season

As crazy as the Holiday Travel period can be, one of the common pitfalls of crowded airports and airplanes is the spread of cold and flu viruses.  The fact is that flu season usually peaks in January, just after the Holidays, and many experts believe it’s due to the heightened exposure to fellow travelers in close quarters with one another.

Most airplanes have HEPA filtration units in their air circulation systems on board aircraft, but the way many folks are now packed in like sardines in steel tubes at 30,000 feet for hours at a time, the likelihood that you will pick up an airborne illness or other bug is vastly increased.  So what can you do to lessen your body’s chances of becoming infected?

Stress

One of the biggest contributors to infection and the susceptibility to illness is succumbing to external sources that trigger internal stress.  Scientific studies have consistently proven that allowing stress to internalize actually suppresses the immune system, allowing for increases in infection.[1]

A simple way to help reduce your stress levels during holiday travel is to understand what can go wrong during your travels and accept that you may be faced with that somewhere along your journey.  People forget that, as winter sets in during late November and throughout December in the northern hemisphere, airline travel is severely hampered.  What many travelers tend to forget is that the airlines and their employees have no control over these external forces.  Yet time and again, the public has a tendency to express their increased frustrations on the men and women whose job it is to do their best to accommodate them.

It may sound simplistic, but remembering the words of Reinhold Niebuhr’s ‘Serenity Prayer’ may actually help you to cope: “grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”  I have seen people have a complete meltdown in front of customer service agents simply because their departure gate had changed, let alone the flight being delayed or cancelled.  It is best to practice patience and let go of the internal frustrations.  Expressing them and projecting them on airline personnel tends to exacerbate the situation.  Try taking a step back, take in a deep breath, and relax.  And most importantly, let the airline people do the job they are paid to do.  Adding additional pressure and stress on them will not get you much mileage – both figuratively AND literally.

Hygiene

They say that the best defense is a good offense.  This can also apply to protecting yourself and being proactive in lessening your chances of infection.

There is a delicate balance between exposing yourself to bugs in order to build up ones’ immune system and protecting yourself from incubating it in your body.  Many researchers believe that the recent popularity of anti-bacterial products may be doing more harm than good when it comes to fighting off illnesses.  The risk of “cross-resistance” is making the use of standard antibiotics almost useless.[2]  While the common cold and flu are viruses, researchers believe there may be a connection in the weakening of the human immune system to overuse of these products.

Most physicians believe that the best way to minimize your exposure to these pathogens is simple, everyday hygiene, beginning with frequent hand washing with standard soap and water.[3]  The Mayo Clinic suggests that hand-washing should be done whenever you sneeze or cough into your hands, handle or prepare food, use the toilet or change a diaper, or handling garbage.

On airplanes, it is important to realize that most surfaces on the plane have been exposed to other people, including individuals who may be infected with illnesses.  There is also a good bet that those surfaces have not had a chance to be properly cleaned in-between uses.  I recommend that you bring a small supply of sanitation wipes in your carry-ons in order to wipe down surfaces like try tables, especially if you plan on eating food using that table.  Remember that bacteria and viruses can survive on exposed open surfaces for hours or days after contamination, so being armed with the proper tools can greatly reduce your exposure to these bugs.

Many flight attendants will tell you that one of the more common hygienic mistakes people make aboard an airplane is using the lavatory with stocking or bare feet, especially small children.  Take a few moments and put your shoes on, or get your children’s feet shod with footwear to protect them and you from exposure to pathogens that are bound to be found in abundance on a lavatory floor!

Travelling While Sick

In today’s modern times, it is virtually impossible to avoid travelling on a flight without someone on board who isn’t suffering from an illness.  With the high cost of changing a ticket if your travel plans are interrupted by sickness, most people will choose to fly anyhow—illness be damned.

There are a few things that you can do if you find yourself in this situation to lessen the effect you may have on fellow travelers (and on your wallet).

To begin with, most airlines offer “travel insurance” for just such issues.  The cost of buying this insurance is far less expensive than being charged for change or cancellation fees associated with illness.  Having this insurance will allow you to re-book your travel plans without further cost to you should you need to cancel or re-book your itinerary due to unforeseen illness.  Remember that this insurance is only available at the time of booking, and cannot be purchased after your tickets have been issued.  Check with your specific air carrier for additional information, rules and restrictions.

Try to get a flu shot early in the season.  Most vaccines are available for the current flu season around September, while the height of the flu season generally happens around January.  It is a common misnomer that these vaccines actually cause one to get the flu.  Don’t be misled.  It is highly recommended that children under 5 and adults over 50 get these vaccines every year as the flu can actually complicate other illnesses like asthma and high blood pressure.[4]

If you are caught off-guard and simply must travel while sick, take along a few items that will help you suffer less, and help contain your infection.  If you have a cold, I highly recommend a decongestant (Alka Seltzer™ Plus Cold effervescent tablets are the best) to keep your sinuses and estuation tubes as clear as possible.  I find that a combination of this and a mucus reducer (like Muscinex™) is the best regimen for keeping these pathways open and avoid the discomfort that airplane pressurization can cause.  I want to point out here that I am not a physician, so consult with a trained medical expert before prescribing this method personally.

If you do suffer from a cold or flu, it would be wise to bring along a face mask to wear while onboard the plane.  Not only will this help reduce the spread of your illness, it will give your fellow passengers peace of mind that you thought enough to do so, and will lessen their irritation that they might pick up what you have.  You can get these at any drug store or pharmacy.  It would be wise to bring along a supply of tissue…even though most airplanes are equipped with facial tissue, you may be caught in your seat with the seat belt sign on and unable to get to that supply.  Also, as a flight attendant, on behalf of my fellow attendants, I respectfully request that if you are going to dispose of your used facial tissues, please place them in the air sickness bag first BEFORE handing it to an unsuspecting crew member! They will thank you for that immensely!

Keep in mind that on board the plane, the only thing that flight attendants can provide you is a simple dose of aspirin or acetaminophen.  This may not be enough to cure what ails you so come to the airport prepared.  Also, remember that if you are a true believer in NyQuil™ liquid cold medication or any liquid elixir, you may not be allowed through security with it if the container holds more than 3.2 fluid ounces.

There is no way to avoid the spread of airborne illnesses, but being proactive in your fight against them will help you enjoy your holidays more and allow you to travel more worry-free.

As a seasoned air traveler, if you have any additional tips or suggestions, feel free to share them in the comments section of this entry!

Happy holidays, everyone…and safe, germ-free travels to you all!

[1] Schneiderman N, et al. Stress and Health: Psychological, Behavioral, and Biological Determinants. Annual Reviews in Clinical Psychology. 2005; 1:607.- http://bit.ly/uB9NbD

[2] Discovery Fit & Health: Skin-Care: Cleansing, “Should antibacterial soap be outlawed?,” Josh Clark,  http://bit.ly/tByBpq

[3] MayoClinic.com: Healthy Lifestyle-Adult Health: “Hand Washing-Do’s and Don’ts,” http://bit.ly/vGVUDh

[4] The Centers for Disease Control,  CDC.gov, “Key Facts about Seasonal Flu Vaccine,” September 21, 2011: http://1.usa.gov/t6NvaU

Image courtesy Broadway Video & NBC

In my personal opinion, Alec Baldwin is a narcissistic blow hard.

There…I said it! And I make no apologies about that opinion.

I have been a casual fan of Baldwin’s work for years. I have enjoyed some of the things he’s done; others, not so much. In the grand scheme of things, I (and I believe all of us) need to remember one important distinction: he’s an actor! He’s not a rocket scientist, nor an important political leader, nor a distinguished medical expert. In the grand scheme of things, he hasn’t done anything that I would consider to be of great value to the sustenance or betterment of the human race.

I am a flight attendant. I have no delusions of grandeur when it comes to my place in society, nor my importance to the public. I do know my place and I understand the responsibilities that my job requires of me. First and foremost, I am a safety professional on board an aircraft. My authority as such stands directly beneath the Captain’s authority aboard the aircraft I am flying on. Since the Captain cannot attend to the activities behind him and the cockpit door, the onus of keeping order and peace falls upon the shoulders of the flight attendants.

In this day and age, the public has become more and more callous towards the flight attendant profession. While the majority of our time is spent smiling, assisting and serving beverages and meals, in the public’s mind, flight attendants are nothing more than the stewardesses they see on the ABC series ‘Pan Am,’ or the ditzy bimbos portrayed in movies like “A View from the Top.” They understand less and less about our primary function – to protect the safety of the plane and the passengers aboard it. During emergencies, it is the flight attendants who coordinate, organize and take charge of evacuations, medical emergencies and other disruptions. Our job is to maintain order. Chaos on board a flight is unacceptable and rarely tolerated.

When things get out of hand at 35,000 feet, because the cockpit door must remain closed and secure in-flight, the highest level of authority (with direction from the Captain) comes from the flight attendants. So physical and verbal abuse is taken at face value and dealt with severely on the ground when the airplane arrives at the airport. Any passenger who cannot control their actions aboard a flight faces real, severe penalties in the form of charges of interfering with a flight crew or a flight attendant, as set forth in Title 49 of the United States Code: “The statute applies to any “individual on an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States who, by assaulting or intimidating a flight crew member or flight attendant of the aircraft, interferes with the performance of the duties of the member or attendant or lessens the ability of the member or attendant to perform those duties.” The statute provides for up to 20 years imprisonment, and further provides for imprisonment for any term of years or life if a dangerous weapon is used. Interference with a flight crew member or attendant is a general intent crime, and does not require a specific intent either to intimidate the flight crew member or attendant or to interfere with the performance of his or her duties.” [1]

Although this incident with Baldwin took place while the aircraft was on the ground, at the gate, the statute still applies. In this case, it has been argued publically that the flight attendant overreacted and that the penalty was too severe for the “crime” Baldwin was accused of. I disagree.

Flight attendants, in general, have a gauge by which we determine a passenger’s level of cooperation. If, while at the gate or on the ground, a passenger is unwilling to comply with a request or direct order from a crew member there, chances are pretty strong that they’d be as unwilling to comply at 35,000 feet, when things are more critical, and access to assistance from law enforcement is minimal, at best.

The fact that Baldwin continues to belittle the flight attendant and minimize his infraction on Twitter and on Saturday Night Live, thus stirring up public resentment toward flight attendants in general is unconscionable. Baldwin is no expert authority on air safety rules and regulations.

So why does the public continue to entertain his tirade? Because in today’s world, we have elevated celebrities to a level that somehow equates to leaders or experts or gurus. We look up to them…people who should be respected, admired and their opinions should carry more weight than the average “Joe.” They have become the equivalent of royalty and we treat them as such. We give them a pass on most everything, from drug abuse and infidelity to even more insidious and serious crimes.

This issue is far from over. The more conditioned the public becomes in disrespecting the direction of flight attendants on board aircraft, the less able we flight attendants will be able to maintain order during flight.

I believe it is time for the FAA and the airlines in general, to step up and clarify to the public the necessity to heed the authority of flight crews while flying. I applaud American Airlines’ decision to publicy defend and uphold the crew members who were involved in this case, and to rebuke and reject Baldwin’s behavior. But most of the time, airline companies more often than not become apologetic and simply reward bad behavior by accomodating the offending party with another flight, upgrades or additional mileage in their accounts. I’ve seen it happen. Thus the public gets the notion that if they act up when they don’t get their way, their perception is that they will get rewarded. This sort of compensation for their lack of cooperation must end.

Until then, there will continue to be more and more public incidents of celebrities and non-celebrities alike being removed from flights for disruptive behavior and the media will continue to make a spectacle of it all. It’s not acceptable, and the public should be outraged at the actor, not the safety professional trying to do their job!

—————————————

[1] United States Attorney’s Manual, U.S. Code, Title 49, Section 9-63.110, http://1.usa.gov/sP1XMk, revised August 1999.