December 19
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
