Airplanes are germ magnets. It’s a combination of the recycled air and the other passengers that make it easy to get sick while flying from place to place. This is especially unpleasant when you are going on vacation – no one wants to spend their week away from home hacking, sneezing, coughing and pounding cold medicine like it’s going out of style.
Luckily, there are a number of ways to stay healthy while in the air without having to slather yourself in hand sanitizer, pick up everything with gloved hands and wear a doctor’s mask the entire time you are on the plane.
– Get enough sleep the night before. Some people can’t sleep on a moving vehicle, while others get hyper when they travel. No matter what, taking a sleeping pill before you board the plane isn’t a good idea. Instead, make sure to get plenty of sleep before you leave on your trip. This way, if you can’t sleep on the plane, you won’t be overtired, stressed, and more prone to coming down with something that will ruin your vacation.
– Drink orange juice and plenty of water while on the flight. Vitamin C can boost your immune system. While orange juice might not fully prevent you from getting sick, it will definitely ensure that any bugs that you get won’t stick around long. Orange juice and water will both hydrate you – and hydration is an important way to stay healthy. Studies have shown that dehydration stresses your body, leaving you more susceptible to colds and the flu.
– Do not touch the pockets on the sides and backs of each seat. You never know who put what in there last or even when it was last cleaned. Stories are all over the internet about flight attendants finding spoiled food, dirty diapers and used tissues in the seatback pockets. Basically, they are some of the germiest sections of the plane. In order to stay healthy, do not put anything in those pockets or take out anything that is in them.
– Use anti-bacterial wipes to clean your seat and its surrounding area before settling in. While you should avoid the seatback (or any side-seat) pockets like they contain the pneumonic plague, you should also wipe down your seat, the armrests and your tray table with anti-bacterial wipes before settling in for your flight. Yes, airlines do have people clean their planes, but just as a precaution, take this extra step.
– Get up and walk around after the “fasten seatbelt” sign goes off. Not moving during a long flight leaves you susceptible to deep vein thrombosis) DVT, which causes blood clots. When you stay seated for a long period of time, your calf muscles work overtime to push blood upwards through your body. This activity can cause blood clots to form. While not all of these clots cause immediate death, they do need to be treated right away, which requires a vacation-ruining hospital stay. Walking around while on a flight will prevent all of this from occurring.
There are no doubt countless ways to protect your health while flying. By following just a few simple tips and using some good old common sense, you can make sure to reach your destination without any unwanted bacterial or viral companions!
For more information, updates, travel tips and news from Sundance Vacations, be sure to follow us on the following social media outlets: