Travel is a big part of the holiday season, with statistics showing that more than 119 million Americans plan to embark on some type of trip between… Christmas and New Year.
Unfortunately, travel also increases your risk of getting sick, but there are steps you can take to increase your chances of staying healthy while away from home.
“When you travel“When you're on the road, there's a lot of risk of stress and confusion,” Dr. Mark Siegel, a clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and chief medical analyst at Fox News, told Fox News Digital.
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“You're not in your usual environment, and this can make people confused, upset, anxious, or even sleep-deprived, especially when time zones change.”
Siegel shared some of his top tips Prevent disease While traveling on vacation.
Travel increases your risk of getting sick — but there are steps you can take to increase your chances of staying healthy while away from home. (Istock)
1. Stay hydrated
Staying hydrated has been shown to boost the immune system and protect against disease.
Water is always best, but other hydrating liquids include regular coffee or tea, sparkling or flavored water, 100% vegetable juice, and milk or milk alternatives.
2. Maintain your exercise routine
Siegel said it's best to travel while “getting a good workout.”
“If you have a regular Routine exercise“I will not put it on hold a week before travelling,” he said.
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“If you exercise regularly, sleep properly, and eat right before you travel, I think that puts you in much better shape while traveling.”
3. Wipe surfaces
Siegel said he's a “big believer” in wiping down surfaces, especially when it's time Traveling by plane.
“You wouldn't believe what these surfaces hold, we studied that,” he said. “There are a lot of germs at that table, and the person next to you is the one who could be sick.”
“You wouldn't believe what these surfaces hold, we've studied that,” Siegel said. “There are a lot of germs at that table, and the person next to you is the one who could be sick.” (Istock)
HEPA filters on airplanes are “pretty good,” Siegel said, but most of the time they don't start working until they're up in the air.
He added: “So you have to be more careful when you are on the runway or when you get on the plane.”
4. Stay up to date on vaccines
“When you are about to take a trip, it is a good time for you to think about whether you are up to date or not Your vaccines“Siegel said.
One immunization that has not received enough attention, according to the doctor, is Tdap, a combination vaccine that protects against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough).
It is given at least once every five to ten years.
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“There's a lot of whooping cough this year,” Siegel said. “Thousands of cases have been reported, but many thousands have not been reported.”
The doctor also recommends the shingles shot for people over 50 and the pneumonia vaccine for people over 60.
“When you're about to take a trip, this is a good time for you to think about whether you're up to date on your vaccines,” Siegel said. (Istock)
“When you are under the stress of travel, you may get sick because your immune system is not working at an optimal level,” Siegel said.
“When you're under the stress of traveling, you might get sick.”
“This is the time when shingles may appear again,” he warned. “Shingles is actually a Chicken pox virus “This lies dormant in your body for years, but can recur during times of stress.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends that everyone 6 months and older receive coronavirus and flu vaccines, with rare exceptions.
5. Pack a travel sanitary kit
For those who take multiple daily medications, the doctor recommends traveling with one pill bottle and placing different pills in it, making it less likely that any will be misplaced.
“Make sure you have more than enough,” he advised. “You never know when you're going to be late, especially around the neighborhood Vacation travel“.
Siegel recommends bringing an extra three or four days' worth of pills for all medications. (Istock)
Siegel recommends bringing an extra three or four days' worth of pills for all medications.
“Depending on what chronic diseases you may have, it's a good idea to stay up to date on blood draws and visit your doctor” before traveling, he added.
6. Get enough quality sleep
It may be difficult to maintain Regular sleep cycle While traveling, Siegel noted, especially when time zones change.
“The more you can catch a few winks while travelling, the better off you will be,” he said.
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For those who have difficulty sleeping while on the road, Siegel recommends identifying what makes you drift off at home and using the same techniques.
“I get asked a lot for sleep aids,” he said. “For people who travel on long flights, I personally feel uncomfortable Giving medication If the patient has not already taken it.”
7. Use masks as needed
While masks “have a bad reputation” During the epidemic Because of the mandates, Siegel noted that they are tools that can be used for those who are sick or at higher risk.
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“If you are a person at risk of… Contagious disease “Or have a chronic illness, the last thing you need is to get the flu, coronavirus, or respiratory syncytial virus.”
While masks have “gained a bad reputation” during the pandemic due to mandates, Siegel noted that they are tools that can be used for those who are sick or at higher risk. (Istock)
The doctor recommends using a mask in confined spaces where many people are present.
“You don't know what they have or what they're harboring,” he said.
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“That's why I would consider one, especially if you're at high risk, if you're on a plane on the runway and the air isn't circulating and the HEPA filters aren't turned on yet.”
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In general, “staying hydrated,” Siegel said. Eat right Sleeping as soundly as possible is the way to reduce stress while traveling.”
