Travel is a big part of the holidays, and statistics show that more than 119 million Americans are planning to take some kind of trip between Christmas and New Year.
Unfortunately, traveling also increases your risk of getting sick, but there are steps you can take to increase your chances of staying healthy while you’re away from home.
“When you are travellingWhen you are on the road, there is a lot of risk of stress and disorientation,” said Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and Fox News senior medical analyst, told Fox News Digital.
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“You’re not in your usual habitat, and that can leave people disoriented, upset, anxious or even sleep-deprived, especially if they change time zones.”
Siegel shared some of his best tips for the prevention of disease during holiday trips.
Traveling increases your risk of getting sick, but there are steps you can take to increase your chances of staying healthy while you’re away from home. (iStock)
1. Stay well hydrated
Staying hydrated has been shown to strengthen the immune system and protect against disease.
Water is always best, but other hydrating fluids include regular coffee or tea, sparkling or flavored water, 100% vegetable juice, and milk or milk alternatives.
2. Stay on top of your exercise routine
It’s best to travel while you’re “well-rehearsed,” Siegel said.
‘If you have a regular customer exercise routine“I wouldn’t suspend it a week before departure,” he said.
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“If you exercise regularly, sleep well, and eat before you go, I think this will put you in much better shape when you travel.”
3. Wipe surfaces
Siegel said he is a “strong believer” in wiping down surfaces, especially when traveling by plane.
“You wouldn’t believe what these surfaces carry – we studied that,” he said. “There are a lot of germs in that tray, and it could be the person next to you who could be sick.”
“You wouldn’t believe what these surfaces carry – we studied that,” Siegel said. “There are a lot of germs in that tray, and it could be the person next to you who could be sick.” (iStock)
The HEPA filters on airplanes are “pretty good,” Siegel said, but they usually don’t start working until you’re in the air, he noted.
“So you want to be extremely careful when you’re on the runway or just getting on the plane,” he added.
4. Stay up to date on vaccines
“If you are going on a trip, it is a good time to think about whether you are aware of your vaccinesSiegel said.
An immunization that, according to the doctor, too little attention is paid to is Tdap, a combination vaccine that protects against tetanus, diphtheria and 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 are reported, but many thousands are not.”
The doctor also recommends the shingles vaccine for people over 50 and the pneumonia vaccine for people 60 and over.
“If you’re traveling, this is a good time to think about whether you’re up to date on your vaccines,” Siegel said. (iStock)
“If you experience stress from traveling, you can get sick,” Siegel said, because the immune system is not functioning at an optimal level.
“If you experience stress from traveling, you may become ill at that moment.”
“That’s when shingles can reappear,” he warned. “Shingles is actually one chickenpox virus that has been dormant in your body for years, but can return in times of stress.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends that everyone six months and older receive COVID and flu vaccinations, with rare exceptions.
5. Bring a travel health pack
For those who take multiple daily medications, the doctor recommends traveling with one pill bottle and putting the different pills in it, which will reduce the chance of someone losing them.
“Make sure you have more than enough,” he advised. “You never know when you’re going to be delayed, especially in the area holiday travel.”
Siegel recommends taking three or four days of extra pills with you for all medications. (iStock)
Siegel recommends taking three or four days of extra pills with you for all medications.
“Depending on the chronic diseases you have, it’s a good idea to be aware of blood draws and visits to your doctor” before traveling, he added.
6. Get enough, quality sleep
It can be a challenge to find one regular sleep cycle when traveling, Siegel noted, especially when time zones change.
“The more you can catch a few winks while traveling, the better off you’ll be,” he said.
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For those who have trouble falling asleep while on the road, Siegel recommends identifying what’s causing you to drift off at home and using the same techniques.
“I get a lot of requests for sleep aids,” he said. “For people who make long journeys, I personally feel uncomfortable give medication if the patient has not yet used it.”
7. Use masks if necessary
While masks ‘got a bad name’ 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.
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“If you are someone who is at risk for a infectious disease or have a chronic illness, the last thing you need is to get the flu, COVID or RSV.”
Although masks “got a bad name” 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 considering a mask for tight spaces where there are many people around.
“You don’t know what they have or what they house,” he said.
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“That’s why I would consider one, especially if you’re at high risk, if you’re in an airplane that’s sitting on the runway and the air isn’t circulating and the HEPA filters aren’t turned on yet.”
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Overall, Siegel said, “Staying hydrated, good food and getting the best sleep possible is the best way to reduce stress while traveling.”
