Our bodies are designed to self-heal and self-defend. Even still, holiday travel bombards our defenses with all kinds of germs and potential health pitfalls, from cheap teeth threatening foods to socially acquired germ hot spots. If you’re planning a trip this holiday season, take advantage of this list of seventeen suggestions designed to keep you feeling merry and bright for the end of 2015 and beyond.
Fortify your immunities before you jet out and throughout your trip. Although official proof of the power of supplements and certain essential oils haven’t been verified by the scientific community, many people swear by them. Preventative measures are always encouraged in just about every health related situation. The immune system will combat any germs or viruses you come in contact with as you move out of your normal environment. Many of our other tips below stem from this one.
Get a flu shot before you leave. The Center of Disease Control claims that the flu vaccine reduces the likelihood of getting the flu by 70% to 90%. By teaching your body what to fight and how to fight it, you can rest a little easier as you climb into a plane or bus with many other people.
Have antibacterial wipes on hand and use them. These have so many uses and are a cheap way to keep you from picking up bacteria, fungi, and viruses as you travel. Use them on seats, armrests, and fold up trays on various modes of transportation, as well as whipping down your bags and purse if you have to set them down in not-so-clean places such as airports and public restrooms.
Drink plenty of water. There are a plethora of reasons to stay super hydrated as you travel. Water intake maintains the moisture of the mucous membranes that keep bugs and free radicals out of your nasal passages and throat. It also helps your saliva keep bacteria and food particles from collecting on your teeth, battles bad breathe, as well as boosts your immune system. Lastly, dehydration has a direct effect on your mood and energy levels. U.S. Army scientist Harris Lieberman, Ph.D. studied dehydration in women, and found that even more than men, women’s “brain is extremely sensitive to even small changes in the amounts of ions like sodium and potassium found in your body’s fluids.” How can you combat these issues and keep a cheerful disposition as you travel? Down eight ounces of water for every sixty minutes you’re traveling and for every sugary treat or alcoholic drink you consume.
Utilize hand sanitizer or wash hands often. Just like sanitizing wipes, this protects the transferring of microscopic threats from your traveling environment to your body. Cold and flu viruses have a tendency to contract more from hand-to-mouth contact than through airborne droplets. This means everything you touch – doors, escalator rails, transportation poles and handles, seats and trays, ATM touch screens – are all a likely place to get infected.
Get a kiosk massage while you wait. Those massage chairs or vendors with deft hands can help to lower stress and elevate white blood cell count, plus it puts you in a mellow mood to get through the worst layovers and delays.
Reduce sugar intake to keep immunities high. Not only will this keep your internal defenses ready to attack, but it will also keep your oral health top notch. It’s easy to indulge in sweet treats because they seem to be readily available in airports and shopping malls, but they are detrimental to your body, teeth, and waistline.
Move around when you can. Whether it’s a swim or twenty minutes on your hotel’s treadmill, speed shopping with a brisk walk around a mall, or getting up and walking in an airplane or bus cabin every hour, getting your blood flowing and heart beating is great for your immune system and your mood.
Point the overhead air vent down so divert infection droplets from your face. If you set up the current to flow vertically in front of you, it will deter infection droplets from entering your sinuses and eyes. Nasal spray and drinking plenty of water will aid your nose and its mucus membranes in capturing the few that might still manage to get inside and eliminate them.
Listen to your body if it says you need rest. A 2009 study of 153 adults found in the Archives of Internal Medicine stated that “participants with less than 7 hours of sleep were 2.94 times (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.18-7.30) more likely to develop a cold than those with 8 hours or more of sleep.” If you’re tired, and traveling will do that to just about anyone, then give into your yawns and droopy eyes. Missing a party or turning in before your normal time is just fine if that’s what your body needs to stay healthy.
Pack or plan healthy snacks and eat them. Convenience foods, whether sugary or just processed, do little to keep you alert and well-defended. Instead, pack healthy options that fit easily into your carryon. Fruit such as apples, oranges, or bananas are nature’s fast food. You can also do a whole grain tortilla peanut butter roll and easily wrap them in plastic wrap. String cheese is another one that also keeps pH levels non-acid in your mouth, eliminating bad breathe and fighting oral bacteria build-up. Raw, non-salted nuts such as almonds or macadamia nuts can also help keep energy levels up and pack a protein punch for your immune system.
Prevent overeating and excessive plaque by chewing sugarless gum. It’s easy to munch on readily available convenience foods or even too many healthy snacks at once. To resist, chew some sugarless gum during travel and before approaching any holiday party food spreads.
Ditch contacts and opt for glasses. Wearing your glasses will not only keep you from touching or rubbing eyes with potentially germ-infected hands, but they also act as another protective barrier from free radicals and air-born infections. Plus, contact lenses tend to dry out your eyes. This is another great reason to get plenty of H2O.
Maintain a 6 foot distance from anyone with obvious illness symptoms. This may seem uncompassionate, but if you see someone sneezing, coughing, with running or red eyes, its your prerogative to avoid them. Six feet is the magic number that marks the distance that micro-infections and viruses can travel by air. Any closer and you run the risk of being infected by your fellow travelers breathe or cough.
Be Especially Mindful of the Threat of Public Restrooms. Let’s be honest here. Even the cleanest, newest looking public restrooms are a hub for the worst sort of offenders. We’re talking streptococcus, staphylococcus, Norovirus, E. coli and shigella bacteria, hepatitis A virus, among others. These buggers can live on surfaces for days.
Now is the perfect time to whip out your disinfectant wipes. Don’t put your belongings on the floor or sinks, or if you must, wipe them down like your life depends on it. (It might!) Furthermore, squat; don’t sit on toilets and drop that lid before flushing if you can to avoid back-spray. Don’t touch any surfaces if you can help it, and wash your hands like a professional if you must. Use paper towels to open doors once you’ve washed your hands and follow up with hand sanitizer shortly afterward.
Maintain your oral routine or maximize it. More than ever, brushing and flossing your teeth is vital to keeping you healthy during the main traveling season of the year. Sweets and convenience foods are a threat not only to your teeth by increasing plaque, but also to your immune system. In addition, your mouth is a major gateway that infections and viruses enter your system. The more often you brush and floss, the less likely bugs will get into your body. So be sure to pack your brush and floss, as well as interdental brushes and travel-sized mouthwashes for layovers and between holiday visits. Lastly, due to the high level of bacteria and viruses your toothbrush will collect during holiday travel, be sure to replace it or your electronic brushes head once you get home.
Emergency
Patient Forms
Contact Us