Taking time to prepare your body before and during your trip will go a long way in keeping your body’s systems functioning properly and avoiding any serious health issues that could put a damper on your travels.
Staying Healthy While Flying
With roughly nine million people traveling by air on any given day, it’s easy to see how people can become exposed to a variety of illnesses that go beyond the common cold. We're talking about such conditions as flu, meningococcal disease, measles, hand, foot and mouth disease, tetanus, and whooping cough, just to name a few.
The CDC recommends travel restrictions for a variety of at-risk people, including the elderly and particularly young children, pregnant women, people with a compromised immune system. Several other factors can put you in the at-risk category when traveling. If you have a medical condition, are undergoing therapy, or have an injury or recent surgery, always be sure to get the "all clear" from your physician before you put the wheels in motion.
Once you’ve checked your risk factors and gotten the green light, there are several simple steps you should take to stay healthy while flying the friendly skies. By being proactive, you can avoid catching or bringing home any unwelcome stowaways – namely, illnesses that are dispersed by sick passengers or that are lurking on the plane itself. Consider this -- planes carry thousands of passengers on a daily basis with only minimal cleanup between travel legs. It's better to be safe than sorry: