Tips on How to Stay Healthy on an Airplane

While most commercial airlines use air filters now, there is still a risk of picking up germs from a cougher or sneezer near you, getting a blood clot from sitting too long or having potentially dangerously blocked ears. These five quick tips will help you avoid sickness and stay healthy through your next plane ride.

• Bring your own pillow. Use your own light weight travel blanket and pillow cover if you are on a long flight. You don’t know where that airline pillow and blanket have been.

• Wash and sanitize your hands.  Do so after you touch anything and everything, including magazines, other people’s hands and your seatbelt.  Do not touch your face or any food without sanitizing first.
  While soap and water are always the first choice, gel sanitizers work too. Use one that has at least 60% alcohol content.

• Pop your plugged ears. Bring gum or candy along with you on the plane.  Also drinking water or anything else that you need to swallow can help. Swallowing helps your body to even out the pressure.  If you have a cold taking a decongestant medication will greatly reduce the ear plugging during your flight.  If you have plugged ears don’t plug and blow your nose as it can potentially damage your eardrum.

• Stay Hydrated.  An airplane’s recirculating air dehydrates the body. Make sure to drink lots of water.  Keep the alcohol and caffeine to a minimum since they are dehydrating fluids.

• Prevent Blood Clots.  Get up to stretch your legs and walk around hourly if you are on a flight longer than three hours to prevent blood clots.  Make sure to stay moving; don’t sit with your legs crossed for log periods of time and move your arms and legs and wiggle your toes. Try moving your ankles around in a circular motion.