It seems to be a recurring image that as soon as a vacation from school wraps up and students are making their way back to their dorms, they return from their out-of-town adventures either completely refreshed or completely…sick. I happen to fall in the latter category; often desperately reaching for cough drops and my pillow. Why is it then, that it is so common for people to get sick while traveling?
Alas, all fingers point to airports. Airports are essential when you need to travel across the country, leave the country, or get just about anywhere that isn’t driving distance. However, airplanes and airports are germ cities. It’s easy to forget that the person sitting in the seat before you could have sneezed all over the armrest and “SkyMall” magazine, and that the person currently sitting next to you is travelling with a fever that could easily spread to you in the process of the three-hour flight. There may be many names to this phenomenon, but I call it: airplane sickness.
Tips To Keep Healthy During Travel:
1. Carry around sanitizer
When traveling through airports, sanitizer is essential. Doorknobs, seats and restrooms carry a tremendous amount of germs that could make you sick. However, with just two squirts of hand-sanitizer killing 99.99% of germs, you’ll have almost all the protection you need for healthy travels! Hand-sanitizer: the best $2 you ever spent.
2. Bring tissues
Not only will tissues be put to good use when you have sniffles, but they are also perfect for wiping down food trays or other areas that carry high amounts of germs in airports. Simply dab a little sanitizer on your tissue and you’re G2G (good to go)!
3. Bring your own pen
People tend to forget that pens are a major source and breeding-ground for germs. The next time you have the urge to borrow someone else’s pen, think, “Is this person a pen-chewer? Where has this pen been? Have they cough/sneezed/or gotten gross germs on it in any way?” Conversely, for this same reason, try to not lend your own pen out to others.
4. Wear shoes that require socks
Airport security causes all sorts of problems when it comes to preventing the spread of germs and illnesses. For starters, you never want to be stuck bare-footed in the airport since there is no telling when the last time that floor has been properly sanitized. Therefore, wear shoes that require you to also wear socks, that way, when you are forced to go through security, your bare skin won’t be exposed to the grimy floor!
Regardless of how unsanitary airports seem to be, we still need them. Therefore, it’s imperative that we take proactive measures of our own to fight potential illnesses that lurk in these high-traffic areas. When packing for the airport, remember the essentials: sanitizer, tissues, socks, pens, and, of course, headphones, magazines and gum! Follow these tips in order to stay healthy and be able to maximize time spent with friends and family on vacation, not tissues and cough drops.