The last way anyone wants to start a vacation is heaving over a toilet bowl or wrapped up in their hotel bed, feeling terrible. You’ve protected your luggage with a TSA-approved padlock, so why not protect yourself too, by taking a few crucial steps before you even board the plane?
Following, we’re going to give you some of the best pre-boarding secrets, taken straight from frequent flyers – that should help you to stay as healthy as possible during your flight, so you start your vacation on the right note!
1. Take an Empty Bottle Through Security
Unless you’re lucky enough to upgrade your travel experience, the chances of receiving frequent and reliable beverage service when you’re up in the air isn’t as high as you might like. Yet, it’s crucial to get and stay hydrated both before, and during your flight if you want to stop yourself from getting sick. After all, the lack of humidity within pressurized cabins is well-known for drying people out, and making it harder for their systems to flush away germs and toxins.
Though you can’t bring bottles of liquid through security, you can carry an empty bottle with you. All you need to do is fill that up at the next sink or water fountain you find, then drink up and hydrate before and during your flight.
2. Prevent Dry Eyes
Studies have shown that the lack of humidity in an airplane cabin is one of the primary reasons why your risk of getting sick multiplies when you fly. When your eyes are feeling dry, it’s tempting to rub them in an effort to remove the gritty feeling – but touching your eyes can transmit flu and cold viruses.
To prevent dry eyes and avoid other illnesses, take heed of our pre-boarding secrets and wash your hands thoroughly and frequently before and during your flight experience. If you wear contact lenses, make sure that you remove them before you board the plane.
3. Avoid Ear Pain
Finally, we all know that when the air pressure starts to change during a flight – particularly during descending and ascension, our ears can start to feel uncomfortable. This is one of the reasons why parents encourage their children to suck on sweets during the most pressurized moments, to help mitigate some of the problem.
The ear pain that you experience occurs when the Eustachian tubes responsible for draining the ears fail to regulate the pressure within the eardrum, and prevent it from vibrating the way that it should. While some people are more prone to the problem than others, it’s worth noting that being even the tiniest bit congested can mean it’s more likely to occur.
The best solution is to work on activating the muscles in your jaw, to unlock the Eustachian tubes. In other words, pack hard candy and gum so you have something to chew or suck during takeoff and landing. Swallowing and yawning can also be helpful in relieving the pressure
