The Healthy Traveler

Nothing grabs my attention quite as quickly as someone behind me on an airplane sneezing uncontrollably. Avoiding germs when traveling can be difficult, but there are ways to dodge them, or at least reduce the chance that your fellow travelers will infect you.

Wash your hands: How many times do we have to hear this admonition? We know it already. Most of us carry anti-bacterial wipes and potions, but how rude is it to shake someone's hand and reach for the hand sanitizer? As shaking hands is the main method of direct transmission of cold and flu germs, a better approach is to resist touching our faces after those social encounters, as well as after handling doorknobs and shopping cart handles.

But hand washing only goes so far, what about those germs flying around the airplane cabin? One can take preventive measures short of donning a surgical mask, which is not a terrible idea, just embarrassing in our culture.

Stay hydrated: Don't overdo the alcohol and caffeinated beverages offered on your flight. These liquids do not hydrate. Stick with water or chase every other beverage with a glass of water.

Which takes us to airplane toilets. Staying hydrated on long flights requires one or more visits to the back of the plane. Close the lid before flushing airplane toilets. I only mention this because every time I enter an airplane toilet, the person before me has left the lid up-don't be that person. Germs fly all over that tiny space. After you wash your hands, use a towel to grip the door handle. I know I risk sounding OCD here, but germs fly into the air, coat the fixtures and floors, and float around for up to two hours after a single flush.

Keep your purse off the floor: Those germs leave the restroom on the soles of shoes. Keep the bottom of your purse clean by slipping a cloth under or a bag around it when it's on the floor. Karla carries a cloth tote folded into her bag just for this reason.

Keep your nostrils moist: In airplanes and hotels with blasting heat or air-conditioning, our dry mucus membranes become fertile ground for wandering microbes. Prevent this by rubbing a little petroleum jelly or oil (I use coconut, but most any kind will do) into each nostril.

Clean your TV remote: Hotel rooms can hold germs from previous tenants for up to 24 hours. Studies indicate that whether at home or on the road, the most germ-laden items are TV remotes. A quick swipe with an anti-bacterial wipes will reduce your chance of catching cold.

And don't forget your cell phone: Wipe your cell phone down when you're in potentially germ-ridden situations. You shake hands with someone with a cold and then you take a call. You open a taxi door recently touched by a person with flu before you send a quick text message. Your cell phone hangs on to all those germs for you.

Eat regularly: Keep your blood sugar up by eating every three hours when possible and include protein in every meal or snack. Keep yourself strong and be less of a target for those malicious microbes.

Oh, and enjoy your trip!