Any Suggestions to prevent getting sick on a plane ride?

To avoid getting sick, you might want to skip the meal on the plane. I am serious. CNN is carrying a story on its website, "Family: In-flight meal killed flyer."

"A few years ago, I thought I read something about putting neosporin on the outside of the nostril of the nose but I am not so sure if I remenber correctly." Won't do a thing except make you uncomfortable- neosporin is an antibiotic, which is useless against viruses. The only means-tested methods that have been shown to reduce (but not eliminate) the spread of respiratory viruses in public places are dilligent hand washing and influenza vaccinations. Anything else is pseudoscience.

Read the story. They claim he died of food poisoning from Clostridium perfringens in the in-flight meal, but it generally takes 10 to 12 hours for the bacteria to incubate and symptoms to occur. I'll bet he died of a heart attack.

The airplane air was discussed not too long ago, and if you do a search on Google, you will find many studies that prove the air in a plane is actually cleaner than the air in your office. The filters are excellent. If you are getting sick it is because you are next to someone who is sick or you have touched something that someone else has touched who was sick. It has little to do with the "re-circulated air". Think about all the things you touch every day, the grocery cart handle, the doors to buildings, the escalator railings, the elevator buttons, the counters at the store, the clothes hangers in the store, or if you take public transportation pretty much everything on there. Most of those things never get cleaned. Just wash your hands and avoid touching your face. That said, we need a certain amount of germs to keep our immune system in fighting order. Add in a whole new set of cold germs to be found in what ever country you are visiting, and you might catch something. It is doubtful it is from the airplane.

When I remember to do it, I clean my area in the plane with a wipe-up (baby-wipe type thing). I wipe the armrests and controls, the tray, then my hands. I use disinfecting gel mostly to keep my hands clean and try to avoid touching my face. I agree that most germs are transmitted via hands to mouth or face. It's important to be vigilant about healthy habits after the plane ride, too. I get plenty of rest, take my regular vitamins and minerals, and I like to take echinacea daily as a preventive measure. I try to eat well--a balanced diet of whatever is local.

I think Tom is generally right. Wash your hands often and think about what you are touching, often you transfer viruses into your system by touching, say, a doorknob, phone or keyboard then touch the T area of your face (eyes, nose, mouth) without realizing it. I do think there is also value in keeping your personal immune system as strong as possible. Stay hydrated, take a multivitamin, eat/sleep regularly, and don't get stressed out. You can always were an N-95 ventilator (essentially a really good dust mask, the name makes it sound like something more) you can pick up at a hardware store. You see people with colds wearing them in Asia. I think they will stop water droplets from someone sneezing in your face, but an airborne virus is much smaller and the mask probably won't filter it out.

The fact that the air inside a plane is recirculated actually reduces the risk of infection, because the air is recirculated through HEPA filters, which are very effective at removing microscopic particles such as bacteria and viruses.

I don't do anything special and don't get sick on the plane. I get sick on the ground. Anti-bacterial sanitary wipes kill the good germs as well as the bad ones so I don't use them. Hand washing is good. I begin taking a daily vitamin a few days before leaving, one every day of the trip, and a few days afterward. As far as I can tell this is about as much protection as I need.
I also try to stay away from people who are coughing, because they are carriers. I write this as I'm hacking my lungs out with something I brought home five weeks ago. I call it the European Epizootic, and will probably need a dose of amoxicillin to get rid of it.

Sally,
I don't think anyone has mentioned this yet but I think a huge part of it is how healthy is your imune system before you leave? I always get sick on a trip when I have pulled several all nighters trying to get work done before I leave. Some of it is inability to sleep because I am excited for my trip too. Make sure your routine and sleeping habits are good in the days before you leave. Just a thought. Nate

To add to what Nate said: I try to finish packing two days before I leave. That gives me time to calm down and the trip goes better. I haven't gotten sick on the plane, in Europe or right after the trip. I wash my hands frequently and don't touch my face.

A few years ago we started using hand sanitizer on planes, especially after using the washroom. If you simply wash your hand you still have to touch the door knob and latch upon exiting. WE use a little sanitizer after returning to our seats. We haven't had a problem since starting this practise. The small containers are easy to carry with you and can also be used after shopping or riding on transit, etc. IMHO - it's what you touch that passes on the most germs.

I always use hand santizer on EVERTHING I touch on the plane,, since washing ones hand every time they change the movie station or touch the seat rest is impractical.( i do wash hands , but this is in addition to) . I have the gel I use on hands, but I also have a few of the little prepackaged little wipes,,, I wipe the hand rest, the movie screen( if there) the radio controls.

I always use hand santizer on EVERTHING I touch on the plane,, since washing ones hand every time they change the movie station or touch the seat rest is impractical.( i do wash hands , but this is in addition to) . I have the gel I use on hands, but I also have a few of the little prepackaged little wipes,,, I wipe the hand rest, the movie screen( if there) the radio controls.

Thanks everyone for all the tips and useful suggestions. I will keep in mind: to stay healthy before the trip, stay hydrated, wash hands frequently and bring wipes and hand sanitizers. Thanks again.

Weeks before my trip I supplement my vitamin intake with Vit C and zinc. A few days prior to my trip, I take airborn once a day. then when I am on my trip, I continue my regime. My problem used to be coming home sick, maybe due to the fact that I would stop my zinc, Vit c, and airborn the day I arrived to Europe. I use a lot of sanitizer on my hands especially prior to eating and wipe down all surfaces. This continues in my daily life at home too. I also get a flu shot. Get lots of sleep. Pace yourself, don't let yourself get run down. Now I am repeating what everyone else told you.