Going viral on a plane.

I often get sick shortly after a long flight. Studies have shown that airplane air is not inherently more unhealthy than any other environment we typically find ourselves in - supposedly the culprit is what your hands are touching on your way to the plane and on the plane, and hand sanitzer before you touch your face after touching these 'shared areas' is recommended. That's what I've heard. But I never get sick from short flights, just long ones, so my personal experience contradicts this. There are various suppliments on the market that supposedly help, but their efficacy is often in doubt via scientific measurements. Zinc tablets taken early and often at the onset of a cold have been proven to have some effectiveness.

Try to eat well and get adequate sleep during the week leading up to your departure so that you aren't so vulnerable when you get on your flight. Then try to drink plenty of water (not so much alcohol) and sanitize and wash your hands frequently.

I was an early h1n1 person after a flight from Mexico. Rick had a guest who is in the travel industry. He suggested wiping down your seat and environs. I believe (with no facts to support it) that the degree of frequency and length of contact have a lot to do with it. I also take zinc before long trips.

kat, One local travel expert in this area recently recommended a method for minimizing infections during long flights. She suggested placing a small amount of antibacterial cream in each nostril during the flight. She didn't mention a particular product, so I'm not sure whether something like PolySporin would work? Magellans sells a product of that type on their website. It's called XClear, and it's supposed to not only minimize bacteria but also keep the nose and sinuses moistened during the flight. Check the "In Flight Health" section of their website. They also have an In Flight Spray on the webiste (different ingredients but supposed to accomplish the same thing). Happy travels!

Probably the dirtiest place in a plane is the bathroom faucets. I never touch them or the door knobs with my bare hands, always use a dry towel to touch anything there and also in the bathrooms in airport as well. Then that is my practice in any public bathroom as well.

"One local travel expert in this area recently recommended a method for minimizing infections during long flights. She suggested placing a small amount of antibacterial cream in each nostril during the flight. She didn't mention a particular product, so I'm not sure whether something like PolySporin would work?" That person may be a travel expert, but definitely not a health expert. The pathogens in most upper respiratory infections are viral, not bacterial. This method probably won't do anything except make the person very uncomfortable. Other than being in good overall health and current on routine vaccinations, keeping your hands clean is really about the only active measure you can take that will help, and the benefit is only moderate. And unless you wear a properly fitted N95 ventilator (which would be extremely uncomfortable for the duration of a flight), even a mask won't help.

@Tom, I couldn't remember the exact terminology she used with respect to viral or bacterial. I was just trying to get across the concept that she mentioned. I definitely agree that keeping hands clean is a very good practice to follow. I always carry some disinfectant Handi-Wipes in my Daypack for use during flights. I sometimes give the Tray and seat rests a "once over" before getting settled. On every trip to Europe, I always see people in Airports wearing surgical masks (this seems to be especially popular with travellers from the Orient). I have no idea whether there's any benefit to that, but it's not something I will ever do. If I'm healthy enough to travel, I don't need a Mask! Cheers!

I keep hearing about saline nose sprays. Is this just to keep your nose moist or does it have some medicinal value, like reducing a bacterial invasion? Thanks!

Saline would keep the nasal passages moist, which in a way does help your body fight off airborne viruses( dried cracked skin is less protected).
I personally use a anti bacterial wet wipe( I carry a pack in my purse always ,,you never know when you will find bathrooms with no soap etc while travelling|) and use it to wipe down my seat back tray, my touch screen , and the hard part of the armrests on the planes,, they are basically filthy. I also do not touch door handles of bathrooms, and turn off bathroom taps with paper towel,, no point in touching it after you washed your hands with soap and water when the person before you just rinsed their finger tips with cold water ( you know the 2 second "hand wash" thats useless) .. just recontaimanating yourself. I also vote for just trying to stay healthy before you go, get sleep, eat well etc.

People tend to wear masks when they are sick, to be considerate and so that they don't spread their illness to others. It doesn't work the other way around, as Tom described. With flights basically being short, taking less than a day, it is probably more likely that you picked up your illness in the country you were visiting rather than on the plane itself. There are tons of new germs that you haven't been exposed to when you leave your home country and visit a new country. I have seen this happen a lot, when people move to Germany, their first couple of years here are spent getting cold after cold, and then it slacks off. You are also sitting in close proximity to many people, for many hours, more so than what you normally experience. One gets germs from these people. Watch some slow motion videos where they show people coughing or sneezing and see how far their germs fly through the air. Or watch one of the Mythbuster shows, with them showing how someone with a dripping nose, spreads it all around. What do you folks do when you go grocery shopping, ride public transportation, touch clothes hangers in stores, sit at a table in a restaurant, push the elevator button, holding onto the railing on stairs or escalators? Are airplanes inherently dirtier or germier than any of the other things that are commonly touched through-out the day?

For years, everytime I passed through an airport I'd lose about 3 months out of my life due to a nasty virus that would turn into an absolutely awful bacterial infection. Horrible. Something changed a few years ago (I'm very grateful!), and I haven't been sick once. Perhaps I no longer have a sinus cavity, just a cavity...Amen and Hallelujah! I don't know what happened, but it's a good thing. Anyhoo...Do your best to get a lot of sleep in the days before your trip - be completely packed two days or more before your departure date. Carry a bunch of individually-wrapped anti-septic wipes and use them on your seatbelt buckle (before you touch it), tray table, armrests, after using the lavatory, etc. Have them within easy reach from your airline/train seat and use them! Keep a couple in your pocket. Don't forget all of those paws before yours hanging onto the airport shuttle grab poles, and city metro poles. Audio guides at the museum? Wipe 'em down! And when you wash you hands (which beats wipes), really wash them. Use soap and RUB for several seconds. That 'finger flick' under the faucet doesn't count! I've used saline spray because my nasal passages get very dry, but they've been left at home since my 3-1-1 bag is only so big... I'm not a germaphobe nut normally, but I've become one when it comes to my trips! Good luck, and use those wipes!

What works for me is a good days rest and taking Airborne 2 hours before I board my overnight flight from the West Coast to Europe. Maybe it's all in my head but pre Airborne usage would inevitably get colds or flu coming and going to Europe. Since making Airborne a preflight ritual, no colds or flu to speak of. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Cleanliness is next to healthy traveling.

Jo , in answer to your last paragraph.. I wash my hands before eating, and I wash my hands after being out in public, and I try not to touch my eyes , mouth or nose until I have washed my hands. My doctor says she washes her hands inbetween every patient she sees in her office, not just to prevent cross contaimanion, but to keep herself from getting sick , since she is in a 10' by 12' room with sick people all day long!

I'm in the school of staying generally healthy and letting your body's natural defenses work. Lack of sleep and nutrition are stresses we put on our systems when we're traveling. I'd probably add dehydration as another stress to avoid.