Staying Healthy While You Travel
Getting sick while traveling is sometimes inevitable. There are just some forces beyond your control, but this article's not about that.
Traveling entails that you're going to meet a lot of people, whether you like it or not. You're bound to be in airports or places where people gather, which increases the likelihood of you picking up some nasty illness. Fortunately, there are several easy ways to prevent catching a virus while in transit. Here are five tips to help you stay well during your holiday travels.
Prevention is still better than cure
When we get sick, it's usually because we are exposed to nasty microorganisms either through the food we eat, the liquids we drink, or the places we visit. Acts such as grabbing the doorknob of the airplane bathroom and then touching your eye, nose, or mouth are enough to get you sick. So, to prevent that from happening, you can observe the following:
Wash your hands regularly with soap and water or with an alcohol-based sanitizer. You can check out medical handwashing videos to know how to wash your hands effectively. If you don't want to have direct contact with doorknobs, you can use a paper towel or tissue to open door handles or turn off water faucets.
Avoid touching your nose, mouth, or eyes with your hands if you suspect that you've come in contact with a sick person. In line with that, always have a bottle of alcohol to disinfect your hands when access to running water is unavailable. You can also bring disinfecting wipes with you to wipe surfaces before touching them.
Drink enough fluids
Staying hydrated is crucial for healthy travels, especially if you're flying. The mucous membranes that line up your nose can easily dry up due to air quality in an airplane cabin. This interferes with their natural capacity to prevent foreign objects, such as microorganisms, from getting inside your respiratory tract.
To combat dehydration, carry around bottled water with you always. You can also use this 20 oz ice shaker from RUK to keep your drinks cold. Just try to avoid drinks with caffeine or alcohol as these are diuretic in nature—they make you lose fluids more.
Other practical tips include observing enough sleep and eating healthy. The latter advice is relative but if you follow an existing diet, try your best to stick with that. Bringing snacks during an outing is also a great idea to prevent yourself from getting hungry. You can fit your snacks and other essentials in this essential sling pack from RUK.
If you're preparing for a longer vacation, having enough space to pack up all your essentials is important. This Limitless Duffle and solar pack from RUK have enough space for your travel and health essentials, and many more. Check out rukpack.com for more details about these products, and use the code TRAVEL to get 15% OFF your purchase.
