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Travel Tips
On Vacation With a Cold? How to Get Well Sooner
(NewsUSA) - Have you ever waited months to go on a vacation only to get
sick just days into your trip? Unfortunately, this happens to many travelers.
Studies show that compared to 20 years ago, airplanes are bringing in
less fresh air from the outside, meaning more recycled and contaminated air
for passengers to breathe. Couple this with cramped conditions, close contact
with strangers and a weakened immune system from travel stress and you have a
recipe for illness.
Dr. Roy Welker, director of travel medicine services at Brigham and
Women's Hospital in Boston, says there is really only one thing you can do on
an airplane to decrease your chances of getting sick: wash your hands. While
alcohol wipes work, there is nothing as effective as soap and water.
Some have suggested wearing surgical-style masks, but these, in addition
to being cumbersome, don't stop viruses from spreading through the air. If you
do catch a cold virus, however, all may not be lost. As long as you can
breathe easily and are not running a fever of over 101.5 F, it is not
necessary to cancel a trip.
To get better faster so you can make the most of your short time away,
Welker offers the following tips.
* Sleep. Getting plenty of rest is important. Your body needs all of its
strength to fight off the cold virus.
* Blow your nose. If you let the mucus build up in your nasal passages,
it can fill your respiratory tract and possibly lead to a respiratory
infection.
* Eat. Do not starve a cold. Instead, keep yourself well-nourished so
that you have enough energy to fight off that nasty virus. Also, many cold
remedies can cause an upset stomach if your stomach is empty.
* Drink. Keep yourself hydrated with water and clear juices to ensure
that the lining of your nose and throat do not dry out. This will help mucus
stay moist and easy to clear from the nose. Stay away from drinks that contain
caffeine or alcohol, both of which can lead to dehydration.
* Stop smoking. Inhaling smoke will further irritate your throat and
make you cough even more.
* Take Cold-Eeze. Unlike decongestants, expectorants and antihistamines
that only mask symptoms, Cold-Eeze's Zinc Gluconate Glycine formula is the
only one clinically proven to reduce the duration of the common cold.
Welker also says it makes no difference what time of year you are
traveling or to which climate. While there is usually a cold epidemic in North
America during the winter, the tropics have the rhinovirus year-round. Also,
despite your mother's warnings, cold weather has no effect on your immune
system and will not increase your chances of catching a cold. For more
information on avoiding and treating the common cold, go to www.coldeeze.com.
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