Issue Date: November 19, 2006
Health
Catching a flight? Don't catch a cold
Flying home for the holidays? You are up to 113 times more likely to leave the airplane with a cold than if you had stayed on the ground, according to a University of Victoria, Canada, study.
And, if you already have a cold when you board, it'll probably get worse. "Pressure differences during the flight plug up your inner ears and sinuses," says Neil Schachter, M.D., author of "The Good Doctor's Guide to Colds and Flu," "so when you step off the plane feeling terrible, you're not imagining it."
4 ways to avoid airplane colds
Reduce pressure effects. Take an antihistamine if you have any sign of a cold, Schachter says. Decongestants work but can raise blood pressure.
Stay hydrated. To keep mucus membranes working despite dry cabin air, sip water throughout the flight (hot drinks are especially effective, but avoid caffeine) and use a saline nasal spray.
Minimize contact. You catch more colds by touching than by breathing, says Schachter, so don't borrow your neighbor's pen! Do wash your hands frequently and use alcohol-based hand sanitizers. More than 200 viruses (not bacteria) cause the common cold, so antibacterial products won't help.
Pack protection. Zinc lozenges can reduce a cold's symptoms and duration, but use only one or two, Schachteradvises, lest you lose your sense of taste or smell. Vitamin C can't prevent a cold, but it's a natural antihistamine thatrelieves symptoms without sleepiness. Chicken soup provides comfort and inhibits inflammation.
-- Susan T. Lennon
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