Air nozzle trick doctor swears by to avoid getting sick on a plane
Getting sick sucks. Getting sick while you're travelling is about 10 times worse.
But sometimes it feels inevitable. You're spending hours trapped inside a metal tube with hundreds of other people, so you're bound to pick up germs.
Luckily there are a few things you can do to increase your chances of avoiding sickness while flying.
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Getting sick can ruin your holiday. Getty
First of all, think about where you're sitting on the plane.
Dr Jonathan Finnoff, Chief Medical Officer of the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee, has spent years researching how to keep athletes healthy while travelling.
He told the Wall Street Journal that you want to sit in a window seat, ideally in the middle of the plane.
That way, you're away from the busiest areas, the front where passengers board, and the rear near bathrooms and the galley.
"Very few people walk by you, and they're not touching you and they're not breathing on you," Dr Finnoff said.
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Sitting in the middle of the plane reduces your contact with people. Getty
Once you're in your seat, you'll want to take a minute to clean and sanitise everything.
You might get some high eyebrows from your seat mate, but there are a lot of touchpoints on plane seats that aren't always cleaned between flights.
He recommended using a sanitising wipe to target the seat belt, armrests, air nozzle, and the tray table. He said research shows it has a higher germ concentration than a toilet seat.
Speaking of toilets, Dr Finnoff said it's a good idea to sanitise the bathroom door handle before you touch it, too.
Travel with sanitising wipes. Getty
Finally, he recommended pointing the air nozzle above your seat to blast in between you and the passenger beside you.
This helps create a barrier for germs, and hopefully deflects them away from you.
And the number one thing Dr Finnoff said will help stop you getting sick? Sleep. Seven to eight hours of it per night.
"If you're not sleeping," he said, "you get hurt and you get sick."
If you can't sleep on a plane, be sure to get a good night's rest the night before and after. Getty
Recently, sleep specialist Martin Seeley from MattressNextDay answered some burning questions about getting shut-eye on a plane.
Like, should you try to sleep on your flight?
"The answer depends on when you arrive. If your flight lands in the morning or early afternoon, getting some sleep on the plane will help you avoid exhaustion on arrival," Martin said.
"But if you're landing at night, try to stay awake for the last few hours of the flight to help you fall asleep once you get there. Sleeping at the right time on the plane is one of the best ways to reduce jet lag."
