The last three times I’ve flown to East Asia, I got a bad runny nose cold three or four days later. This makes me think it’s from viruses I’m getting on the plane, but I guess it could be things I’m touching once I get to Tokyo or Bangkok.
Anyone have practical advice on what I can do to avoid this problem? I can do my best to touch very little on the plane with my right hand—and try to never touch my eyes or nose—but are rhinoviruses primarily airborne instead? I’ve never cared for the alcohol-based hand sanitizers, but I’ll reconsider if there’s something showing they’re actually effective against cold viruses.
Get the brand called ‘Air-born’, apparently it’s a supplement that protects your from viruses. I’ve heard teachers and nurses swear by it. I have never tried it. Let us know if it works.
Isn’t that just a high dose of vitamin C? With no actual proof of efficacy? We don’t much go for that kind of quackery around here.
OP, the common-sense advice is just that: common-sense, like you said. As well as washing your hands and face often, use a saline sinus rinse or neti-pot, and keep hydrated on the plane and in the heat. (Limit booze and stick to water). If you’re seated next to someone obviously contagious (sneezing/coughing/etc) ask to be moved, and/or wear a facemask. And ask your germy neighbour too as well.
I have had very similar experiences, it totally sucks to be sick AND have jet Lag!
Here’s what I do now: carry disinfectant wipes in your hand luggage, as soon as you board wipe everything you’re going to touch. The touch screen, the arm rest, the recline button. Next, NEVER touch the inflight mags. EVER.
Also carry hand sanitizer and use it after every bathroom visit, or if you touch anything you forgot to wipe down. On arrival use an aerosol saline nose rinse. ( can carry on as it’s medicine!)
( currently in SEAsia, three out of eight flights in, without illness. Sounds a lot but it’s pretty easy, give it a try. And Good Luck! )
of course not, but the issue with vitamin C bombs is that they’re supposed to “boost” immune system function. Yet the symptoms of a cold are your immune system going batshit crazy over a relatively harmless virus.
There is zero scientific evidence that Airborne protects against colds or shortens the duration of illness. The makers of the product paid $30 million to settle false advertising claims.
On the plus side, it is unlikely Airborne will harm you.
There seems to be some sort of obsession in various Asian countries of wearing facial masks in public places. Even if the need to prevent airborne particles isn’t that important, not touching shared surfaces and then touching mucous membranes without a hand washing can be prevented by the mask.
And I mention the cultural meme above because I believe in Asia, your appearance won’t be too out of place. Here in the US, they have masks in Emergency rooms, ostensibly to use if you think you need one, but when a child put one on, “Just for fun”, the OR nurse asked her to “Not scare people.” So, YMMV.
Wait, you’re calling ME silly? When you’re the one suggesting an unproven supplement? And you have, at best, second-hand anecdotal evidence of its efficacy?
Our tagline here is “Fighting ignorance.” In this post-truth era, it’s more important than ever to stand up for science.
I haven t tried the ‘Air-borne’ brand. But I do take vitamin C in large doses. I have had great success with it, I am around schools and children a bunch, as we all know schools are like petrie dishes full of viruses and germs. I rarely get colds. Now if I could find a way to prevent my allergies I would be a happy camper. I do agree avoidance is probably best, but OP said he was washing his hands and trying not to touch where germs might be. I was trying to give him another way, that surely can’t hurt and might just help. Jeez, keeping an open mind is not ignorance.
Keeping an open mind is not the same as uncritically accepting every unverified claim made about a product by the company that’s trying to sell it to you. That kind of “open mind” is indeed ignorance.
Anyone ever try zinc? Same article links something (hosted on pubmed, but I don’t quite know what it is - seems to be meta analysis of several studies). Results:
Article says
FTR, I’ve never tried zinc or vitamin C for colds.
We all must learn. My own personal experience tells me vitamin C is beneficial to MY health. Zinc, I 've never tried. I have read about it, and I think it might help. Trying and learning is not ignorance in any way. It may not be your way, but it is mine. There are many medical practices that are only anecdotal, but certainly can help. It won’t hurt the OP to try. And if he pees it all out, So be it.
I think the point is that the best way to prevent catching a cold is to prevent the responsible virus(es) from getting inside you. e.g. frequent hand-washing, not letting nasty germ-vector kids cough or sneeze in your face, etc. Vitamin C is good for you (and you can’t really get too much) but it’s not going to prevent infection or shorten the duration of symptoms. once the cold virus (rhinovirus) gets into your soft tissues, it’s done.