The winter holidays are one of the biggest travel seasons of the year. However, the colder months of the year also mean more people are traveling while sick. In order to make it to your destination with a clean bill of health, consider some of these holiday travel tips. With a combination of smart planning and common sense, it will be much easier to avoid being sick during the holidays this year.
Planning For Holiday Travel
When packing for holiday travel this year, be sure to add a few extra items into your carry-on bag. These items will help keep you and your children better protected from illness this winter. Be sure to add a bottle of hand sanitizer to your carry-on bag or purse. While it is important to always wash your hands before and after meals, there are plenty of other scenarios where you’ll want clean hands without a bathroom nearby. This includes things such as touching the handrail of an escalator or spending time on public transportation, including airport shuttles. By keeping your hands free of germs, you’ll go a long way to staying healthy.
Keep Tissues Handy
Another item to be sure to carry during the winter months is extra tissues. If you find that you or your child has the sniffles or a cough, having spare tissues handy can prevent spreading the illness any further. Plus, the people around you at the airport will appreciate your kids using tissues instead of wiping their hands on chairs and door handles! When combined with the hand sanitizer, tissues can help clean up plenty of messes during holiday travel.
Stay Hydrated While Traveling
Finally, it is very important to stay hydrated while traveling. Holiday travels often mean long hours on the road, and this can greatly affect parents and children. For parents, they often forgo drinking water in exchange for coffee or other caffeinated drinks. Children will typically use travel as an excuse to ask for sugary drinks instead of their typical water or juice. Both of these scenarios result in weary travelers who are dehydrated which can lead to an increased chance of children not feeling well. One way to avoid this problem is to travel with refillable water bottles for each person. Not only will this keep your family of travelers well hydrated, but it also will save money on buying drinks during holiday travel.
Do you have a tip for staying healthy during holiday travel? Let us know in the comments, or contact the Pediatric Urgent Care of Northern Colorado for more information!