I’m a nurse – everyone gets a cold on planes but here’s how to avoid it

WE’VE all been there – you’re coming back from holiday feeling relaxed and refreshed, then 24 hours later you’re hit with a cold.

Plane colds might not be an official illness, but tens of thousands of us come down with us every year – and one nurse reckons she knows how to avoid them.

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Nurse practitioner Amber Gardner shared the eight travel tips she uses to avoid getting sick on a flight.

In a video on TikTok, Amber, who is known as @unearthedamber on the social media platform, revealed the easy steps passengers can take to stay fit and healthy on a flight.

For starters, while it may be tempting to fall asleep on an airline pillow on a long-haul flight, Amber wrote: “Don’t put the pillow or blanket near your face.”

She added: “Drink water from a bottle and avoid drinking tea or coffee, but make sure to stay hydrated.”

In another clip, Amber encouraged passengers to “wipe down all the surfaces on and around your seat.”

Tests conducted on the tray table, armrests, and seatbelt have previously revealed some horrifying dirt left behind.

In addition to cleaning the tray tables, Amber added: “[Make sure to] wash or sanitise hands frequently.”

She also encourages passengers to “go to the bathroom with your shoes on.”

Pee on plane floors is one of the main reasons passengers are warned about going barefoot on flights, but there are plenty of other nasty bugs on the floor too.

Other pieces of advice included flexing your calves every hour to keep the blood flowing.

Finally, make time to “meditate, deep breathe and disconnect” while on the flight, and if you do decide to sleep then wear a face mask.

Your body will be able to fight off any bugs you come into contact with easier if you you’ve plenty of rest.

One travel expert revealed their top tips on reducing your chance of getting ill on holiday.

Previously, Sun Online Travel reported that passengers should always try to book a window seat on the plane, as they are “the cleanest”.

A study conducted in 2018 by Boeing also found you are less likely to get sick if sitting in a window seat.

The lead author of the study Vicki Stover Hertzberg advised: “Get in that window seat and don’t move.”

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