Fox News: Traveling for Christmas? Stay healthy with these 7 tips

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Traveling for Christmas? Stay healthy with these 7 tips

Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and Fox News senior medical analyst, shares his top tips for preventing illness during holiday travel.......                    ...                        ...Travel is a big part of the holiday season, with statistics showing that more than 119 million Americans plan to embark on some type of journey between You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login.......Unfortunately, traveling also increases the risk of getting sick — but there are steps you can take to increase your chances of staying healthy while away from home......."You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, when you're on the road, there's a lot of risk of stress and disorientation," Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and Fox News senior medical analyst, told Fox News Digital.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......"You're not in your usual habitat, and that can make people disoriented, upset, anxious or even sleep-deprived, especially when changing time zones."......Siegel shared some of his top tips for You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login during holiday travel.......Staying hydrated has been shown to boost the immune system and protect against illness.......Water is always best, but other hydrating fluids include plain coffee or tea, sparkling or flavored waters, 100% vegetable juice, and milk or milk alternatives.......It's best to travel while "well-exercised," Siegel said......."If you have a regular You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, I wouldn't suspend it a week before travel," he said.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......"If you're regularly exercising, sleeping right and eating right before you go, I think that that puts you in much better shape when you're traveling."......Siegel said he's a "big believer" in wiping down surfaces, especially when You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......."You wouldn't believe what these surfaces carry — we've studied that," he said. "There are a lot of germs in that tray table, and it's the person next to you who could be sick." ......"When you're about to take a trip, it is a good time for you to think about whether you're up-to-date on You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login," Siegel said.......One immunization that isn't given enough attention, according to the doctor, is Tdap, a combination vaccine that protects against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough).......It is given at least once every five to 10 years.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......"There's a ton of whooping cough around this year," Siegel said. "Thousands of cases are reported, but many thousands aren't."......The doctor also recommends the shingles shot for those over the age of 50 and the pneumonia vaccine for people 60 and older......."When you're under stress from travel, that might be when you could get sick," Siegel said, as the immune system isn't functioning at an optimal level. ......"That's when shingles might reappear," he warned. "Shingles is actually a You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login that's dormant in your body for years, but can recur at times of stress."......The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommends that everyone 6 months and older receives COVID and flu vaccinations, with rare exceptions.......For those who take multiple daily medications, the doctor recommends traveling with one pill bottle and putting the various pills in it, making it less likely for any to get misplaced......."Make sure you have more than enough," he advised. "You never know when you're going to get delayed, especially around You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login."......Siegel recommends bringing three or four extra days of pills for all medications......."Depending on what chronic illnesses you may have, it's a good idea to be up-to-date with blood draws and visits to your doctor" before traveling, he added.......It can be challenging to maintain a You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login while traveling, Siegel noted, especially when time zones are changing......."The more you can catch some winks while traveling, the better off you're going to be," he said.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......For those who have trouble falling asleep while on the road, Siegel recommends identifying what makes you drift off at home and using those same techniques......."I get asked a lot for sleeping aids," he said. "For people who are traveling on long trips, I personally am uncomfortable You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login if the patient hasn't been taking it already."......While masks "got a bad name" You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login because of mandates, Siegel noted that they are tools that can be used for those who are ill or at a higher risk. ......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......"If you're a person who's at risk of an You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login or has a chronic illness, the last thing you need is to get the flu, COVID or RSV."......The doctor recommends considering a mask for tight spaces where there are a lot of people around......."You don't know what they have or what they are harboring," he said.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or LoginYou are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......"That's why I would consider one, especially if you're at high risk."......Overall, Siegel said, "staying hydrated, You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login and sleeping properly as best as possible is the way to go in decreasing stress while traveling."...

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