Keep cold at bay during holidays
MANY travellers swear that they get sick after every trip or vacation. There is a 20% occurrence of common colds – runny nose or sore throat, among passengers who fly, which is much too high to be an acceptable number. A recent study says you may be 100 times more likely to catch a cold on a plane than in your normal daily life, according to a study published by the Journal of Environmental Health Research.
Why you are more susceptible to colds while travelling
1) Low cabin humidity – at very low levels of humidity, the “natural defence system” of the mucous in our noses and throats dries up and is crippled, creating as much more tolerant environment for germs to infect us.
2) Long-haul flights appear to pose a special risk as we are likely squeezed as tightly together with 300 to 400 potential sources of common cold infection. Experiments on exposing uninfected volunteers to others with common cold infections have shown that the chances of catching a cold are directly related to the number of hours of exposure to infection.
3) Stress in any form will lower resistance to infections by depressing the immune system. Many psychologists classify holidays as a major source of stress as all the worries about lastminute planning, handing over daily work and home security can take their toll and leave us more susceptible to infection just when we want to be in top form to enjoy ourselves.
4) Travelling to foreign countries can increase the risk of viral infection as we are likely to encounter quite new viruses, to which we have no immunity, at our holiday destination. There are more than 200 viruses that can cause the common cold. With modern jet travel viruses are spread rapidly.
The unexpected sore throat and runny nose that herald the start of a cold often start just as we have arrived at our holiday destination and a well-deserved break can often be miserable.
It is important to protect one’s immunity to reduce the occurrence of colds especially in children and the elderly who have a weaker immune system.
German medical doctors have been prescribing a unique herbal combination of Thuja Occidentalis and Baptisiae Tinctoriae, which is effective in prevention and treatment of colds for the past 50 years. These two immune booster are fast acting and can overcome the first sign of cold. When taken at the first sign of runny nose or sore throat, you can feel its effect in a few hours.
Those who have a weak immune system can take this herbal combination as a prevention, starting two days before departure and continuing throughout the journey. Those with stronger immune systems need only take when there is a first sign of a runny nose or a sore throat.
This article is contributed by Quanstar Biotech Sdn Bhd.
■ For details, call 012-900 2275. KKLIU No.2561/2016