Every time I fly!

[TarHeelBrit]

Within a few days of landing I come down with a stinking cold! I thought back to 17 years ago when I flew to Anchorage to meet my wife Debbi...cold. When we flew from Anchorage to St Louis to bury my mother in law....cold, flew back another cold. Etc it seems I get a free cold with every flight. I thought I would beat it this time I used antibacterial wipes on all the hot spots in or around my seat I angled the air jets to deflect coughs and sneezes away from me and bumped up my vitamin C intake.

Waste of bleeding time I'm stuck in the hotel feeling like death warmed up. Even the arrival of a NOS USGI meat can didn't do much to cheer me up.

 

[Tengu]

This is what happens when you go in a pressurised container with strangers.

Frankly, Im suprised its not TB.

 

[Toddy]

Having tholed (and still suffering the aftermaths) of the cold from hell this past fortnight, you have my complete sympathy.
"It's just a cold", Aye, right

M

 

[Nice65]

This is what happens when you go in a pressurised container with strangers.

Not that I smoke much these days, but the old oxygen fed filtered system was better. Both myself and Lara have a couple of days of sinusitis after a flight. It's happened 3 times now, the old Flapping Gilbert in the right nostril. We both get it every time. It's not a cold though, more like a pressure change and dirty air.

It's something that needs addressing, particularly if there's an actual infection.

 

[Winnet]

Having tholed (and still suffering the aftermaths) of the cold from hell this past fortnight, you have my complete sympathy.
"It's just a cold", Aye, right

M

My daughter has developed a previously unknown strain of cold called "Princess Flu", main symptoms are near death experience and reversion from the the age of 26 to the age of 6. It can be partially alleviated by hot chocolate and lots of "oh you poor wee soul".

G


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[mrcharly]

Extremely low humidity, dries out mucus membranes in your nose and windpipe, hence damaging first defence against bugs, whilst simultaneously exposing you to bugs from a bunch of strangers.

Only way to build up immunity is to be a schoolteacher.

 

[Toddy]

My daughter has developed a previously unknown strain of cold called "Princess Flu", main symptoms are near death experience and reversion from the the age of 26 to the age of 6. It can be partially alleviated by hot chocolate and lots of "oh you poor wee soul".

G


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'll mind that one! Princess Flu indeed
If it was the same one that floored me, good on you having the patience to deal with it for the duration. It truly was a misery.
M

 

[Macaroon]

I'll mind that one! Princess Flu indeed
If it was the same one that floored me, good on you having the patience to deal with it for the duration. It truly was a misery.
M

Just be very glad you're not a man and won't ever have to go through the worst one of them all, the big daddy of disease.........MAN FLU!!!

 

[Turnstone]

Same happened to me when I flew to Norway. I usually have a strong immune system and don't get a cold even if everyone around me suffers, but my trip to Norway was ruined by a really bad cold, and my husband got it, too (well, it wasn't completely ruined as we saw the Aurora and a Humpback whale close by, but the experience isn't as good). We flew back with it (and probably helped others in the plane to get their share of it). I don't fly on a regular basis, so I have no idea if this was just bad timing or if it really has something to do with the air in the plane...!

 

[Old Bones]

My wife had to fly to the Philippines for work a couple of years ago while having a cold, and thanks to the pressurisation, said it was far worse than just suffering at home, with her sinus's being very painful.

There is some evidence that flying can give you colds, thank to lower humidity, being in a cabin full of other people for hours at a time, plus the stress and tiredness associated with flying. You do often see Japanese people flying while wearing a face mask, which looks odd but may or may not help.

The best thing my wife says she ever bought was a travel blanket from Westin http://europe.westinstore.com/en/gifts/travel-blanket.html . We got it some years ago for her first longhaul trip to the Far East, since she hates being cold. At about £50 then, it didn't look like much when we got it, but she reckons is great - like a small summer duvet (and vastly better than an airline blanket, if you can get one). I noticed on a aircrew site that it was being given out to AA's first class passengers, and they weren't giving them back, so that sounded like it was useful! The price has gone up a lot, but if you can snag one on ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/westin-he...818819?hash=item3d1be24583:g:dMQAAOxy4fVTA8Sq, worth it. Westin now supply Delta with a nice throw, so thats worth a look at as well, although not exactly cheap.

 

[pinewood]

regarding your colds;try gargling with apple cider vinegar,morning and night.

 

[lou1661]

Hopefully it's just a cold and your flight did not experience a fume event.

 

[bearbait]

Just be very glad you're not a man and won't ever have to go through the worst one of them all, the big daddy of disease.........MAN FLU!!!

Agreed.

But Beer Flu, and the closely related Wine Flu, can also be quite problematic according to one's exposure to the bug.

 

[Whistle]

regarding your colds;try gargling with apple cider vinegar,morning and night.

That's harsh ... I feel better already ... no really !!! totally better ... no need for gargling for me !!!

unless it was a short Scottish single malt gargle lol !!!

 

[TarHeelBrit]

This is what happens when you go in a pressurised container with strangers.

Frankly, Im suprised its not TB.

Yeah me too, there was a passenger back in coach where I heard the FA has to ask them firmly but politely to please cough into a tissue and NOT the air.....some people, honestly.

Having tholed (and still suffering the aftermaths) of the cold from hell this past fortnight, you have my complete sympathy.
"It's just a cold", Aye, right

M

Thanks Mary, sorry to hear you've also suffered, look after yourself and get rid of those lingering aftermaths soon.
ATB, Malc.

My daughter has developed a previously unknown strain of cold called "Princess Flu", main symptoms are near death experience and reversion from the the age of 26 to the age of 6. It can be partially alleviated by hot chocolate and lots of "oh you poor wee soul".

G


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Change 26 for 57 and you've just described my wife. The only known cure for her is van loads of sympathy, being at her beck and call and an old black and white movie marathon on the DVD.

Extremely low humidity, dries out mucus membranes in your nose and windpipe, hence damaging first defence against bugs, whilst simultaneously exposing you to bugs from a bunch of strangers.

Only way to build up immunity is to be a schoolteacher.

I've often wondered about that, is there some secret pill only given to teachers? My old neighbour was a primary school teacher and even being exposed to a bunch of dripping nosed coughing kids he never ever came down with anything.

Same happened to me when I flew to Norway. I usually have a strong immune system and don't get a cold even if everyone around me suffers, but my trip to Norway was ruined by a really bad cold, and my husband got it, too (well, it wasn't completely ruined as we saw the Aurora and a Humpback whale close by, but the experience isn't as good). We flew back with it (and probably helped others in the plane to get their share of it). I don't fly on a regular basis, so I have no idea if this was just bad timing or if it really has something to do with the air in the plane...!

Same here with the immune system. Mine seems to have kicked in at puberty before then I was always coming down with something then bang! nothing for years, that is until I'm daft enough to get in a giant tin tube with a bunch of strangers. I think mrcharly got it right with the decreased humidity and close confines.

Hopefully it's just a cold and your flight did not experience a fume event.

Ouch, I had to look that one up. No I think it's just a cold...time will tell.

 

[santaman2000]

...... I think mrcharly got it right with the decreased humidity and close confines.....

That and the recycled air.

 

[C_Claycomb]

I got one of the worst colds I have ever had as a result of a flight to Canada. I was sat in a draft from the air circulation system. Didn't think I got chilled, but must have been exposed to something. The dry air really doesn't help. Nor did arriving in the Canadian winter to do a week long course with Mors. The combination of spruce smoke, dust and cold really did a number on my sinuses, my head felt like it was going to explode and no amount of willow bark, aspirin, or ibuprofen made any difference. The flight home with the sinus inflammation was particularly painful.

 

[Tengu]

You could always do as I do and not fly.

 

[Old Bones]

I've often wondered about that, is there some secret pill only given to teachers? My old neighbour was a primary school teacher and even being exposed to a bunch of dripping nosed coughing kids he never ever came down with anything.

School teachers do suffer, but slightly less often than you'd expect. Teachers tend to build up resistance, but it takes some time, and this time of year is generally the worse. I work part-time in a school, and what tends to happen is a lot of low-level illness which doesn't go away until the person flakes out over the half term. But some of the TA's were laid low the other week, to the point of having to take time off, or having antibiotics for chest infections. I've got two kids, and what I find is that there is a consistant amount of sniffs and coughs - to which Calpol is the first response!

I suspect that a lot of illness on planes is stuff thats already there, but tends to bloom under the conditions that we travel and fly in.

 

[dodss]

I have had a cold or similar after flights.The subject of coughs and colds after flights was discussed with an aero expert on Rip off Britain a few weeks back. The guy largely debunked the myth that it was the plane air circulation. He said it was not recirculated and certainly not from back to front of the plane to everyone but just circulated in a circle a few seats around you.
As anywhere if there is someone ailing near you then you have a fair chance of becoming infected; similarly in the airport lounge or coach transfer to the airport. I get mine sometimes after a skiing trip-after keen bouts of exercise the immune system can be lowered making you vunerable.
My other non scientific idea is that abroad we are introduced to different viral strains that are prevalent there.