Most of us will be totally fine and healthy whilst we are airborne on our way to an overseas business or holiday destination. However, through motion sickness or airborne germs and bugs, there is a possibility, as anywhere, that you can become ill whilst on the plane. There are, however, precautions you can take to avoid this airborne sickness. This article will take you through some of these sensible precautions which you can take, but first, let's have a look at some of the health risks of being airborne.

Air sickness

Air sickness is a type of motion sickness; it is very common, caused by a disturbance within the inner ear, caused by repeated motion from the motion of a plane in turbulent air. Air sickness affects the sense of balance and spatial orientation. Of course, it can also cause nausea and actual sickness.

You can take a few precautions to avoid sickness whilst you are airborne. You should take a seat by a window and look out often, so your eyes can see you're moving and so they messages they are sending the brain are in keeping with the movement you feel. To minimize air sickness, choose a seat over the wings, which will give you a smoother flight.

You should already focus on the outside, where you can judge the movement of the plane. Avoid spicy or greasy food whilst you are airborne and for a day or so before, so you should have no reason for that to upset your stomach.

Before you travel, take a prepared motion sickness medicine and it should have had time to become effective before you are airborne.

Airborne diseases

One feature of being airborne in most regular airline carriers is the lack of space. You are sitting very close with other airborne passengers. Also, obviously, planes are enclosed spaces with a lack of fresh air and proper ventilation. All airborne passengers are breathing in the same dry, recycled cabin air. These conditions make planes an easy breeding ground for airborne bugs and germs and doctors believe that there is an increased risk of catching some kind of an infection within an aircraft cabin. Of course, most of these infections will be mild, but they are potentially unpleasant, nonetheless.

So how can you help to protect yourself from airborne diseases and other health problems?

First, stay hydrated. Drink lots of water, because the dry air inside cabins makes you more vulnerable to infection. That's because the mucus membranes of your nose, mouth and throat help to keep out airborne germs. Therefore, you could even use a saline nasal spray to keep your nasal passages hydrated. This will ensure that all the body's mucus membranes are working efficiently to block airborne germs from entering the body.

Whilst you should drink plenty of water, you should avoid drinking alcohol. They are often free on airlines, but they really are not a good idea. Alcohol dehydrates you further and therefore makes you more susceptible to airborne diseases. Juices and sodas are a better choice, but they can also be high in sugar which also acts to dehydrate you. Water really is the best option.

Obviously, you should avoid passengers who are infected is you can. If you happen to be seated next to someone who is apparently infected, you should ask to be moved, because germs do travel, airborne, but the closer you are to the source of the infection, the more chance you stand of becoming infected yourself.

Wash up

You should always be careful to wash your hands after visiting the bathroom. This is obvious, but what isn't so obvious is that washing your hands really should be done again after leaving the bathroom. Use anti-bacterial handwash after you have left the bathroom because research has found significant levels of bacteria such a E.coli on bathroom handles and toile seats.

If you take these few basic precautions, you give yourself every chance of avoiding any health problems whilst you are airborne.