It’s the best time of the year! The holidays are here and, no matter what traditions you celebrate or the holidays you observe, these next couple months are likely to be filled with fun, family and friendship.

While this time of year certainly brings people together, that also means that it brings illnesses to our homes and gatherings as well. Getting sick over the holidays is never any fun, but we are here to help.

Our AFC Urgent Care Boulder team explains some simple health tips and tricks to avoid getting sick while you are traveling and planning for your festivities.

Can I Avoid Getting Sick While Traveling?

Hundreds of thousands of people take to the skies to visit friends and family, and many of them unfortunately come down with colds or other infections soon after flying. That should be no surprise since large crowds can quickly become a catalyst for illness transmission. If you are planning to fly home for the holidays, prioritize taking care of yourself in the days leading up to your travels.

Eat well, continue to exercise and enjoy restful sleep. Seven to nine hours of sleep every night can help your body fight off illness more effectively, which you will certainly need when you come across various infections during the season. If you are able to pick your seat ahead of the flight, choose a middle or window seat versus the aisle. The aisle exposes you to all of the people (and their illnesses) getting up and moving about during the flight.

Additional Ways to Stay Healthy

• Pack an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Use disinfecting wipes on the seat, buckle and tray table.
• Consider wearing a mask.
• Cover all coughs and sneezes.

How Can I Avoid Foodborne Illnesses?

One common, but lesser-known, category of illness is foodborne illnesses. With the increase in family-style meals and potlucks, there is bound to be food sitting out for a period of time. Bacteria can start to grow on food that has been sitting out for as little as two hours.

Choose foods that just came out of the oven or the fridge, and offer to help clean up leftovers as soon as everyone is finished eating. These recommendations can extend to the food options that you have while traveling to your destination as well. Gas stations and other quick-service locations can have convenient food options, but they can easily be harboring bacteria on the rollers or warmers and food could have been sitting out for much longer than two hours. Pack your own food or choose different options just to be on the safe side.

Kitchen Safety Tips For the Holidays

• Cook all meat to the recommended temperatures.
• Serve meals immediately after preparing them.
• Store leftovers within two hours.
• Ask about any allergies or food sensitivities before making food to share.

We can help you feel better faster this holiday season. Come see us at AFC Urgent Care Boulder for a visit.