Traveling and Colds

Doesn't it feel like you have the worst luck sometimes? You're feeling healthy, strong and ready for your next business trip. You make it through the long flight and the first day of meetings. And then you wake up the next morning, congested, coughing and sneezing. Your head is pounding and the last thing you want to do is get out of bed. Yep, you caught a cold.

There's not much worse than being sick while you're traveling, whether your trip is for business or pleasure. You don't want to miss out on the vacation of a lifetime, nor do you want to jeopardize a big meeting with clients.

So what can you do? Of course, you should do everything you can do avoid getting sick in the first place. The best way to do that is simple, according to Dr. Mark Roberts, an occupational medicine specialist and former medical director for several Fortune 500 companies.

"Do what your mother taught you," he advises. "Use tissues and dispose of them properly. Keep your hands away from your mouth. Have as much space as possible between you and the next person on the plane."

Also, stick to your normal routine. "When you start traveling, it's easier to get away from that routine. You eat different foods, your sleeping patterns might change," Roberts says. When you change your routine, you might experience adverse health effects. So, don't drink or eat more than you normally do -- and make sure to get a good night's rest.

And of course, the cardinal rule in preventing sickness, wash your hands thoroughly and often.

Unfornately, air travel makes it hard to stay healthy sometimes. "There's a lot of people in small places," Roberts says. "The opportunity to share influenza and cold viruses is very common."

Even if you take all the possible precautions, you can still get sick. Roberts says that there are a few over-the-counter medications every traveler should have handy.

- Headache medication. Advil, aspirin, Tylenol are common examples. "Make sure it's whatever you normally take for headaches. Some medications can have adverse effects, so make sure it's something you've taken before."

- Antihistamine. Your basic cold medication. Again, make sure it's a medication you've used (and one that has worked) before. "Make sure to read the fine print, because some antihistamines can cause drowsiness, which means you might not be in tip-top shape to make a presentation." Also, don't take more than the recommended dose.