Travel Immunity

A week before leaving for Japan, I got fixated on preventing myself from getting sick. So many of my patients and colleagues had been plagued with the winter cold or flu. Plus I was painfully aware of the statistic that on average, twenty percent of plane passengers reported respiratory infections within a week of flying.

Why?

It is due to a combination of increased exposure to viruses and bacteria, and an increased susceptibility to these bugs.

Travellers going through airports and sitting on planes are exposed to people in high concentrations, and are subjected to recirculated air. Therefore increasing exposure.

Behaviours that make us more vulnerable include elevated stress, dehydration, and sleep deficit. All of which, negatively impact our immune systems.

If traveling across time zones, this is compounded by disruptions of our circadian rhythm, which regulates our sleep/wake cycles and other physiological processes.

Learn more and about my tricks on how to prevent illness while traveling in my following posts! Supplements, lifestyle modifications, IV therapy, and herbal medicine.

Want a plan individualized to you? See your local naturopath or if you are in Toronto

Jaa ne!

Dr. Cristina Allen ND
Naturopathic Doctor