Germs and sick people

[88_MALIBU]

After flying for a regional for a few weeks I learned a few things. The one I have a question about is, How the hell do you stay healthy? I have been sick twice with a cold and sore throat since starting. It is driving me nuts. The amount of people, knobs, yokes, handles, and shaking of hands is turning me into a germaphobe. I carry the alcohol deals, and need to pick up antibacterial lotion. Does anyone have any pointers ?

 

[Vicman]

here's how

i'm a safe pilot and i always wear a rubber every time i fly (esp w/ a plane swap)
as for the cold sores, keep your hands away from your mouth.

just kidding.

all i do is take a lot of vitamins (one a day type stuff), avoid thermal shock as best as i can, disinfect the commonly handled items in the cockpit. yo9u schouldn't have to worry about germ transfer as long as the surface in dry!

what i worry about most is communicable diseases such as TB. good luck hope this helps a little.

 

[Stifler's Mom]

You probably just need to give your immune system some time to get used to all the germs we come into contact with. And quit kissing the flight attendants on your layovers, that doesn't help stop the spread of germs either.

 

[Dodge]

Mesaba flight attendants come to work very ill all the time. Especially in MEM. Inflight supervisors threaten their jobs if they are sick (Mesaba has never been staffed properly) and write and post letters of accomodation if they fly sick knowingly.

 

[N813CA]

Dodge vbmenu_register("postmenu_630385", true);

There isn't anything to do about it. I have been in your shoes for 5 years. All you really can do is refuse to fly with the person. I haven't yet had the balls to do this. I am very close to doing so though. I am very sick of flying with crews that are either afraid to call in sick, or want to use their sick days for golf.

 

[RampTower]

Like stifler's mom said, give your immune system some time, perhaps up to a year, for it to ingest all the new germs. I remember catching all kinds of crap my first year or so. After that I rarely got sick. It's amazing how your body adapts to all the crap we breathe in the airplane.

And if/when you're bored, bring a stack of sanicoms with you and start wiping down everything in the cockpit.

 

[cforst513]

i've heard of using instant hand saniztizer for their hands and disinfecting wipes on all the controls before sitting down to do the preflight stuff. but i agree with the daily multivitamin as well as eating healthy and DRINK LOTS OF WATER!!!! keep the system flushed, if ya catch my drift. just a thought.

 

[Flechas]

i've heard of using instant hand saniztizer for their hands and disinfecting wipes on all the controls before sitting down to do the preflight stuff. but i agree with the daily multivitamin as well as eating healthy and DRINK LOTS OF WATER!!!! keep the system flushed, if ya catch my drift. just a thought.

I use disinfecting wipes on the controls every flight, but only if I have time, which most of the time I do, and I also drink lots of water and take multivitamins. Have been working here since october and haven't been sick yet. So I'm saving my sick time for a good vacation!!!

 

[paid4training]

use rubbers yea that is a perfect solution...lol

 

[LearLove]

After flying for a regional for a few weeks I learned a few things. The one I have a question about is, How the hell do you stay healthy? I have been sick twice with a cold and sore throat since starting. It is driving me nuts. The amount of people, knobs, yokes, handles, and shaking of hands is turning me into a germaphobe. I carry the alcohol deals, and need to pick up antibacterial lotion. Does anyone have any pointers ?

The same thing happened to me back in 99 when I hit the line with Allegheny. The first 2 months I was sick 3 times. In the 5 years prior to 99 I may have been sick twice. I was like "what the he11, I never get sick". The biggest thing like others said is to let your immune system build up. Also like others said HANDY WIPES in the cockpit big time. My mother is a nurse and she tells me all the stuff you hear about washing your hands being one of the best things you can do. Make sure you wipe your own headset and other equipment from time to time also.

Except for the first few months in the past 5 years I flew the line at ALG (900+ hours per year) I never got sick but now flying at MidAtlantic on reserve I maybe fly 4 or 5 days per month (about 20 hours) My immune system is not what it used to be and after not being sick for 5 years I've been sick twice this year already. Both times I've been sick were after the 2 four days trips I've done this year.

 

[rumorhasit]

One word...Recycled air!!! Every sniff and cough is spread throughout the entire airplane


I am not familiar with the Air system on these super hotrod airplanes, but do they have some filter system to clean the air?

 

[rk772]

Take airborne. I initially refused to take this stuff. Once someone convenced me to try it, I'm hooked. I start taking it at the first sign of a cold. The cold never gets bad and goes away in a couple of days. Before this, I would suffer for a couple of weeks with a cold.

http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=76905&catid=10&brand=25867&trx=PLST-0-BRAND&trxp1=10&trxp2=76905&trxp3=1&trxp4=0&btrx=BUY-PLST-0-BRAND


They also sell it at Walmart and GNC

 

[Stifler's Mom]

use rubbers yea that is a perfect solution...lol

And keep your face from coming into contact with the urinals as well.

 

[Fly2Scuba]

Chinese Herb

I was often coming down with colds, until I started taking Yin Chiao. Haven't taken if for that long so this isn't scientific research, however it's well touted in many holistic circles as a general immune system builder.

http://www.vitacost.com/Store/Produ...021078101734&source=trafficleader&src=froogle

I only take one pill a day, seems to work.

Also should add that I have flown with a couple FOs that stated they would have to be on their death bed before they called sick. They both were sneezing and coughing some on the trip and that's BS. At the very least, one shouldn't be going around stating such a thing and should just say its allergies. I wouldn't be paranoid then that the Yin Chiao might not be working. Most ideally, they should be calling in sick if they are easlily going to spread cold germs by coughing and sneezing. This is partly their self centered fault, and more the airline companies fault for developing sick call policies that seem to put the fear of God into some people.

 

[CubanSmoker]

I started taking Yin Chiao.... however it's well touted in many holistic circles as a general immune system builder.

Holy crap Scuba! When the heck did you turn in to a "Holistic Herbal Zen Master?" That's quite the change from the guy I have a picture of asleep while in the middle of eating generic Mac and Cheese in the "crackhouse" (I think that's when you were on the "45 minutes of sleep a night is all I need" kick).

Seriously though, I'll look at the Yin Chiao stuff too. It sounds like you either smoke that stuff or drink it as tea or something.

Cheers

 

[dueguard1]

Start taking Muti-Vitamins, most of us are way to busy to really be consuming all the proper nutrients our bodies are suppose to get on a daily basis....................Also start skiping the regular coffee break and start opting for Green Tea instead.....................In Asia it is a mainstay in their diet, and has an array of beneficial antioxidants And help buld up your immune system, as smokers are way more prevelent in Asia, but they don't have nowhere near the cancer rate of the U.S.........It's really great stuff...............Also research a little more about using aloe vera............I've been using it for quite sometime at least three times a week............I don't believe in flu shots, and these two (green tea, aloe vera) are mainstays in my daily routine, and I know for sure that I haven't had the flu in at least 5 or 6 years........................

 

[Inconceivable]

1. Water
2. Vitamins
3. Sleep
4. No Booze! (sorry!)

5. Use your sani wipes for the O2 masks and wipe EVERY switch, lever and yoke. Every leg. Keeps the equipment looking nice, too.

 

[rumpletumbler]

don't forget your aluminum foil hat

 

[DOVPILOT]

Vit-c

I take at least 5,000 mg of Vit. C daily, never been sick in the 2 1/2 years of this crap. You will pea a nice green Gatorade color all day!!!

 

[lowlycfi]

My first year as a flight attendant I got sick about every other month. It gets better over time. Now I only get a big cold about once a year. Second what most other folks have said. Vitamins, echinacea, lots of water (I drink at least 12oz per hour of flying...harder for you in the cockpit since you will have to pee a lot), wash your hands a lot, and when you're sick DON'T COME TO WORK!!! It will take you twice as long to get better if you are in the germ tube every day.

Also, watch what you touch in your hotel rooms. I usually wipe down the remote control and take that bedspread and throw it in a corner. The guy before you in the room that was watching "Spanktravision" had something in his hand before he grabbed the remote that you wouldn't want your hand wrapped around!

I do disagree with the no alcohol; whiskey does a good job of killing germs! Good luck.

 

[PBI27]

You may want to look into cultivating your immune system instead or worrying about whipe downs and things like that. They fact of the matter is that there are many people out there that are sick, Americans are not a sanitary people and carrying around anti-bacterial and anti-viral whipes isn't going to do a whole lot.

I've been flying for about 6 years now. I had asthma as a kid, and I'd get a few colds each winter and flus which would bring the asthma back.

I think our body's immune systems can take care of almost everything (even HIV/AIDS), but our current way of life and diets destroy us. Even though as Americans we have the highest caloric intake we have nutrient deficencies which lead to low life expectancies and disease.

Green Tea and Vitamin C are great. Take as much as you can. Avoid processed wheat and sugar. Sugar is horrible for the immune system.

Try:

http://garynull.com - I enjoy listening to his radio shows.

 

[slick1]

Maybe it's not the airplane, hand shaking, etc. May be it's your hotel room(s).

Now that you're flying the line, (or in training), you probably have a lot of overnighters which you probably didn't have prior to joining the airlines. And I don't think those hotels are all that much interested in taking time (or money) to clean those heat/air units. Nor do they change the pillows or mattresses until they're beyond use.

I fly a lot of out-and-back 135 stuff. I never get sick unless I've spent the night in a hotel. I had a rare overnight trip last weekend and sure enough, I had a sinus infection two to tree days later.

I don't have any answers to this problem. It just strikes me that we all touched a lot of yokes, levers, switches, and dials in other airplanes and we've shaken a lot of hands prior to going to the airlines. But those didn't seem to effect us nearly as frequently.

 

[rumpletumbler]

Ever peek at your room with a blacklight? I haven't but I've heard its like the Manson family rented it for the weekend and then you sprayed it down with luminol.

 

[cforst513]

I take at least 5,000 mg of Vit. C daily, never been sick in the 2 1/2 years of this crap. You will pea a nice green Gatorade color all day!!!

see, i was under the assumption that your body only absorbs as much as it needs and the rest is just flushed out when you go to the bathroom. so taking 5,000 mg might be a waste if your body only requires 500 mg. just what i was taught.

 

[svcta]

Listen up about not kissing the flight attendants.....this is what happened to a guy I used to know after he kissed one.....

http://www.bigheadben.com/weblog/archives/000529.html

 

[NTS ALL 4]

Hand sanitizer to wipe all the controls and alcohol to drink. Not necessarily in that order. It keeps you clean and pickled.

 

[PBI27]

see, i was under the assumption that your body only absorbs as much as it needs and the rest is just flushed out when you go to the bathroom. so taking 5,000 mg might be a waste if your body only requires 500 mg. just what i was taught.

I think you are correct. I've read the maximum vitamin C our bodies can absorb is 500 to 1,000 mg per hour. Therefore, if you are taking more than 1,000 mg of vitamin C per hour you are probably making your urine worth a lot of money.

However, remember that the body doesn't process the entire vitamin C pill. Even if you take vitamin C with food probably only 50% of the vitamin gets absorbed in the body.

Humans, guinea pigs and a few other living creatures can not produce their own vitamin C. Most animals produce massive amounts of this vitamin during periods of illness and stress.

I know some holisitic places that have vitamin C IV drips that can do as much as 20,000 mg of vitamin C per day. That is rare, vitamin C powder is second best as far as body absoption. Last but not least is the common vitamin pill. It also helps to take vitamin C with foods that are already high in it (oranges, strawberries, etc.), also l-carnitine and acetyl-cistine (sp?) are effective anti-oxidants that help vitamin C absorption.

Remember that cigarette smoking and eating processed carbs (simple sugars) require a tremendous amount of vitamin C to process in the body, so if you smoke or eat a lot of sugar you need to take much more vitamin C to stay healthy than someone that doesn't.

Good luck.

 

[Flechas]

I didn't know all that stuff about vitamin C, good info!!
That's what I like about this place, you really learn something everyday!

 

[Northern Lights]

I second AIRBORNE --WWW.AIRBORNEHEALTH.COM I've been battling colds since I started as well, but have never gotten very sick. Take it at the first symptom. I also will take it in the evening as a preventative measure.

 

[cforst513]

you know what has more vitamin C than oranges? parsley. i'm not kidding you. gnaw on a bit of parsley if you feel a cold coming on. it's roughage and will help keep you regular, too