Been on an airplane lately? The one I flew on last week – a ten-hour jaunt from London to San Francisco – sounded like the hospital in one of those sci-fi movies about an outbreak of plague. Everyone seemed to be sneezing, coughing, and blowing their nose. But was I worried about catching anything? Not at all, because I’d cleverly managed to pre-emptively contract a hideous cold before I embarked on the journey. The holidays in Seville, jolly as they are in so many ways, provide the perfect opportunity to spread germs via shared platters of party food and the local custom of kissing everyone you know on both cheeks every time you see them. This year’s bug features a legendary cough, the kind that goes on forever with increasingly horrifying violence, until people around you start backing away, wondering whether they should call an ambulance or an exorcist. Frankly, I was glad to get out of town for a while. But with colds and flu at epidemic levels in the US and on the rise in Europe, you can’t count on outrunning health dangers. In fact, with about 3 billion people a year traveling, bringing their germs with them, it’s a safe bet your journeys will occasionally be disrupted by some form of illness. ![]() Ideally you shouldn’t leave home while you’re ill, but the cost of changing non-refundable reservations and the pressure to show up at that family wedding or crucial business meeting make it difficult to abandon plans at the last minute. If you must hit the road in less-than-perfect health, be prepared. Consult a doctor or pharmacist to make sure you’re not in serious danger and discuss ways to stay as comfortable as possible. Here are some strategies I’ve found useful. Before you get on a plane, take an inventory of symptoms and stock up on over-the-counter remedies. The most crucial for colds are an oral decongestant and a nasal spray to unblock sinuses and ears, which can become excruciatingly painful with changes in air pressure. If you have a scratchy throat, bring cough drops and ask the flight attendant for hot water and salt so you can gargle. In case of gastrointestinal woes, you may want something like Imodium to keep down the number of mad dashes to the restroom. If your tummy is too tender even for that, try an anti-nausea suppository. The old standbys of Coca-Cola and mint tea will help alleviate milder cases. ![]() Dress for survival. Wear loose, comfortable clothing in multiple layers; many illnesses make your internal temperature fluctuate unexpectedly. Wrap up in a shawl or heavy scarf, being careful to keep a sore throat warm, and don’t be afraid to ask for an extra blanket as soon as you board the plane. Eat light and (sorry about this) skip the alcohol. Heavy meals before or during a flight often add to your discomfort, and alcohol exacerbates the dehydration inherent in plane travel. Guzzle water, stick to the vegetarian or chicken dishes, and promise yourself a great meal once you land. Need help upon arrival? Consult a pharmacist at the airport or train station. They are more likely to speak English, be familiar with travelers’ woes, and know of a doctor to consult if necessary. Your hotel staff may also have a doctor on call. Keep your dictionary handy and write out a few key phrases if you don’t speak the language. Sometimes you don’t even need words. Two weeks ago I was chatting with a friend in Seville when I suddenly had a fit of explosive coughing that wouldn’t stop. My friend and the café's barista were startled, then alarmed, as I staggered outside, doubled over with coughing, then stumbled across the street into a pharmacy. There the staff took one look at me and handed me an industrial strength cough syrup, which I slugged down with the desperation of someone coming out of a hundred miles’ crawl through the desert. One of the things I love about Seville is the way people live more communally. Sure, it means I’m likely to get the latest version of the cold/flu every winter, but it also means that people are standing by, ready to pour me a slug of just the right cough syrup in my hour of need. YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY
10 Comments
1/23/2015 07:17:31 am
It feels like it's never going to end! I've started calling it La Peste de Sevilla. This suuuuucks. A week after I was at the hospital and given an entire bag of drugs, I still feel dizzy and nauseous.
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Karen McCann
1/23/2015 12:17:05 pm
Ryan, I feel your pain, dizziness and nausea. Actually, I WAS feeling those things but am finally recovering from La Peste de Sevilla – so take heart! It can happen! Strange thing is, people here in California are reporting the same illness. Global outbreak? Wow, maybe we really are in the middle of one of those sci-fi doomsday movies. What's do you figure is next? Flesh eating zombies?
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1/24/2015 03:58:40 am
I hate to say it, but it's nice to hear that someone else is having those symptoms...makes me feel like it might not be an alien life form living in my skull and/or stomach. But, I'm glad to hear you're recovering as well!
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Karen McCann
1/24/2015 08:33:37 am
Got an email just now from a Canadian friend in Seville, who writes, "I've had a bit of a cough and wanted to consult a physician. Is there anyone you might recommend?" And so this plague claims another victim...
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1/24/2015 10:23:20 am
Oh for heaven's sake! If you do have any recommendations, I'd love to know as well. For future reference.
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Karen McCann
1/24/2015 12:41:01 pm
Yes, Ryan, please pass along the details of the English-speaking internist and I'll forward them to my friend. We have to help our fellow sufferers as best we can! 1/25/2015 06:26:02 am
After re-reading my last post, I really wish I could edit some of the redundancy in there haha.
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Karen McCann
1/25/2015 06:59:32 am
Thanks, Ryan! And remember, if all else fails, a simple donation at the shrine of San Pancracio (patron saint of health & work) on Calle Aguilas should do the trick.
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1/26/2015 12:08:11 am
I work as a touring singer/songwriter, and upper respiratory diseases are the bain of my existence. I have a dozen ways of eluding them, yet sometimes they overwhelm me anyway, simply because performing while traveling is exhausting, and exhaustion compromises my immune system.
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Karen McCann
1/26/2015 08:08:46 am
These are wonderful therapies, Alicia, and all the better for being natural and, for the most part, based on materials such as salt and baking soda that are readily available almost everywhere. Although I agree it wouldn't be easy to undertake long journeys sustained only by water and herbal tea! I can't imagine trying to do a concert tour with the dread coughing disease; even now, 25 days into it, my voice is fragile and a dusty room can set off paroxysm of coughing. Good luck with your preparations for the Japan tour do-over. Stay healthy and let me know how it goes!
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Winner of the 2023 Firebird Book Award for Travel
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This blog is a promotion-free zone. As my regular readers know, I never get free or discounted goods or services for mentioning anything on this blog (or anywhere else). I only write about things that interest me and that I believe might prove useful for you all to know about. Whew! I wanted to clear that up before we went any further. Thanks for listening. TO I'm an American travel writer based in Seville, Spain.
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