Catching colds after visiting Las Vegas

[iam4nd]

Las Vegas Q and A by Rick Garman

Question: The last two times I was in Vegas I came down with colds either while I was there or immediately afterward. How can I avoid that on future trips?

Rick had some interesting views, but I wanted to add to them. I know it doesn't apply to all visitors (some drive) but I feel that breathing the recirculated air on the airplane is often responsible for colds after vacations. We make sure to take our vitamins, drink plenty of fluids, and usually take something like "airborn" supplements when traveling. It has helped. Getting enough rest is also helpful but very difficult to do in Las Vegas! Eating well has never been a problem, however.;)

[maeve]

The same thing happened to me. It's all the second hand smoke in Las Vegas.

[GREGRIO]

IT'S FLU SEASON...BUGS ARE EVERYWHERE, JUST NOT IN VEGAS...
Wash your hands a lot!, it just makes sense, think about it.......
Hundreds of folks all around...many with a cold (or worse), that's always the way it is.
Bugs on the 'SPIN REELS' button, door knobs, elevator buttons...and they say, one of
the most contaminated things you can touch is a RESTAURANT MENU.
Wash you hands regularlly...and not just those little 'handiwipes'
IT'S JUST SMART/DON'T WORRY/HAVE FUN!

[tlcrnicu]

I agree with Greg, you can't wash your hands often enough. Another good piece of advice, carry some pocket size sani wash (like Purell) in your pocket or purse and use it often. Try to keep your hands away from your face. The germs you touch are the germs you put in harm's way when you touch your nose or mouth. I have also found Zicam to be pretty effective if you use it as soon as you get symptoms of a cold. It stops viruses from replicating, thus shortens the length and severity of a cold. You can buy it over the counter just about anywhere health stuff is sold. (This is NOT an advertisement!) Drinking plenty of fluids (besides ETOH, that dries you out!)
and plenty of rest (to keep your immune system in check) all should help. Eat fruits and vegies on those buffets and take a break from the cigarette smoke in the casinos every so often. Let's see, do I sound like Marcus Welby, true father of all lovable MDs? Hope this all helps! tlcrnicu

[Steve]

I am a firm believer that the change in climate also has something to do with this issue.

I don't normally get sick but I do get what is easily described as sinus pressure in Las Vegas due to the dry climate. I am also guaranteed to get at least one nosebleed.

Also you must take into consideration that people think the temperature in Las Vegas is warm all year when in actuality they do have a "Winter" season and it does get cold there. A lot of tourists are unprepared wardrobe wise for the cold weather.

I also think the exposure to the air conditioning in the warmer months combined with entering and leaving the casino also is a contributor for getting sick.

Steve

PS:
Notice how helpful this forumn is by having "FLU LINKS" posted at this page? (-:

[Boston_Bill]

I agree more with Steve on this one. I don't think its the second hand smoke. I think it's going to the dry desert air, combined with the lousy air on the flight I always get some kind of sinus cold when I get back.

[smmoo]

My understanding is that anything that dries out your nasal passages will allow the virus to enter your body. Therefore cigarette smoke, dry desert air, and recirculated airplane air are all culprits.
The solution- I got this tip from a Vegas message board a long time ago, buy and use a nasal spray (Simply Saline) on the plane, in the Casinos and on the streets, EVERYWHERE, in Vegas and this will lesson the chance of catching a cold.:p

[Steve]

My understanding is that anything that dries out your nasal passages will allow the virus to enter your body. Therefore cigarette smoke, dry desert air, and recirculated airplane air are all culprits.
The solution- I got this tip from a Vegas message board a long time ago, buy and use a nasal spray (Simply Saline) on the plane, in the Casinos and on the streets, EVERYWHERE, in Vegas and this will lesson the chance of catching a cold.:p

This is excellent advice and I do this as often as I can. A saline mist does the trick.

Steve

[ChicChas]

Wash your hands.

Then, wash your hands.

Oh, and wash your hands.

[magicfish]

Washing hands and using hand sanitizer (Purell makes tiny bottles that are easy to carry), wiping down machines (and edges of tables) with the wipes that you get from the casinos,


bringing and using your saline nasal spray,


dressing properly for the weather, and dressing in layers to compensate for indoor temperatures,

and taking Airborne, or commonly available generic versions of the same,

along with making sure you treat any possible sinus problems before/during/after your trip (Advil, Sudafed, Tavist, etc)


will help to keep you well.

Personally, I always use Airborne while waiting to depart at my home airport (as well as waiting to depart from Vegas airport for return trip), and make good use of hand sanitizer and wipes - saline is just a sometimes thing for me. Knock on wood, I have never gotten ill on any trip since I started using Airborne for both inbound/outbound legs of the trips (several years now). Good luck!

[parisbill]

You welcome more than your share of germs in touching and washing your hands frequently helps big time.

For my air travels I always wear a mini electronic ion diffuser around my neck (Brookstone or Sharper Image) and that helps as well

[legalois]

I read about Airborne in this forum and bought some for our October trip. I didn't read the package, just picked some up. When I took it for the first time I was a little bit trepidatious about the taste of it, but was pleasantly surprised. What I did was start it at home a couple of nights before the trip and continued for the duration of the vacation. No cold.

Of course I'm recovering from one now and haven't been on or near an airplane or vacation.....:confused:

I also carry wipes in a small zip bag (because I had an ugly "leaking in the purse" incident) and some gel hand sanitizer.

And if you're not the only one who uses your computer, don't forget to wipe the keys and mouse when you're sick.

[MikeinChi]

I swear by Cold Eeze, which is similar to Airborne. I travel a lot with my job and take it religiously whenever I'm on a trip. I haven't had a cold in quite a while (knock on wood!).

[lvgecko]

Try to keep your hands away from your face. The germs you touch are the germs you put in harm's way when you touch your nose or mouth.

Some excellent comments and suggestions - I guess we've all "been there, done that!" I'd like to add to tlcrnicu's comments about touching your face - that includes the eyes. I can't tell you how many times I've gotten sick after rubbing an eye while playing a machine - now I just don't do it until I can wash my hands. And all these great comments don't apply just to visitors - we locals need them too! (Especially those of us that spend too much time in the casinos! :D )

[jbueng]

I have been to Vegas 10 times. ZERO-(0) Nada, NO colds. I don't take OTC meds, Or wear ionizers around my neck as some people posted doing. ???? Don't believe in that junk. People that do invest in these ionizers as jewelry wear them one time, look stupid, maybe don't get a cold, then are lifetime believers in that garbage. Just like the thousands that buy those silly deer horns to put on their car bumpers to alert deer to get out of your way! Those have been scientifically proven to not work due to the way deer hear sounds. Still sell by the millions. Because people have them on and have not hit a deer, they believe in them. Well I live in deer country USA and I have not hit a deer since 1991. No deer horns on my vehicle.

Back to the original topic, Your imune system is probably weak. People go to vegas and party! Play slots for 20 hours a day, Tire themselves by walking farther than they have in years! All this stuff adds up to a weakend immune system. And with hundreds of thousands of people in town there are many viruses floating around. Sometimes you win, sometimes you loose! And sometimes you win loosing.

21 days till Trip #11!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! April 2-6th!!!!!!!!!!!!!2007!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kaystr1]

I am a smoker and haven't had a cold in 2 years, since now. We go to Vegas twice a year, in the spring and the fall. Never got sick (Knock on wood!!), from being in Vegas. We'll be going again in April and hopefully the cold I have now will be my cold for the year.
I agree washing your hands or using Purell wipes does help. Maybe the "alcohol" (free drinks) helps a bit, too. :D

38 days!!!!!!!

[FL Mary]

I always use Airborne and have never gotten a cold after a trip. I also carry wipes and if a slot looks really dirty, I've wiped it down before playing.

[burnetti]

Wipes are the answer. Wife carries them in her purse and we use them after church, after shopping, before eating at restaurants, etc.

[kestral]

The washing your hands AND not touching your face is the winning ticket.

I read of a study where they wanted to see how easy it was to catch a cold from germs left behind. They had a 2 different groups of people play cards together - In each group some of them had a cold and left (sorry if you're eating right now) - uh, liquid stuff from sneezes on the cards.

One group they told them - do not touch your face at all while you are in this room. They monitored them to make sure they did not touch their nose or eyes or mouth.

The other group they just said - play cards

After they were done playing, everybody washed their hands.

You guessed it - the healthy people in the group that did not touch their face did not catch the cold. The people who were not told anything about the face all caught the cold.

Gee, my nose is itchy right now!

[Blk66Lincoln]

It can be 100 outside and 60 inside the casinos. This with touching germ covered slot machines can make you sick.

[JayMagic]

Too late, we just got back after 4 days in Vegas and the wife has a cold. I haven't got it yet, (got home Monday) so my fingers are crossed.

Like the Purell wipes idea and washing hands. Maybe we should just wear the latex gloves next time as a little overkill.

[CeeJayRocker]

I had a doctor one time tell me, "You know, you're gonna eat a lot of dirt in your lifetime . . . " :cool:

[Sherry]

iam4nd that used to happen to me as well. We are always there in October so now I never leave home without my flu shot. Sherry

[Turnip579]

I'm sick everytime I return home. Of course mine is a month long hangover! :p