Planning any air travel soon? Some common concerns that often arise when flying include immune function, blood clot prevention, sleep regulation, comfort and staying calm. Here are a few health tips to make the airport experience a little easier on your body.
Immune System & Preventing Illness
Talk to your doctor about immunizations, and make sure you stay up to date on yours. Immunizations are our best defense against many diseases.
There are no longer any masking mandates in our airports, but masking might still be a reasonable action to prevent illness. The CDC Yellow Book (updated April 2025) states that nonpharmaceutical interventions such as masking are “likely to be effective in mitigating transmission in the airport, in the jet bridge and on an aircraft,” and recommends that passengers “consider wearing high-quality and well-fitting masks or respirators, especially during boarding and deplaning, when the risk of transmission is highest.” This is because aircraft ventilation systems (with HEPA filtration and 20–30 air exchanges per hour) are not operational during boarding, deplaning, de-icing and runway delays, increasing airborne transmission risk.
Wash your hands frequently; use hand sanitizer when a sink isn't accessible.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth — the primary routes for respiratory virus transmission in enclosed spaces.
The concept of “boosting” the immune system with supplements is largely unsupported. The most evidence-based strategies for staying well during travel remain hand hygiene, adequate sleep, hydration and vaccination — not supplements.
Comfort & Skin
Apply a moisturizer before and during the flight; low cabin humidity can feel drying.
Use a saline nasal spray before and after the flight if sensitive to dry air; cabin humidity averages just 10–20%, which dries out nasal and throat mucous membranes — particularly on flights longer than 3 hours.
Stay well-hydrated in the 24 hours before your flight and avoid excess alcohol and caffeine the day prior.
Dress in loose, breathable layers because cabin temperatures can vary significantly.
Motion is lotion for joints: if you get stiff or achy with prolonged sitting, try to plan to get up, walk a little and stretch a bit.
Circulation & Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Prevention
Get up and walk the aisle every 1–2 hours; prolonged immobility is the primary modifiable risk factor for travel-related DVT.
Perform seated calf raises and ankle circles regularly throughout the flight to keep blood moving in the lower legs.
If you have VTE risk factors (prior blood clot, recent surgery, pregnancy, active cancer or others), talk to your doctor about compression stockings before flying. A Cochrane review found high-certainty evidence that they significantly reduce asymptomatic DVT on flights of 7–15 hours in at-risk travelers; however, routine use in low-risk travelers is not universally recommended by the ACCP or American Society of Hematology.
Sleep
Use a neck pillow that supports a neutral neck position to avoid waking with neck pain.
Pack an eye mask and earplugs or noise-canceling headphones.
Avoid alcohol as a sleep aid; a 2025 meta-analysis confirmed that even low doses reduce REM sleep duration and delay REM onset, leaving you less rested on arrival.
On arrival, prioritize light exposure, preferably outdoor light during the daytime, to reset your circadian rhythm.
Consider shifting your sleep schedule gradually 2–3 days before departure if you are travelling between time zones.
Consider some light exercise after arrival to build the urge to sleep, and avoid naps if possible; stick to the new sleep target times.
Staying Calm During Air Travel
- Flight anxiety is extremely common. Naming it and normalizing it is itself a useful first step. Consider what your calm-down strategies can include.
- Talk to your doctor if anxiety is significant. For those with a diagnosed flight phobia, CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) has the strongest evidence base; short-term use of prescribed anxiolytics is an option some physicians discuss for more severe cases.
- Try controlled breathing. Slow, diaphragmatic breathing (inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4, exhale for 6–8) can help to reduce anxiety.
- Progressive muscle relaxation involves systematically focusing on and relaxing muscle groups from feet upward. It is a well-studied anxiety reduction technique that works easily in a seat.
- Focus your senses on something more relaxing:
- Listen: Try noise-canceling headphones, or playing relaxing music to reduce ambient noise. Another option is to download something absorbing before you board; having a film, podcast or audiobook ready gives your brain something else to focus on.
- Smell: Consider bringing something scented with you (like a lavender sachet or fresh mint or basil) just to give you something else to smell, another sensory focus.
- Sight: Bring a good book, a coloring book, Sudoku, crossword puzzles – something to focus on that you enjoy. Or, of course, check out an in-flight movie.
- Touch: Some people prefer fidget toys, others knitting, others stress balls, others worry stones. Sometimes bringing a physical item can be comforting.
Much of what makes a long flight hard on your body is addressable with a little planning — keep these tips in mind to make travel a little easier.
About Marielle Williamson-Rea, DO:Dr. Marielle Williamson-Rea is a board-certified physician specializing in Family Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine, bringing a personalized, whole-person approach to primary care. She offers flexible office hours at her practice in Wexford, Pennsylvania, and direct support by phone, texting and email access.
