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THE LATEST ON KEEPING SAFE ON THE ROAD

© Lain Ehmann

We'd like to think just about the positive aspects of our vacations, ignoring the potential for accidents, illnesses and more. But the truth is, things can - and do - go wrong when we're away from home, so much so that the topic of healthy traveling has been in the news a lot lately. This article covers some of the latest developments of interest to travelers concerned about their safety (and who wouldn't be???).

No easy relief for ear pain in flying children. For a while, it looked like the answer. Parents have given children the medicine pseudoephedrine to alleviate the ear pain associated with airplane take-offs and landings. Unfortunately, in a new study the decongestant, which can be purchased over the counter as Sudafed, has shown no evidence that it helps lessen flight-related ear pain.

What it does do, though, is make children drowsy... And that sleepiness may account for the belief that it helped the pain resulting from a condition called "aerotitis media." "Aviation otitis," as it is also called, is the inflammation of the middle ear that occurs when the Eustachian tube cannot equalize pressure between the inside of the airplane and the small volumes of air within the inner ear, according to a press release from the University of California, Davis Medical Center.

"Children have smaller, more horizontal Eustachian tubes which are prone to upper respiratory tract infections, so they tend to be more susceptible to this problem," said Dr. Brian J. Buchanan of the UC Davis Department of Pediatrics, the lead author of the study, in the press release. "Parents concerned about ear pain during travel should encourage to yawn, and make food, drink or chewing gum available. For babies, nursing the infant or giving a bottle are reasonable options."

Influenza immunizations highly recommended.The number of outbreaks of influenza around the world have the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) worried. The CDC is concerned enough to recommend influenza vaccinations for all travelers, especially those in the high-risk category, such as the elderly, people with chronic conditions and heart or lung problems.

"Travelers in close contact with infectious people on long flights or cruise ships are especially susceptible to influenza viruses," said David Freedman, MD, director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Traveler's Clinic. "Unlike the United States, in tropical climates fly is a year-round disease," Freedman said in a recent press release.

Symptoms of influenza include cold-like symptoms, sore throat, fever and cough. If you are experiencing these symptoms before traveling, consider canceling your trip for the benefit of your fellow passengers. And if you are one of the at-risk population, check with your doctor before flying. He or she may recommend vaccination, or antiviral medications.

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