My parents gave me a great birthday present this year: a ticket to fly home for a visit. It’s the first time in more than a year that I’ve flown, so I was more than a little nervous as we rose into the sky. In the end, I made it to the East Coast and back safely and had a lovely vacation.
The only problem was my nose.
The morning after my arrival, I went to blow my stuffy schnozz and ended up with a nosebleed. It’s not too hard to figure out why: I’m most likely to get nosebleeds during the winter, when the air inside is warm and dry. Spending the day on two different flights (plus airport time) was more than enough to dry me out.
The easiest solution to travel-induced dry nose would be to carry saline nasal spray with you and use it during the flight. However, with travel restrictions on the amount of certain liquids you can carry, this might not be an option. According to the Transportation Security Administration website, you are allowed 3.4 ounce bottles of liquids and gels in your carry on baggage — so a small nasal spray would be okay.
If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of liquids in your carry on luggage, you can work on keeping yourself hydrated from within. Drink plenty of water while you’re at the airport and in flight. Sure, you’ll be up using the facilities more often, but getting up and moving around is good for you anyway — it can help prevent DVT.
Once you reach your destination, keep those nasal passages moist! Use a saline spray or a nasal irrigation kit. I went with the second option and rinsed my sinuses daily while I was on the East Coast — and every day since I’ve gotten back to the West Coast. I’d rather torture myself by shooting warm salt water up my nose than have a nosebleed… but maybe that’s just me!
It really isn’t difficult to prevent or handle nose issues while you travel!