Why do you always get ill on holiday? Experts reveal ten reasons for feeling below par on your travels and how you can stop poor health from sabotaging this year’s break

  • Been found about one in 30 people become ill as soon as they try to relax
  • The frustrating phenomenon even has a name - leisure sickness
  • Now experts have revealed the main causes for falling ill on holiday 

From day to day, you rarely develop a sniffle – but the moment you down tools for a much needed break, along comes a crushing migraine, chest infection or a heavy cold. Sound familiar?

Dutch academics have found that about one person in 30 becomes unwell as soon as they stop working and try to relax, whether on holiday or at weekends. The phenomenon even has a name: leisure sickness.

But what are the causes? Here, experts reveal ten reasons for feeling below par on your holiday, and how you can stop ill health from sabotaging this year’s break…

Scroll down for video 

1 BLAME YOUR JOB

Dutch academics have found that about one person in 30 becomes unwell as soon as they stop working and try to relax, whether on holiday or at weekends

Dutch academics have found that about one person in 30 becomes unwell as soon as they stop working and try to relax, whether on holiday or at weekends

The body is constantly producing the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol which regulate the vascular system, alertness and our sleep cycle. They can also dull perceptions of pain – meaning that any illness is less likely to be noticed – and suppress the immune system. 

Neil Shah, director of the Stress Management Society, says: ‘The weeks before we go on holiday are notoriously stressful. Cortisol and adrenaline levels spike, so the moment we relax, our immune systems are at a low ebb and we are highly susceptible to bugs.’

Try: The Dutch study found eight in ten of those who suffered the problem were ‘cured’ when they found a less stressful job. 

Minimise stress by planning ahead, says Shah. ‘Start organising a month before you go and at work be brutal, delegate and realise that there are plenty of tasks that really can wait until after your break.’

2 YOU CAN’T DISCONNECT

‘You might innocently use your phone to check the cricket or football scores, or because you have a reason to stay in touch with family at home,’ Shah says. ‘The danger is that you’ll get distracted by social media and, worse, your work emails, causing your stress levels to soar again.’

‘If you’re adequately hydrated, your urine should be the colour of pale straw,’ says Elaine. ‘Any darker and you need to drink more fluids’

‘If you’re adequately hydrated, your urine should be the colour of pale straw,’ says Elaine. ‘Any darker and you need to drink more fluids’

Studies have shown over-use of smartphones can cause palpitations, high blood pressure and insomnia. For the truly dependent, just being separated from their communication devices can cause anxiety.

Try: Lock your phone in the safe and check it for messages just once a day. ‘It might take a few days to wean yourself off news, email and social media, but your mental and physical health will benefit enormously if you do,’ adds Shah.

3 THERE’S SOMETHING IN THE WATER

Few of us make sure our digestive system is beach-ready to protect against so-called traveller’s tummy, caused by consuming contaminated food or water.

Try: A recent independent study found that travellers who took the prebiotic capsule Bimuno for a week before a trip and for the duration of the holiday experienced a significant reduction in digestive problems. Bimuno Travelaid costs £9.99 for 30 chewy pastilles. Take three a day for seven days before travelling and each day while you’re away.

4 IT’S THAT ‘BEACH BODY’ CRASH DIET...

‘A very low-calorie diet of 800 to 1,200 a day makes the body think it’s in a famine situation and puts it under stress, which then impairs the immune function,’ says Elaine Allerton, a registered dietician and a spokesman for the British Dietetic Association. ‘When you go abroad, you’re immediately exposed to new bacteria and viruses, and with a weakened immune system you’ll be more susceptible to them, especially the bacteria that cause food poisoning.’

Try: Allerton says: ‘Instead of the crash diet, invest in some strategically flattering clothes and promise to adopt a balanced diet all year round to ensure your waistline and immune system remain healthy.’

ASK A STUPID QUESTION... 

WHY DO I GET SONGS STUCK IN MY HEAD?

Philip Beaman, professor of experimental psychology at Reading University, says: ‘These “earworms” are very common. Some people hear a song repeated for a few minutes, others for days. 

What happens is the brain stores a song as a memory in the same way it stores images. 

It then replays these memories at random times. Songs are hard to suppress but chewing gum is an effective cure. 

If your brain is busy giving instructions to chew, then it can’t focus on replaying the song.’ 

5 ...OR YOU’VE STUFFED YOUR FACE

Surveys suggest Britons consume a whopping 5,756 calories (more than double the recommended limit) on the first day of a holiday alone. Those on a cruise will gorge an extra 1,000 calories a day. In the short term, bingeing causes discomfort but damage isn’t transient: a 2010 study found those who increased daily calorie intake by 70 per cent for four weeks gained 14 lb, and six months later only half had lost it despite eating normally again.

Try: not to associate holidays with overeating. Allerton advises: ‘Choose a starter or a pudding but not both. Resist the bread basket and don’t eat big meals late at night.’

6 YOU’RE DEHYDRATED

The air inside the cabin of a plane usually has a humidity level of ten to 20 per cent – much lower than a comfortable typical indoor humidity of 30 to 65 per cent. This means water lost in perspiration and forming urine (about 50ml, a small glass, every half an hour) isn’t replaced through absorption via the skin. Dehydration causes stress on the kidneys, muscle cramps and even raised blood pressure. If it continues on holiday, it leads to heat exhaustion, which can develop into full-blown heatstroke – a medical emergency.

Try: ‘If you’re adequately hydrated, your urine should be the colour of pale straw,’ says Elaine. ‘Any darker and you need to drink more fluids.’

Surveys suggest Britons consume a whopping 5,756 calories (more than double the recommended limit) on the first day of a holiday alone

Surveys suggest Britons consume a whopping 5,756 calories (more than double the recommended limit) on the first day of a holiday alone

7 KEEP WORKING OUT

‘Continuing to exercise while away increases our ability to overcome jet-lag and helps revitalise the immune system to protect against the bugs we’re exposed to in aeroplane cabins and on holiday,’ says Dr Dale Esliger, senior lecturer at the national centre for sports and exercise medicine at Loughborough University.

Try: ‘Do something physical as soon as you arrive: a tennis or golf lesson or watersports,’ says Dr Esliger. ‘Holiday time is the perfect opportunity to be more active than you ordinarily would.’

8 IT’S A HORMONE HEADACHE

Migraine is a condition that causes a severe one-sided headache often combined with nausea, sickness and visual problems. Stress, changes in weather conditions and disruptions to eating and sleeping patterns are triggers.

Try: ‘Make sure you have the right type and amount of medication to take on holiday,’ says Wendy Thomas, chief executive of research charity the Migraine Trust. ‘Try sticking to your usual sleeping routine, eating regularly, staying hydrated, taking gentle exercise, and wearing a hat and sunglasses.’

9 JET-LAG MAKES YOU FEEL SICK

Along with a disrupted sleep cycle, symptoms of jet-lag including nausea, indigestion, constipation and diarrhoea, as the hormones responsible for the sleeping and waking cycle are intricately linked to our digestive system.

WHY SHOULD I TAKE FENUGREEK?

Aromatic fenugreek – the leaves and seeds of the plant – is a key ingredient of curries. 

And there’s evidence high doses may help control blood sugar. In one study, Indian researchers found that adding 100g of fenugreek seed powder to the daily diet of patients with insulin-dependent (type 1) diabetes significantly reduced fasting blood glucose levels. 

Another study found taking 2.5g (easier, as capsules typically contain 610mg) twice daily for three months lowered blood sugar in people with mild type 2 diabetes. 

Try: ‘Adopt the local time immediately and try to get up at the same time each day,’ says Professor Kevin Morgan, director of the clinical sleep research unit at Loughborough.

10 BOOZING HAS GIVEN YOU ‘HOLIDAY HEART SYNDROME’

‘Alcohol can trigger arrhythmia – where the heart beats too slowly or quickly out of rhythm – or a supraventricular tachycardia, which causes episodes of a fast heartbeat,’ says Dr Zaheer Yousef, who is based at the University Hospital of Wales. ‘We call it holiday heart syndrome.’

Try: Elaine Hindal, chief executive of alcohol education charity Drinkaware, says: ‘Try to stick to the Government’s lower risk guidelines of two to three units a day for women and three to four units a day for men.’ Also, for every alcholic drink, have a soft one – preferably water.

 

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