As airplanes and airports fill up with travelers from all parts of the globe, many are leaving behind some unwelcome "souvenirs" for fellow passengers: a smorgasbord of viruses eager to hitch a ride with an unsuspecting flyer. If a cold or the flu could put a dent in your business plans, it's time to arm yourself against such unwanted stowaways. Here's an overview of self-defense maneuvers to guide you through the cold/flu season and keep you from becoming one of the sneezing, wheezing, hacking masses.

TAKE PREVENTIVE ACTION
High-risk factors for catching a virus include exposure to many people, close contact with strangers for extended periods, and touching various surfaces. Unfortunately, travel involves all of these elements, so road warriors are hit with a triple whammy. But fortunately, there are some strategic steps you can take:

Get a Flu Shot
The flu is not merely an inconvenience, it's a "significant illness," cautions Ronald Turner, M.D., one that can lead to serious and even life-threatening complications. Unlike a cold, the flu is highly contagious, severely debilitating, and can impair your cognitive capacity. The medical advice? Get a flu shot, even if you're healthy.

According to the CDC, a shot can prevent flu in healthy adults by 70 to 90 percent. Immunity kicks in about two weeks after the shot. (FYI: The flu season in the U.S. lasts through April.) New vaccines are formulated for each year's viruses and you must get a shot each year.

Boost Your Immune System
The stronger your system, the greater your resistance to germs and the faster you'll bounce back if you do catch something. Upping your internal defense system is a matter of following the basics—the good habits you know but don't always practice:

If you tend to get a lot of colds, try taking immune-boosting herbs such as Siberian ginseng, echinacea, and astragalus. (To learn more about the power of herbs, consult a certified herbalist or read Herbal Defense by Robyn Landis and Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa.)

Practice Good Hygiene
Viruses spread hand-to-hand and hand-to-surface-to-hand (think handshakes, phone receivers, keyboards, doorknobs, elevator buttons, etc.). Washing your hands regularly and thoroughly (lather up with soap and warm water for at least 15 seconds and don't overlook in/around/under fingernails) may be the single biggest deterrent to catching a virus.

Wash before/after shaking hands; after contact with possibly infected surfaces; and before/after eating and using the restroom. Try not to touch faucets, doorknobs, or other surfaces after washing. Don't share silverware, food, or beverages. Most important: Keep your hands away from your eyes, mouth, and nose, which are entry points for viruses. Use the back of your hand if you must touch or rub your eyes or nose—something we do often and unconsciously.

When you don't have access to soap and water, use an antibacterial gel or antibacterial towelettes. Ditch the handkerchief; always use disposable tissues.

Limit Your Physical Contact
It isn't rude to move away from someone who's obviously suffering from a cold or flu. Simply move away or ask to change your seat if you're on a flight. If you can't move your seat, don't share items and avoid shaking hands with any seatmate who may have a viral infection. Cold researchers cite children as major "reservoirs of infection." So if you're not normally around children, consider sitting as far away from them as you can.

Virus particles expelled in a sneeze, cough, or nose blow can drift around for several hours waiting to be inhaled. Small rooms with poor ventilation are germ havens, so avoid them when possible. Opt for a seat near an open window or active air vent. When you're in enclosed environments (elevators, meeting rooms, airplane cabins) where people are coughing and sneezing, turn your head away, keep your mouth closed, and breath through your nose.

Counter Environmental Risks
If you're really concerned about ambient air quality, consider wearing the portable AirSupply, a personal air purifier unit. Worn around your neck or in a shirt pocket, the five-ounce, audiocassette-size unit sucks in contaminated air, destroys impurities, and pumps out fresh air (at 50 feet per minute to a radius of two feet) toward your mouth, nose, and eyes. Users tout its health-enhancing properties—and swear it helps reduce respiratory problems when flying. Magellan's, 800-962-4943

Walking around with dry nasal passages (a byproduct of spending time in arid or overheated environments such as airports, airplanes, and hotel rooms) is like putting out a Welcome mat for passing viruses. To reduce the ability of viruses, pollutants, and bacteria to invade tissues through the nose, you must keep mucous membranes moist. Use a saline nasal spray or coat the inside of your nose with a protectant such as Boroleum (a menthol/camphor/eucalyptus/boric acid ointment that also eases breathing when you've got a cold or allergies.). Magellan's

Overstressed, overworked business travelers running on little sleep and fast-food diets are prime candidates for hooking up with tagalong germs during the cold/flu season. But if you take the preventative actions outlined above, you may be able to keep yourself out on the road doing business, instead of stuck in bed viewing the daytime talk-show circuit.