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How to avoid getting sick over the holidays

With so many of us traveling, shopping, and visiting friends and family, how do you avoid those pesky germs?

It's that time of year!

We're all busy with family and friends, out spending time at parties, stores, and restaurants. Then we get sick.

The holiday season can quickly become a drag if you get ill.

With so many of us traveling, shopping, and visiting friends and family, how do you avoid those pesky germs? That includes on airplanes, at the store, or out to eat.

We met up with the Cleveland Clinic's Dr. Frank Esper for a quick refresh in the best ways to stay healthy this time of year. No surprise: It's all about paying attention to what you touch!

"A lot of times, the reason we always say 'wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands' is not because you're sticking your hands in someone else's mouth, a lot of times the thing is we transfer our germs from our hands onto something else," Dr. Esper explains.

So what tops the list for germiest spaces and surfaces? According to Prevention Magazine, they're lurking in places you may not think of, especially when you dine out. Think restaurant menus, those lemon wedges for your drinks, even condiment dispensers.

Don't forget the grocery store. Remember to wipe down the handles on your shopping cart before you start shopping for your favorite holiday recipes, because as Dr. Esper says, "Children, those little children, are basically, they're drooling on that handle when they're sitting in the carts so it's always good to wipe them down."

What about airplanes? It turns out you don't need to stress too much about picking up a bug from your fellow passengers.

"It's actually extremely rare that you get infected from someone else that was on the plane. And if you do get infected, it's going to be from the person sitting to the left of you or to the right of you if you happen to be in the middle seat. Most of those planes' air is well-circulated and you don't have to worry about a lot of germs," says Dr. Esper.

At the end of the day, remember that we don't live in a bubble. There's no need to let a fear of germs stop you from enjoying the holiday season with friends and family.

"If you hide your child or yourself away from these germs you're actually more likely to get more sick later on when you get exposed to them," Dr. Esper explains.

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