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The NHS GP and TV doctor shared advice in an episode of his No Appointment Necessary podcast

NHS GP and TV doctor, Dr Amir Khan, has recommended that holidaymakers start taking a tablet daily one week before their departure date. The health expert offered the advice to help people tackle a common problem many face while on holiday.

The GP suggests taking the tablets to help reduce the common issue of irritation from mosquito bites. While Brits often complain about the insects during the summer population boom, they are even more common in mainland Europe, much to the frustration of holidaymakers.

Thankfully, Dr Khan has shared advice that could help anyone visiting a country where bites are likely. The NHS doctor and TV personality offered the tip during a recent episode of the No Appointment Necessary podcast. Dr Khan, who is a co-host of the show, revealed he swears by the method himself.

The doctor clarified that the trick does not prevent bites, but it can help to reduce irritation. He told viewers: “How do we protect ourselves against insect bites?

“This won’t avoid you getting bitten, but it will help you reduce all that irritation and redness. Start taking a daily antihistamine a week before you go on holiday. I do that now, and it has changed my reaction to mosquito bites.

“They’re not as bad as they were, and I’m not like just miserably itchy on holidays. So every day for a week beforehand.” He added: “Antihistamines a week before you go on holiday, and while you’re out there as well, because your whole point is managing your overimmune response, and antihistamines will help do that.”

The advice proved popular with social media users when a clip from the podcast was shared on Instagram. The video gained over 4k likes. Replying to the post, a commenter said: “True fact as we did before going to Sri Lanka last year and what a difference!!”

A similar reply said: “I’ve been doing this for a while and it works.” Another response read: “Did this going to Thailand last year and it worked a treat.” However, there were also some commenters who said they had tried the tip before without noticing a difference.

The NHS says you should speak to a pharmacist or GP before taking antihistamines if you’re already taking other medicines. It’s also important to follow the directions when taking antihistamines.

The NHS website explains: “Antihistamines are medicines often used to relieve symptoms of allergies, such as hay fever, hives, conjunctivitis and reactions to insect bites or stings.

“They’re also sometimes used to prevent motion sickness, to treat feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting), and as a short-term treatment for insomnia. Most antihistamines can be bought from pharmacies and shops, but some are only available on prescription.”

While the company is known for offering a more luxurious travel experience for passengers in business and first class seats, Emirates has now revealed a brand new upgrade for economy travellers

When it comes to travelling in comfort, Emirates is often praised for the comfort it provides passengers on long-haul flights, and the company has even been named one of the most luxurious airlines in the world. However, the extra bells and whistles are likely to cost you, as they are mainly offered to passengers in business or first class.

But that doesn’t mean its cheaper, economy class is uncomfortable. The airline has upgraded economy seats in its newer A350 planes to provide more legroom. The on-screen entertainment system has also been given an upgrade. Passengers can also choose to pay an extra fee to enjoy Wi-Fi services on their flight – something budget airlines like Ryanair don’t always offer.

But now, the airline has revealed one more upgrade to their economy seats, and claims to be the first in the world to have upgraded seats’ pillows to provide more support for the passengers’ heads.

Emirates upgrades economy class seats

Taking to Instagram, the airline shared a video with the reveal, writing in the caption of the post: “Emirates just added something to Economy that no other airline has.

“Introducing the U-Dream adjustable headrest – just one of the many ways we’re continuing to invest in Emirates Economy. From thoughtful comfort to award-winning in-flight entertainment, every detail is designed to make your journey even better.”

The clip showed a female passenger seated in an economy seat aboard an Emirates plane, before pulling down two sections of cushioning behind her head, one on either side, creating a makeshift travel pillow that makes nodding off on the plane considerably easier. The clip went on to explain that, while the carrier is widely recognised for its more premium offerings in business and first class cabins, it is equally committed to delivering a comfortable journey for those travelling in economy.

Branded the U-Dream, the ground-breaking adjustable headrest boasts flexible inward-folding wings designed to cradle the head and neck, enabling passengers to unwind in comfort throughout their journey.

To date, the headrests have been fitted on three A350 aircraft, with plans to install them across all of the airline’s A350s and the majority of its Airbus A380s and Boeing 777s.

Fans have different responses to the news

Viewers were quick to flock to the comments section to share their opinions. While the majority seemed to be happy with the upgrade, some also pointed out some of their worries with the headrests, such as how hygienic they would be.

“Personally, I will never use this new tool as they are never cleaned,” one person wrote. Another said: “U dream: Pre-seasoned headrests, comes with free dried drool flavor from previous passengers.”

Some flight attendants have previously revealed that the seats on planes don’t get cleaned as often as you make think, making these worries very valid.

Someone else also pointed out: “This doesn’t address the root issue. When people sleep/doze on the plane, their heads fall forward, not sideways; therefore, they really need something that supports the front of their neck and head/face.”

But despite the skepticism, the majority of fans seemed to be excited about the upgrade, with one person saying: “THANK YOU EMIRATES.”

Someone else said: “@emirates taking things up a level AGAIN!” A third person also commented: “”Honestly a simple but beautiful solution.”

Airline passengers took to Reddit to complain about some of the most disgusting things they’d seen passengers get up to on a plane, and many agreed their habits were best left in the privacy of their homes

Being trapped in a metal tube at 30,000 feet seems to bring out the worst in people, and despite sharing a small space with dozens of others, some people treat the plane cabin like their personal living space.

A thread on Reddit’s AskUK titled “Worst thing you seen on a plane? What do you think is just not acceptable?” brought in over 200 responses, with holidaymakers keen to call out bad behaviour they’d seen onboard. And there were definitely some common themes among the complaints.

The original poster started the ball rolling, writing: “For me, it was that the lady sitting next to me was picking her toenails!” and many agreed lack of shoes was a huge etiquette breach. “I was sat next someone yesterday who took off their shoes and socks as soon as the opportunity allowed. They even went to the toilet barefoot.”, claimed one poster.

They added: “It wasn’t just the fact they were barefoot it was the general hygiene, e.g.: coughing and sneezing without covering, etc. They had me on edge the whole time thinking “right… I’m catching whatever disease they’ve absorbed through the soles of their gross feet.””

In a similar thread, posters complained about passengers doing tasks more suited to their private bathroom: “I don’t like it when people clip their toenails. I’ve seen it 3 times. Twice a row across from me and other time in my same row.”, said one. While another posted: “My wife and I were sitting in 1C and 1D. The guy in 1B pulled out dental floss after the meal and started going at his mouth like he was giving himself a root canal. Full on two handed flossing right in his seat.”

Another said: “I try to be kind and understanding of the difficulties and lack of facilities on this, but, a woman changed her baby’s ‘filled’ nappy in the middle of the cabin… twice. The stench roamed right through that B777.”

Instagram account @passengershaming has amassed over 1.3 million followers thanks to its hilarious posts that highlight some of the worst behaviour on planes. In one classic reel, a woman was seen using the overhead air vent to dry the crotch of her knickers. The viral video was captioned: “PRO TRAVEL TIP: Airplane air vents aren’t for drying underwear Kthx!”

Other examples posted to the account over the years include a woman using a foot file to remove hard skin, and a man opening a can of tuna on a plane for a snack, seemingly unperturbed about the smell in a confined space.

While the examples above are mostly harmless, if disgusting, behaviour, recently there have been calls to create a national database for abusive passengers, which would allow airlines to share information on disruptive passengers and restrict their access to flights.

According to the BBC, Department for Transport officials will be meeting later this month to discuss the proposals, and the database would likely be a collaboration between the government and the airline industry.

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