Beware of 'leisure time disease'

Chest Diseases Specialist Prof. Dr. Şevket Özkaya said that “leisure time disease”, known as “new generation disease” in the medical literature, shows body aches, headaches, fatigue, mild fever and flu-like symptoms.

Prof. Dr. Şevket Özkaya, who gave information about “leisure time illness”, said, “Did you feel sick right after returning from vacation? Do you have complaints similar to fever and flu, such as body aches, headaches and fatigue after a short, few-day vacation getaway? You have 'leisure disease'. For many people, traveling can be an exhausting experience and can take a toll on the body. Whether you are going on a short trip by car or flying to your destination by plane, it is common for travelers to return home feeling sick and resentful after traveling for a while.”

Prof. Dr. Özkaya gave the following information about the disease and its symptoms:

“Due to time constraints and economic reasons, people now prefer short and quick vacations of a few days instead of long vacations lasting weeks. And after these short and fast vacations, those who do not regularly allocate time for rest, also known as 'leisure time disease', which also has psychological effects, often get sick during and after vacations or on weekends. Although leisure sickness is not recognized as a new generation disease in the medical literature, it has flu-like symptoms such as body aches, headaches and fatigue, as well as mild fever. So, how can a weekend getaway make us sick? As we have already mentioned, traveling can be tiring. You may stay up later, eat larger amounts of food. You may even be doing more or less physical activity than you normally do at home! These changes, especially sleep deprivation and a weakened immune system, can cause you to experience flu-like symptoms after traveling. The best ways to combat these symptoms are very similar to our tips for staying healthy during flu season: Get enough sleep, limit your alcohol intake and adopt healthy habits such as exercise and hand washing. We also recommend that citizens who are thinking 'let's take one last weekend off before school starts' to pay attention to this 'next-generation disease' and take care of their immune system before school starts.”