“Leisure sickness”: what is this phenomenon that occurs during the holidays? A doctor’s response

Have you barely started enjoying your first few days of vacation when you are already falling ill? This is what we call “leisure disease”, which we translate from the English term “leisure sickness”. This syndrome was first studied in 2001 by Dutch researcher Ad Vingerhoets. By carrying out his study, he discovered that 3 to 4% of participants, who were workers very involved in their professional life, had developed symptoms at the start of their vacation. But then, why do we get sick during the holidays?

In a video posted on her Tik Tok account, Marine Ltemporel, a general practitioner also known under the nickname @marineloubli on social networks, spoke about the main causes of leisure illness.

What are the main causes of “leisure disease”?

As the doctor explains in her video, when you have to perform well at work, the body produces norepinephrine in large quantities. It is a hormone, which according to the specialist, “helps the body to function at full capacity, and which limits the symptoms of an illness with its role anti-inflammatory”. However, when the body is on vacation and releases all the built-up pressure, it causes “a cessation of the production of norepinephrine, thus making us more vulnerable to infections” underlines Marine Lorgue. In addition, during the holidays, we may tend to change certain lifestyle habits, whether in terms of diet, sleep or even the level of physical activity. Changes which, as the expert points out, “disturb the balance of the body as well as the functioning of the immune system”. In her video, the doctor also indicates that vacations are conducive to finding yourself in “cramped spaces” such as trains or planes, where you are easily exposed to germs.

Dr. César Ancelle-Hansen, emergency physician recently interviewed par Current wife on this subject, had explained that colds during the holidays could also “occur due to air conditioning, which dries the upper airways.” A context in which we are, according to him, more likely to catch a viral infection.

How to avoid getting sick during the holidays?

Do you want to put all the chances on your side to avoid getting sick during your vacation? To achieve this, it is first of all advisable to slow down the pace of your professional life. Indeed, people who fall ill during their vacation are often overworked and stressed by their work. So, when they stop, their body is exhausted and more exposed to illness. Furthermore, Dr Ancelle-Hansen had indicated, during his interview for Current wife, that it is essential to take an interest in your physical activity, his sleep as well as its diet to “relieve your anxieties and restore your energy”. He also advised taking stock with “his doctor, a nurse or a physiotherapist, who are health professionals who may be specialized in managing stress at work”.