Docs reveal how to avoid dreaded ‘festival flu’

This festival is going to be sick — here’s how you can stay healthy.

Over 500,000 attendees are preparing to descend upon the Electric Daisy Carnival at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend. When the fun is over, some of them may catch the dreaded “festival flu.”

Festival flu is not an official medical diagnosis, rather it is slang used to describe a feeling of sickness following a a big outdoor festival in varying climates. Sometimes festival flu is referred to as “Coachella Cough” because attendees of Coachella, a festival in a California desert area just east of Palm Springs, report getting a cough from dust exposure or other illnesses, according to the American Lung Association.

“People are more likely to feel sick when they’re sleep deprived, dehydrated, exposed to a large number of people, in less than hygienic environments, susceptible to environmental allergens like large amounts of dust being kicked up, and they’re mixing it all with alcohol, stimulants and potentially party drugs, Dr. Bess Stillman, an emergency medicine doctor based in Arizona, told The Post.

Stressing your body in even a few of these ways increases your susceptibility to contagious illness.

“You can feel sick or become dangerously ill for a number of reasons at a festival and then, because your immune system is strained, catch any number of viruses or GI bugs as a parting gift,” Stillman explained.

Even if you don’t have a cold, the mere act of screaming for your favorite performers on stage can make you feel ill.

“We also see laryngitis which is a strain of the vocal cords from screaming [or] singing,” Dr. Tania Elliott, a a board-certified physician on faculty at NYU Langone Hospital as well as a spokesperson for the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology told The Post.

Both Stillman and Elliott shared their tips on how you can stay healthy without missing out on the fun of music festival season.

“A lot of the things that make a festival fun are the same things that cause illness, so mitigation is important,” Stillman stressed.

Stay hydrated

“Dehydration can make you feel miserable, and heat stroke during summer festivals can be life-threatening,” Stillman said.

Stillman warned things like alcohol and caffeine are especially dehydrating. Elliott explained that “excessive sweating which is made worse by both the weather and certain party drugs” can also lead to dehydration.

Stillman suggested people monitor their water intake.

“Something as simple as a water bottle, a bandana you can dump water on and wear and a hat is useful in preventing illness,” Stillman said.

“One good rule is ‘pee clear.’ If you’re not, you’re dehydrated, and you’re setting yourself up to feel miserable,” she added.

When asked if festival attendees can take any supplements to prevent getting sick, Elliott responded: “Water and electrolytes are the best.”

Stillman agreed that staying hydrated is a top priority.

Prepare for environmental allergies

Partiers may be kicking up dust, dirt or other environmental allergens depending on the festival environment.

“Something as simple as a saline nasal spray a few times a day to clear your sinuses of dirt, pollen and environmental exposures is helpful,” Stillman said.

Online packing lists for festivals like Coachella suggest that people bring a bandana or face covering to keep the dust from getting in their lungs.

Burning Man, a global community of artists who go to the Nevada desert to participate in a temporary city once a year is not technically a festival, but attendees are also advised to wear dust masks and goggles, according to the organization’s online survival guide.  

Their website also warns people to wear closed shoes and socks to prevent themselves from getting “playa foot” a term used to describe a chemical burn from the alkaline desert dust. Soaking feet in vinegar is one way to prevent and treat the dreaded playa foot.

Practice hygiene

Festivals, especially bathrooms there, are a hotbed of bacteria that can make you sick.

“Try not to use the porta potty or public restrooms if you can help it,” Elliott shared. However, for many festival attendees, this isn’t possible.

Frequent hand washing and bringing hand sanitizer can help.

“Bring a small bottle of hand sanitizer: porta potties are germ factories. You’re probably also touching, hugging and getting close to a lot of people, so making sure your hands are clean helps everyone,” Stillman advised.

“Also try to avoid sharing things like water bottles or vapes,” she added.

Party safely

Both Elliott and Stillman warned people about the dangers of taking illegal drugs. Elliot specifically mentioned the popular rave drugs molly and ecstasy.

“Aside from the risk of being cut with deadly fentanyl, many of these drugs increase core body temperature leading to dehydration, overheating and in severe cases, life-threatening serotonin syndrome,” Elliott warned.

Stillman said if people plan to do drugs, they should always test them for fentanyl.

“Test your drugs. If you’re going to partake in substances practice harm reduction: Dance Safe makes testing kits you can order online. Narcan is available at most pharmacies without a prescription,” Stillman said.