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| ANOTHER SIDE OF AIRLINE SAFETY
Today you hear a lot of concerns about security when you fly, but what about your health? What do you need to do in flight to make sure you feel as good when you get off the plane as you did when you got on? First, there is some good news. Some airlines in response to this country’s growing older population are up grading their medical services. For decades, most airlines relied on flight crews to cope with medical emergencies by enlisting the help of any medical personnel on board. This often led to uniformed decisions concerning a plane’s need to be diverted for an onboard medical emergency. Now the industry is using telemedicine to diagnose sick airline patients. Doctors on the ground are helping flight crews decide if they have a true emergency on hand and need to divert the plane. A recent study done by the Journal Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine found that the diagnosis of sick fliers by on-the-ground doctors was on target with the post-landing diagnoses. In addition, many airlines are carrying defibrillators that can shock a dangerously racing heart back to normal. In 2004, the FAA will begin requiring all passenger planes to carry defibrillators. Just because you’ve been lucky enough never to experience a medical emergency while you’re flying, doesn’t mean that you won’t get off the plane with a stuffy nose, headache and the beginning of some airborne contagious illness. The villain is the mixture of outside fresh air and recirculated air that is allowed to be used in the cabin. There is no regulation governing the ratio of the two. Airlines, therefore, promote fuel efficiency and reduce costs by reducing the amount of fresh air that is piped into the passenger cabin. What can you do to keep other peoples germs at bay? Ask you’re stewardess to ask the pilot for full utilization of air. This is an airline term that will let the pilot know you are an informed consumer. The book Jet Smart by Diana Fairchild a retired flight attendant states that the ratio of outside and recirculated air can be adjusted if a passenger complains. Now that we’ve dealt with the problem of stale air, here are some of the other measures I take to stay healthy and prevent the disorienting effects of jet lag. The first thing I do is avoid drinking any alcohol. The impact of alcohol on the body is two to three times more potent when you’re flying. One glass of wine in-flight has the effect of two to three glasses on the ground. I do drink lots and lots of water when I’m flying. The dry air in the cabin does cause dehydration. When it comes to airplane food, I always eat lightly, as seating in a cramped position puts extra pressure on your stomach. As for that airline coffee and tea -- not only does it tend to taste awful but it often has a higher than usual caffeine content. If I’m on a flight of more than two hours I always do some stretching exercises in my seat. This is especially important for the legs and to ward off potential blood clots. A book that has been very helpful to me in learning to fly healthy is Flying Blind, Flying Safe by Mary Schiavo a former inspector general of the U.S. Department of Transportation. I had always wondered how clean was the plane I was riding on. Thanks to Mary’s book I now know. Not very. No regulations require the airlines to launder the blankets, replace the pillows, disinfect or even wipe off the tray tables. Many flights have such short turn-arounds that they don’t have time to do any housekeeping chores. What can you do? Use those sealed disinfectant hand wipes to wipe off the tray tables and arm rests. Be sure to keep airline blankets away from your nose, mouth and eyes. Finally if you like to use a pillow, carry your own inflatable neck pillow. I hope you will find, as I have, that a little knowledge can go a long way in helping you fly safer and healthier |
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