GETTING SICK WHILE FLYING CAN BE FRIGHTENING

 

If there’s a doctor on board would he or she make themselves known to the cabin crew?”

That’s one inflight announcement that gets everyone’s attention. Cases of inflight medical emergencies are rare, between 25 and 100 cases per million passengers, according to German airline Lufthansa. Babies are born, bronchial asthma, heart attacks, deep vein thrombosis are managed, and fights break out and noses are broken – but these are rare exceptions.

According to a study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre, out of almost 12,000 inflight medical emergencies, 40% of cases had problem of temporary loss of consciousness due to low blood pressure. Respiratory symptoms accounted for 12%, nausea or vomiting  10% and cardiac symptoms 8%. In roughly three quarters of cases when flight crews requested assistance from passengers with medical training, the response was positive. The passengers reached their destination or the next airport where further medical assistance was available.

 

What to do if you are feeling unwell?

Airsickness is a type of incompatibility disorder causing cold sweats, nausea and vomiting during the flight. It is felt intensely, especially when the plane is shaking, often the tremors of the plane trigger the airsickness. While this common medical problem presenting with nausea or dizziness is often handled by experienced flyers themselves with prior prescribed drugs which they usually carry, if it’s something more serious, tell the cabin crew. If you’re travelling with family or friend, ask them to do it. Cabin crews have access to a medical kit and they’re trained to deal with minor medical emergencies, but only up to a point. They might be first responders but they’re not paramedics and if it’s a situation they’re not trained to deal with they may make an announcement asking if there’s a doctor on board.

 

Do doctors always help?

Some do, but many medical professionals are sometimes reluctant to step forward in answer to the call, and there’s no obligation for them to do so. Some will wait in hope that another qualified medico will respond, some lack the relevant qualifications, others might be put off by the cramped surroundings and lack of resources. There is also a fear of possible legal consequences, yet according to a report on Medical Guidelines for Airline Travel by the Aerospace Medical Association there are no known cases of legal proceedings against a medical professional who has volunteered in an inflight medical emergency. Moreover, many major carriers also indemnify medical professionals against legal liability, but this status is usually not clear to the helping professional beforehand and it is his/her helping nature that ultimately takes the call.

 

Is it wise to fly when we are sick?

Many patients are flying from smaller towns to bigger cities for treatment. But there are many who thimk it’s only a bit of cold, a mild fever, I haven’t sneezed today so I’m probably not infectious. Or maybe there was just one pre-flight drink too many in the terminal.

Flying impacts your circulation system, since you’re likely to be inactive for long periods, and respiration, due to less oxygen in a pressurized cabin than at ground level. That can tip you over the edge if you’re suffering from some health conditions that make it imperative to have a medical check-up before flying. The list includes angina or chest pain, any infectious disease including COVID-19, an ear or sinus infection, a recent heart attack or stroke, if you experience breathlessness at rest or difficulty breathing or a recent operation. Even something as simple as a toothache can turn a flight into head-pounding torment and nightmare.

Flying too soon after scuba diving can cause decompression sickness, and the only cure for that is a fast return to low altitude and a hyperbaric chamber. According to the Professional Association of Diving Instructors and the Divers Alert Network, divers need a minimum surface time of 12 hours following a single dive and 18 hours after repetitive dives or multiple dive days.

 

Airlines can refuse to board you if you’re sick

Your airline doesn’t want you onboard if you’re not healthy because medical conditions can be exacerbated by the on-board environment. Reduced oxygen, dry air, stress, fatigue, separation from medicines and a lot of minor complications can raise their ugly heads if you are already sick. In an attempt to thwart such problems, the only thing to do, in obvious cases, is not to take the problem on board in the first place. So airlines can refuse to let you board the plane. People are never happy with this, but sometimes it has to be done. In an extreme case, an aircraft might have to make an unscheduled stop to offload a passenger suffering a medical emergency. If that can be anticipated, that passenger won’t be flying today. Staff at the check in desk or boarding gate can stop a sick passenger, but if you are a patient, going to your doctor or going back home, you may have to show your treatment records to board the aircraft.

If you have a transit stop coming up and you’re unwell, you might consider ditching your connecting flight in favour of medical attention. If so, you need to let your cabin crew know. They’ll probably refer you to the transfer desk in the terminal, where you can make whatever arrangements might be necessary. If you’re too unwell for that, again your cabin crew can advise. If you don’t show up for your connecting flight without telling the airline, not only do you risk delaying the flight but your booking will be cancelled.

 

Medical assistance at airports

Major airports will usually have a health clinic. They vary in the services they offer but at the very least they can provide a diagnosis and medical treatment similar to what you could expect from a GP. The health clinic should be your first port of call if you arrive feeling unwell. Our hospital regularly provides medical assistance to Lucknow Airport.

 

Can you pick up illness in a plane?

You surely can. Like any public transport an airplane is a closed space, centrally airconditioned and with many people in it. Even if one person is having a respiratory infection and your own immunity is compromised because of any reason, you can easily get infected.

A study published by the National Academy of Sciences in the US concluded that those who sit by the window come into contact with fewer airborne germs than those who sit in the middle seat, and far fewer than those on the aisle. There are several reasons for this happy result. An aircraft’s HEPA or high-efficiency particulate air filters push air up the sides of the cabin and back down towards the aisle. Window-seat passengers are getting the refreshed air before anyone else. Furthermore, window seats are the most socially isolated. You only have one passenger adjacent to you, and you’re further away from crew and other passengers walking up and down the aisle. Window passengers also tend to get up less frequently, and so themselves don’t circulate much around the cabin interior. For the same reason however, they suffer more\deep-vein thrombosis, caused by prolonged immobility.

 

How can you protect yourself?

Irrespective of where you sit, you can reduce your chances of infection by wearing a mask and turning on your air vent. Drinking alcohol reduces your immune system, and so does dehydration and a dry nose. So, stay hydrated and use a nasal spray.

Wash or disinfect your hands as often as possible. Your risk of infection from illnesses such as gastroenteritis is higher from touching surfaces than that from breathing air. Wipe down your armrests, tray table and the in-flight touch screen or remote control. Surfaces such as toilet door handles are often far worse for contamination than surfaces such as toilet seats. Use a tissue when touching such surfaces. Avoid touching other surfaces such as seat backs or locker handles altogether if you can. Don’t touch your food – use the cutlery provided.

 

Corona has taught us to keep safe distance, wash our hands repeatedly and wear a mask. There is absolutely no need to discontinue these habits.