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By Neil Sherman, HealthAtoZ contributing writer
Air travel is troublesome enough - lost luggage, snippy gate agents, late planes and expanded security checks. Now scientists have raised concerns about the quality of the air you breathe when you fly.
The National Academies of Sciences' National Research Council says the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) should create a surveillance program to guarantee airlines comply with government regulations, as well as document any health problems or complaints that arise from unhealthy air.
Airplane cabin air is a mixture of outside and recirculated air. At altitudes of more than 37,000 feet that require pressurized cabins, reduced oxygen levels, ozone concentrations, contamination with hydraulic fuels, de-icing fluids, engine oils and low humidity can combine to worsen air quality. The use of pesticides on international flights can be a problem.
For example, oxygen pressures are supposed to equate with pressures found at 8,000 feet. Reduced pressures are known to pose risks for people with certain health conditions, such as cerebrovascular disease, anemia and sickle cell disease.
Add to that the sheer number of people onboard. The council reports that the number of people getting on planes has nearly quadrupled in the past 30 years to nearly 1.5 billion a year. The issue, then, is whether environmental control systems on today's aircraft can handle pressurization, fuel contaminants and circulating germs.
The air recirculation system in today's planes are designed to reduce odors and air contamination, as well as to control heat. They circulate only about half as much air as required in an office building. The result can be the host of symptoms found in inadequately ventilated buildings - dizziness, lightheadedness, fatigue and trouble breathing. The plane's ventilation system of oil, hydraulic fluids or de-icing solutions only makes things worse. Just ask flight attendants.
The Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) air safety and health department has had thousands of reports over the years of headaches, nausea, fatigue and dizziness.
Having a sick seatmate or sitting near someone who is coughing, sneezing or has the flu may be the flying passenger's biggest threat. Because you're in confined air space, you're at a greater risk of infection.
In 1995, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned travelers they were at risk for catching tuberculosis if there was an infectious passenger on board during a long flight. Today, newer commercial aircraft use HEPA filters that can filter out TB bacteria from the recycled air, so the risk of getting the disease on an airplane is low.
According to Dr. Russell Rayman, executive director of the Aerospace Medical Association, most people tolerate air travel without problems. However, people with pre-existing illnesses, such as lung disease, can be affected by reduced oxygen levels and need to be careful. They should be cleared for flight by a physician, Rayman says. He suggests you:
- Keep your schedule as normal as possible.
- Give yourself plenty of time to get to the airport.
- Get up and walk around during long flights.
- Drink liquids as you normally would.
If you're already sick and can't get out of your flight, ask your doctor if you can take a decongestant, saline nasal spray and aspirin or acetaminophen to relieve headache or fever. (Aspirin should not be used for children under age 19 as it can cause a serious disease called Reye's Syndrome.) Changes in atmospheric pressure can push an infection deeper into your system and worsen congestion, especially in your ears.
This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.
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