While keeping your chronic medical conditions under control is important in any situation, it is especially essential if you are considering flying lessons. Certain health disorders can raise your risk for an in-flight medical crisis, so before signing up for your flying lessons, see your physician for an examination, and treatment, if necessary. Here are some health conditions that you should consider prior to navigating an aircraft:
Hypertension
If you have hypertension, or high blood pressure, then you will need to make sure that it is well-managed prior to your first flying lesson. Changes in barometric pressure in the plane's cabin can cause spikes and dips in your blood pressure, and if your hypertension is not well-managed, may cause you to become dizzy, lightheaded, short of breath, or even lose consciousness.
It may be mandatory to disclose your medical status to your flight instructor and you may even need a medical clearance statement from your health care provider before you take your first lesson. If you have hypertension, or even if you are "borderline," your doctor may prescribe beta-blockers, which may not only help keep your blood pressure from getting too high, but they may also help regulate your heart rhythm so that you do not get a hypertension-related cardiac arrhythmia while you are at the controls of the aircraft.
Sciatica
Sciatica refers to the painful inflammation of the sciatic nerve. If you suffer from sciatica, then you know how excruciatingly painful flareups can be. Symptoms of sciatic nerve problems include pain that starts in the lower back, which can radiate down to the buttock, hip, leg, and foot.
Pain is sometimes associated with numbness and tingling sensations, and in extreme cases, can cause bladder problems. If you have sciatica, it may be painful for you to sit for long periods of time. This can be problematic when in the cockpit because sciatic nerve pain is often so severe that the individual is unable to remain in a seated position for very long.
If you have sciatica, see your physician, who may refer you to a neurologist for further evaluation and treatment. Common treatments for sciatic nerve pain include anti-inflammatory medications, heating pads or ice packs, rest, and in some cases, injections of corticosteroids. Once your sciatic nerve inflammation has resolved, you may feel more comfortable during your flying lessons.
If you have preexisting medical conditions such as hypertension or sciatica, see your physician for a complete medical examination. When your health conditions are well-managed, you will be less likely to experience an in-flight medical event. To learn more about how to be mentally and physically ready for flying, contact services that provide flying lessons.
Share17 May 2019
I come from a small town. It's so small that there is no public bus service—you can walk everywhere within city limits. People drove their cars if they wanted to leave town. At home, I rarely saw a taxi, and subways were something I only saw in movies. Moving to New York City was a shock in many ways, but learning how to get around using public transportation was one of the biggest hurdles that I faced. I didn't know how much to tip a taxi driver or how to find my way around on the bus. However, I did eventually learn. I know that there must be many people who are facing the same learning curve that I was facing a few years ago. I started this blog to help other small town natives like me learn how to get around in the big city.