Epilepsy and Aircraft Position Strobes

Epilepsy and Strobe Flashes

300,000 people in the United States that suffer Epilepsy when exposed to flashing lights or to certain visual patterns that can trigger seizures. This condition is known as photosensitive epilepsy.

The photosensitive epilepsy becomes less frequent with age and usually disappears in the twenties. People without epilepsy are disturbed by light exposure do not develop seizures but experience other symptoms like headaches,nausea, dizziness and other debilitating effects.

People who experience seizures are unaware they are sensitive to flickering lights or to certain kinds of patterns. These people may never go on to develop epilepsy, which is characterized by recurrent spontaneous seizures, though a seizure may be triggered by certain photo-light conditions.

Television screen flickering, computer monitors that flicker, certain video games and TV broadcasts that contain rapid flashes or alternating patterns of different colors and intense strobe lights that may cause seizures in photosensitive people.

It is the latter cause, strobe lights, that concerns pilots and their passengers in private planes. Frequency of the flashing strobe, its brightness, wavelength and visibility surrounding the plane at the time of the strobe operation are important possible triggers. If you are concerned about photosensitivity and are not epileptic ask your doctor about ordering an electroencephalogram (EEG) to test your brains electrical activity under various conditions including light stimulation produced by strobes positioned in front of your eyes. An abnormal response may indicate the presence of photosensitivity. 

If you are photosensitive and you want to avoid the effects brought on by strobe light exposure you can cover one eye and turn away from the light source. This is difficult in a plane. A much easier solution is turning off the strobe light system for the plane. When you are in instrument conditions and under ATC you can inform them of your possible sensitivity to the strobes.

This is a safety item I use when fishing in isolated places. It is used to signal search and rescue folks.

If a passenger informs you of prior problems with flashing lights it is your responsibility to inform them of the dangers and decide how you intend to fly safely.

You can check with the Epilepsy Foundation Board for their strobe light recommendations. Two important things you can investigate are:

• Keep the flash under 2 Hertz with breaks every so often between flashes.
• Place flashing strobes at a distance from each other and set them to flash together to avoid an increase in the number of individual flashes. 

I experienced one episode, with a passenger in the seat behind me, in a private plane on an instrument flight in a Beech-craft Bonanza. The plane was equipped with simultaneously firing wing-tip strobes and a fuselage strobe on the top of the aircraft that fired, by itself, after the wing-tip strobes. The plane was in heavy clouds with no turbulence and night was rapidly approaching.

The passenger became very agitated and began hitting me, from behind, with her purse. Luckily, her husband, sitting next to me, corrected her behavior and let me turn off the strobes. Things returned to normal and she apologized. 

Another factor was claustrophobia. This was her first instrument flight in a small plane and the exposure to all the elements was overwhelming to her.

Airline Flight and Claustrophobia

Airline Flight and Fear of Cramped Quarters

Claustrophobia. Are you fearful of the cramped, tiny seats that restrict your every movement you try and make? Anything different a plane, large or small, that didn't occur before contributes to anxiety. Anxiety, if not dealt with turns to fear.

A psychiatrist is a physician trained to treat psychological swings in behavior that blossom into fear. Try a psychiatrist to help you deal with your fear of physically "closed in" situations. The technical word to describe these feelings is claustrophobia.

In addition to helping you recognize why you feel the way you do the psychiatrist can immediately give you a prescription for drugs to combat your anxiety. Do not follow this advice if you are the pilot of the plane.

Drugs that quell anxiety belong to a Group called Benzodiazepines. Generic names like xanax, valiun and klonopin have sedating effects for several hours that enable some folks to fend off anxiety until airborne.

What kind of steps can you take to alleviate anxiety factors before and during a flight? Noise-canceling head phones and an iPod  can prevent airplane noise substantially. They psychologically make you forget your on an airplane.

Seat types and choices make the space you occupy bigger and less confining. Aisle seats, extra legroom seats and seats at the front of the plane help minimize claustrophobia. In some cases the position of the seat that makes it easier to find combats anxiety. 

when I was more active in flying in small planes the closing of the one and only door created immediate discomfort with some passengers. Claustrophobia hits when you least expect it to affect you.

Practice breathing. Watch your breathing rate. Breathe slowly. This is like the "Fright, Fight and Frolic" response of the Sympathetic Branch of the Autonomic Nervous System.  Triggered by an increase in breathing rate prepares you for a session with anxiety.

Before actually flying, pick out the aircraft you want to fly on for your trip. Big is better for people with known claustrophobia. Leave plenty of  time for ticketing, security check, boarding and possibly time for a snack, if that calms you down.  If you have drugs to calm you down take them an hour before your boarding time. This gives them time to start working. A bottle of water is good to buy and bring on board. Thirst (dry mouth) can trigger a panic attack. Boarding a plane later has the effect of  not being in a plane a long time before actual takeoff. Long time equates with anxiety.

These "Tips" pertain more to Commercial planes than private planes. Some apply to both type of planes.

Viagra Use and Safe Flying

Viagra

If you desire safety in flight, continuous use of Viagra is not a good choice. The use of Viagra for temporary relief from erectile dysfunction is well known. Its continuous use by pilots, without thought to flying, is subject to investigation.

One side effect is blue - green color discrimination. This inability to discern one phase of color blindness may cause danger in instrument flying weather conditions and night flying. With the advent of color displays in navigation and weather instruments presents problems for color vision deficient pilots from the use of Viagra.

Viagra can affect a pilot with unknown cardiac disease during sexual intercourse at 5,000 feet or more. If this happens in high altitude conditions on earth it would be grounds for flight disqualification medically. Mile High Club? What is the pressure altitude in an airline? What about passengers on Viagra that are visiting mountainous resorts?

I am a "nut" for a variety of license plates-okay,some plates.

You take 50 mg doses of Viagra one hour prior to sexual activity. You can increase and take 100 mg of Viagra a short time later. This drug is rapidly absorbed within a time frame of one and a half hours. An early morning flight may cause distraction from the effects above. Full attention to the instrument scan could be compromised by the four and a half hour half life of Viagra. 

Older pilots that take Viagra have trouble with their liver metabolism of Viagra. The forty percent decline of Viagra means the active ingredient stays in effect longer than for a young pilot with erectile dysfunction. The exposure of the older pilot to danger is longer. The ability of the older pilot to react to unusual situations is further compromised by the use of Viagra.

Ground Effect

Ground Effect

When an aircraft is flying at an altitude that is approximately at or below the same distance as the aircraft's wingspan, there is an ground effect. The cause is the interruption of the wingtip vortices and downwash behind the wing. When you fly a plane very close to the ground the vortices are unable to form fully. The result is lower drag which increases the speed resultant force. If the airplane attitude hasn't changed the net result is increased downward force of air that pushes the airplane upward. Thats "ground effect." Low wing aircraft experience more ground effect than high wing aircraft. Runway surface construction can affect the ground effect. Cement construction causes more ground effect than grass. Encountering turbulence in the vortices because of rough surface conditions will destroy ground effect earlier in an approach to landing.

If the drag is reduced you can reduce engine power to maintain the same speed in the same aircraft attitude. Lowering power more, at the same aircraft attitude, will allow the plane to descend. As you approach touchdown the ground effect will increase and you can bleed power down to land. At this point ground effect dissipates, the angle of attack can increase until the plane stalls just as the wheels touch the runway. Over-controlling, while in ground effect, can result in dangerous ballooning.

Angle of Attack and the fine tuning of air mass forces pushed down that is slightly greater than the force of gravity (planes weight) is the secret to ground effect dissipation. No gross movements of the controls.

Herbal Medicines and Flying - Possible Dangers

Herbal Medicines

This is a partial list of more common herbal medicines. Just the side effects that may interfere with your ability to fly are listed. Please consult your physician with the normal use of these medications. Keep in mind that extensive, tightly controlled investigations of herbal medicine, in most cases, are not done and/or incomplete. Dosage is not correlated to sex, height or weight. 

Chamomile 

It contains coumarin, an anticoagulant. Like other anticoagulants it should be closely monitored by a physician if you take chamomile.

Echinacea

May, with long term use, suppress the body's immune system. Problems that cause liver damage may occur.

Feverfew

Side effects include ulcers and gastrointestinal irritation. If you take it for migraines and stop taking it a rebound headache may occur. Don't use it if you take warfarin and other anticoagulants.

Garlic 

It should not be used with warfarin, an anticoagulant, because garlic affects clotting.

Ginger

Like garlic it affects clotting. Consult your physician.

 
Gingko 

Seeds are toxic but extract from leaves is nontoxic. Don't use with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, anticoagulants, anticonvulsant drugs or tricyclic antidepressants. 

Ginseng

Side effects are high blood pressure and tachycardia. Don't use with warfarin, heparin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, estrogens or corticosteroids, or digoxin. Don't use if your diabetic. 

Goldenseal

There are toxic components in goldenseal. Consult a physician for details specific for you.

Melatonin

 Melatonin is a hormone produced by your body. Hormone abuse is dangerous above normal body concentrations. Approved by the FAA but only on individual cases. Consult a physician

St. John's Wort

Side effect is sensitivity to light, but only noted in people taking large doses of the herb. 

Saw Palmetto

Side effects are gastrointestinal upset and headache, both mild.

Valerian

Should not be taken with other sedatives.