Created 27 June, 2008

The Mind Goes Faint

©Hal Stoen, Stoenworks

I was contacted some time back by a Mr. David Hutcheson on a subject that was extremely important to him- and should be to all pilots. Now folks, I appreciate that we're not all active pilots, but a fair number of people that read these aviation pages either are, or will be some day. And, although this information can affect pilots more than our ground based brethren, it does apply to all of us.

So, pay attention please.

This one's for all of us

Ready?

Aneurysm's.

Don't leave me! This is going to be short but it could have a bearing on your life. It would appear that aneurysm's can happen to anyone, but because of how our bodies go up and down in airplanes, be they pressurized or not, pilots may be particularly vulnerable. Pilots are particularly vulnerable to aneurysm's. OK, I just had to say that again in the hopes of keeping your attention.

What's an aneurysm?

In a nutshell it's when a blood vessel in your brain ruptures. In many cases this is fatal.

Isn't that just an old person's problem?

Usually, sometimes, most of the time, not always. It cuts across the board from age 3 (perhaps earlier) and on up.

Are pilots more vulnerable than the non-flying public?

It would appear so. Current medical thinking is that anyone can have a blood vessel in their brain that is "weak." If that person is a pilot then the situation is aggravated. How, you ask? Because we're constantly going up into thinner air and back down into thicker air. When we go up and down in an airplane the blood vessels constrict or expand to compensate for the pressure changes (ambient barometric's) that happens to them because of the thinner/thicker air. (The vessels will do all they can to maintain the status quo before you took-off, but this takes time.) (Professional divers are also prime candidates for the same reasons.)

If one of those guys in your brain is already a little on the weak side these up and down pressure fluctuations will only aggravate the situation.

So, what happens if I have one?

Well, a massive one will lead to almost immediate death. More often you'll have a massive headache, or pass out. If you're in an airplane at the time the lower pressure in the cabin will only exacerbate the problem. The odds of you and your airplane coming down in one piece are not good.

What can I do?

This is good advice for anyone, particularly for pilots. According to Mr. Hutcheson's doctor, a pilot himself, "... all pilots (should) consider having a CAT scan done at least once every five years."

Summation

So there you go. Aneurysm's can happen to anyone, young or old. But, because of the conditions that pilots operate under we are particularly vulnerable and should have regular CAT scans.

Fly safe!

Hal Stoen

My thanks to David Hutcheson for suggesting this article.

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