Flying and Health — Page 116, Lesson 178

I want to walk you through a new topic: flying and health, and specifically what it takes to hold a flying licence when a medical condition like diabetes is involved. At the time this book was written, both EASA — the European Aviation Safety Agency — and the UK CAA, the Civil Aviation Authority, were in the process of revising their policy regarding diabetes. So the rules were changing, but the direction is clear. It seems that pilots suffering from diabetes will be allowed to follow their flying profession, but only under very strict conditions. Each case is looked upon on an individual basis — there is no blanket approval or denial. The monitoring that's demanded includes a demonstrated stability of the condition. That means the pilot has to prove that their diabetes is well-controlled and not fluctuating unpredictably. Additionally, there must be regular blood sample self-testing during flight or duty. The purpose of this is to ensure that an individual does not begin a flight or a shift with too high or too low a sugar level, and that a safe level is maintained throughout. So the pilot is actively checking their blood glucose while operating, to catch any dangerous deviation before it becomes a problem. Now, let's move to diseases spread by animals and insects. The first one is rabies, also known as hydrophobia. Rabies is a viral infection that affects the neural tissues — that means it attacks the nervous system. It is transmitted by the saliva of infected dogs and other animals. If urgent treatment is not forthcoming, madness, foaming at the mouth, and death often follow. The early symptoms include fever, headache, restlessness, and painful spasms of the larynx when attempting to drink — that's where the name hydrophobia, fear of water, comes from. The incubation period in humans can vary between ten days and a year. Immunisation consists of five inter-muscular injections of the vaccine. For aircrew, the key point is that you must always pay strict regard to the law concerning the carriage of animals in aircraft and to the dangers associated with physical contact. So if you're handling animals or allowing them on board, you need to follow the regulations carefully. Next, we have insects, worms, and parasites. Some insects are carriers of disease. The use of insecticides should be used in aircraft prior to take-off from an area where this possibility might occur. On landing from such areas, airport authorities normally insist that further use is made of insecticides. A number of health authorities insist on the production of the discharged aerosols on arrival as proof of use — so you have to show the empty canisters to prove you actually sprayed. Fumigation of aircraft on a regular basis is also mandatory. For travellers in developing countries, you should be warned of the dangers of parasitic diseases transmitted from one host species to another. For example, certain parasites are passed from snails to human or other mammal hosts. The advice is to avoid wading through muddy or damp areas in bare feet, because small cuts or breaks in the skin can allow the entrance of the parasites. Also avoid swimming in rivers or lakes, since they are a host to many forms of parasites. The book lists some of the more important carriers. Lice, fleas, and mites can cause typhus, plague, scabies, and ascending paralysis and infection. Worms can live in the human body and gain nourishment from their host. They include ringworm, roundworm, tapeworm, flukes, and hookworm. These can usually be successfully treated by drugs under qualified medical supervision. And the best preventative against both insects and parasites is conscientious personal hygiene. Finally, we touch on sexually transmitted diseases. All travellers should be aware of the higher incidence of sexually transmitted diseases in developing countries. AIDS has, in recent years, received most publicity, but there are countless others. The key takeaway for you as a pilot is awareness and prevention — you are travelling to many different regions, and your health is critical to flight safety.