5 types of medical conditions you should know that should not fly
Unlike road vehicles, the characteristic of airplanes is to travel in the air with significantly reduced pressure and thin air. Therefore, the health of the flyer is a very important factor. Below is a list of diseases and advice not to be missed for those preparing to fly with health problems.
1. Cardiovascular diseases
In general, passengers with cardiovascular diseases are not recommended to fly because high pressure and environmental changes can worsen the passenger's condition.
Specifically, heart patients should not fly or need special assistance if they do, including:
- Decompensated heart failure: In cases of heart failure, passengers should not fly but need to wait until the disease is well treated, the heart failure reduces, or the heart stabilizes. If the passenger is arranged to sit in a cabin with stable air conditioning and has a means of ensuring 100% oxygen supply throughout the flight, he or she can consider flying.
- Heart valve disease: For patients with heart valve disease, if flying at an altitude above 2,400 - 2,800 meters, they also need to sit in a cabin with stable air conditioning and enough oxygen supply before they can fly.
- Myocardial infarction: This is an extremely dangerous heart disease, and if you have had a myocardial infarction, the risk of affecting your life is very high. Passengers with a heart attack who are recovering within the first 6 weeks should not fly. For passengers who have recovered, are stable, and can walk on their own, they can fly as usual.
- Angina due to myocardial ischemia: Passengers with this condition are advised not to fly because angina is unstable and can occur at any time, including on the flight, especially in aircraft environments that constantly change pressure. If passengers have mild or moderate angina, they can fly, but they should also stay in a cabin with stable air conditioning and oxygen.
Cases where heart patients absolutely cannot fly include:
- Recent cerebral vascular occlusion (less than 4 weeks)
- Have a history of being prone to embolism.
- Recent stroke (less than 2 weeks)
- Severe hypertension
2. Respiratory diseases
Passengers with the following respiratory diseases are absolutely not allowed to travel:
- The patient is having an asthma attack
- Patients with severe asthma
- Patients with congenital lung cysts
- Patients with active, infectious tuberculosis or pneumothorax
- Patients with difficulty breathing are advised by doctors not to fly
- Patients with severe hypoxemia and hypercarbohydrate anemia
The following cases of respiratory illness can fly but need to consult a doctor:
- Patients with allergic and infectious rhinosinusitis, however, should note that these patients may develop ear infections due to air pressure after flying. For prevention, passengers can chew gum and take decongestant medicine 30 minutes before departure.
- Patients with mild asthma.
3. Blood diseases
- Passengers with mild anemia (red blood cells less than 3 million/ ml or hemoglobin less than 80g/l) should not fly.
- Passengers with high risks of bleeding, such as frequent bleeding diseases, leukemia, etc., should definitely not fly.
4. Neurological and mental diseases
- Mental, psychotic, or agitated patients are not allowed to fly, even when accompanied by medical staff.
- Passengers who have recently suffered a traumatic brain injury, brain surgery, or brain tumor should not fly.
- Epilepsy patients are also advised not to fly. However, if you are treated well and have no more seizures, you are still allowed to fly at altitudes below 6,800 meters.
5. Patients after surgery
In general, passengers who have just undergone surgery should not fly because their health is still weak and has not yet recovered. Transporting and getting on and off the plane, combined with the changing environment on the plane, does not guarantee the patient's health. In addition, if bad disease progression occurs during the flight, it will be difficult to handle it promptly.
Specifically, post-operative patients need to wait at least 20 days to 1 month or more, depending on each case, before flying. However, it is still necessary to consider whether the patient's recovery status makes them eligible to fly or not.
In short, in all medical cases, if you suspect that you have a disease or are currently sick, you should have a health examination before the flight and ask your doctor’s advice if you should travel by plane or not.
Airplanes are a safe, comfortable, and time-saving means of transportation. However, please be wise and smart when choosing to ensure the health of yourself and other passengers. For any information you need advice on, please contact HoaBinh Airlines via Hotline: 0913.311.911 - 0939.311.911 for 24/7 support.