That airplane cabin air might be toxic

by Grant Martin on

An article published in Britain’s Telegraph yesterday raises an interesting concern about the quality of the air we breathe in airplane cabins. Apparently, the way that air is routed and recirculated through jet engines opens the possibility of leaking fluids to bleed into the system. This could be jet fuel or oil from a hydraulic system that leaks into the passenger air supply and vaporizes into the cabin. Inhaling this cocktail, thus makes us sick. Experts estimate that the problem could affect up to 200,000 passengers a year, including cabin crew and pilots.

So that headache or coughing that you think you might be getting from your seatmate may actually be coming from the cabin air.

It’s difficult to quantify the extent to which this problem has actually occurred. On one hand you have the group of alarmists, many of whom are pilots and revered scientists, pointing out the problem and crying foul. But on the other you have the (clearly biased) airframe manufacturers who claim that there isn’t a problem and the majority of passengers who have never experienced anything like this before.

In the seventy or so flights that I’ve taken in the last year, I personally have never smelled anything of that sort. But I concede that there may have been an issue elsewhere. Read the article and see what you think, and next time you notice that foul smell in your airplane, think twice about where it came from.

Blood clots and flying

by Catherine Bodry on

Deep-vein thrombosis — or plain old blood clots to most of us — are often associated with fliers in cramped economy-class seats. But a new study of business class travelers shows that DVT occurs in those who fly business and first class; people who fly four hours or more have three times the risk of developing blood clots compared to periods when they did not travel.

The study, as reported by the New York Times, found that the risk of blood clots increases with the duration of a flight and the number of flights in a short period. Furthermore, “obesity, a person’s stature, oral contraceptive use, hormone replacement therapy and inherited blood clotting disorders also increase risk.”

Among other preventative measures, walking around mid-flight and in-seat exercises diminish the risk significantly.

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Traveling Healthy Guide Before You Hit the Road

by Jamie Rhein on

The other day I was rummaging around our medicine cabinet for a band-aid and came up with nothing. The last time I looked, I found a Spiderman band-aid tucked in a corner that worked just fine. Once, it was Sponge Bob. Regardless, this time there was not a one. Rats. Since we live near a drug store and a grocery store, being band-aidless isn’t any big deal; a whole box is just around the corner. In a Himalayan village, it’s another story.

Here’s a handy list from Pepto-Bismol, the stomach taming medicine that has a color (hint: It’s pink) named after it that can help make sure when you are in the middle of nowhere you can feel better. There are a couple of things I’ve never thought about gathering into a zip-lock bag, but I can see the need. One is a thermometer. It’d probably be handy to find out just how high a fever is. Although, in the middle of nowhere that might be kinda scary.

Of course, on the top of Pepto-Bismol’s list is Pepto-Bismol which actually works, and now that it also comes in a tablet form, it’s easier to take along and swallow. Looking over the list, it occurs to me that I’ve been a bit remiss on the traveling medicine cabinet approach. Before we hit the road in three weeks for the Jersey Shore, I ought to beef it up. In the meantime, we really do need some band-aids.

Bed Bugs Still Biting a Year Later

by Jamie Rhein on

“There’s a problem with bedbugs in hotels,” my mom said while we were driving somewhere in her car yesterday.

“Oh, really?” I thought back to my own bedbug experience when I was living in a village in West Africa.

“Yes, even the best hotels,” she added. “There was a person on TV this morning who was giving tips on how to avoid them and what to look for.”

Sure enough, when doing research, I came across an article about the story my mother saw, plus some interesting facts. This is not the first time gading covered the topic. These tiny creatures that wreck havoc on sleep and cause welts were written about on January 30, 2006, March 9, 2006 , and February 8, 2005. The slew of articles I also came across from last year sound a lot like this year’s missive. See sample.

It’s true that some things don’t change. This bedbug trouble is even in the finest hotels, so if you do end up with welts some day, don’t rule them out as a culprit. Although pesticides seemed to thoroughly annihilate bedbugs in the United States over the past 50 years, our traveling habits have brought them back. Put your suitcase on the floor or on a chair in some place with bedbugs and you have stowaways that multiply in their new locations, even if it happens to be a Westin Hotel with fine bed linens. Read. The person my mother heard on TV recommended always using the luggage racks if provided. As Erik Olsen stated in his January 30 post, he’s pretty fed up with hotel horror stories. Generally, I agree and don’t know how much I’d worry. It’s good to be aware though, and if someone has had a problem, sympathy is in order. I’ve been there, and it is awful.

For tips on checking for bedbugs before you get into a hotel bed and what to do about them, here is a link from MSNBC. For some other people’s horror stories, read on. The photo is thanks to Ewa Anita Barczykowska who took a picture of her pillowcase in a place in India and posted it on Flickr. I hope the bug and its friends stayed in Karwar.

Yellow Fever 101: Why Am I Getting this Shot?

by Adrienne Wilson on

I’m going to be honest with you – when I went in for my vaccination for Typhoid fever I didn’t bother to really read about what Typhoid fever was or why I should be getting the shot. My local Health Department could have injected anything into me on that day. All I knew was I wanted to go to Thailand and would take any and every shot needed and recommended for my safety. So I guess you can say I’m not completely ignorant. I mean, I know Typhoid fever, like any fever isn’t something you want to bring back from vacation.
Well today I sing a different tune. The lyrics are along the lines of something like this: “Oh, joy! I’m going to Tajikistan in about a month, but they won’t let me in without spending $84 bucks on a yellow fever shot – shucks! Oh – Why do I need this shot? (repeat3x)” The point I’m making is how many of us read about these vaccinations and know what they are? The CDC says we have to have them and we go stick out our arm for the needle, but how much investigation do we place into these deadly diseases?

Strangely enough the CDC actually says Yellow Fever isn’t something required for entry into Tajikistan, yet in order for me to get my visa I have to have the certificate. So this brings me to the question, what is yellow fever? Yellow fever is a disease that is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes. Illness ranges in severity from an influenza-like syndrome to severe hepatitis and hemorrhagic fever. Several occurrences take place after travel in certain countries in Africa and South America. If you want to know the 101 on Yellow Fever check out the CDC or tinymosquito.com for easy to understand information.