Effect of very long flights

Greetings! Now a days there are very long flights lasting more than
twelve hours. One can go directly from Dallas to Tokyo or Chicago to
Delhi. I am a senior citizen. I am wondering the effect of such a
long distance flight on senior citizens like me. Has any member has
taken such a long flight? Please write about your experience with such
long flights. With thanks.

Per arouth@radiology.umsmed.edu:
> I am wondering the effect of such a
>long distance flight on senior citizens like me.

Senior or otherwise, blood clots from lack of motion seem tb a significant
consideration from what I've read so far.

And I'll be they're under-reported, since the bad stuff happens sometime *after*
the flight.
--
PeteCresswell

(PeteCresswell) writes:

> Senior or otherwise, blood clots from lack of motion seem tb a significant
> consideration from what I've read so far.

DVT can occur anywhere, whenever one stays in the same place for a long time.
Air travel doesn't make one especially prone to DVT. Getting up and moving
around periodically (even for just a minute or two) helps. DVT is rare in
people who are in good health, irrespective of age.

> And I'll be they're under-reported, since the bad stuff happens sometime *after*
> the flight.

I think in recent years the danger of DVT on aircraft has been greatly
exaggerated.

--
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"Mxsmanic" <mxsmanic@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:677u031i6jhhjvs3efmps66e4e2gm5eg45@4ax.com...
> (PeteCresswell) writes:
>
>> Senior or otherwise, blood clots from lack of motion seem tb a
>> significant
>> consideration from what I've read so far.
>
> DVT can occur anywhere, whenever one stays in the same place for a long
> time.
> Air travel doesn't make one especially prone to DVT. Getting up and
> moving
> around periodically (even for just a minute or two) helps. DVT is rare in
> people who are in good health, irrespective of age.
>
>> And I'll be they're under-reported, since the bad stuff happens sometime
>> *after*
>> the flight.
>
> I think in recent years the danger of DVT on aircraft has been greatly
> exaggerated.

I think so to, particularly when back in the 1970's a flight between LHR
and SYD
was 36 hrs. DVT was never spoken about. It never affected me either.
>
> --
> Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

"qansett" <qansett@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:4613267c$0$9775$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
>
> "Mxsmanic" <mxsmanic@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:677u031i6jhhjvs3efmps66e4e2gm5eg45@4ax.com...
>> (PeteCresswell) writes:
>>
>>> Senior or otherwise, blood clots from lack of motion seem tb a
>>> significant
>>> consideration from what I've read so far.
>>
>> DVT can occur anywhere, whenever one stays in the same place for a long
>> time.
>> Air travel doesn't make one especially prone to DVT. Getting up and
>> moving
>> around periodically (even for just a minute or two) helps. DVT is rare
>> in
>> people who are in good health, irrespective of age.
>>
>>> And I'll be they're under-reported, since the bad stuff happens sometime
>>> *after*
>>> the flight.
>>
>> I think in recent years the danger of DVT on aircraft has been greatly
>> exaggerated.
>
> I think so to, particularly when back in the 1970's a flight between LHR
> and SYD
> was 36 hrs. DVT was never spoken about. It never affected me either.
>>
The flights back then did not have such long sectors. They used to stop
typically in the Middle East (Dubai, Tehran, etc.) and sometimes in southern
Europe (Athens was a favourite). I used to walk around during these stops
and many other people (most?) did too. I think maximum sectors were
typically 8-9 hours or so, now 13 is common, even more on 340-500 etc.
Also there were far less people flying in those days. If the numer of
passengers was only 5% of today (my guess) then the number of DVTs was
probably so low it was not associated with flying.

I have met one person who lost a leg from DVT after an SE.Asia-Europe
flight. One is one too many for me!
But I don't know if he already had circulation problems etc.




--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

RAK writes:

> If the numer of
> passengers was only 5% of today (my guess) then the number of DVTs was
> probably so low it was not associated with flying.

The incidence of DVT has always been low. It's not any more or less common
now.

People tend to assess the risk of disease based on what they hear from news
media dedicated to sensationalism and creation of fear, uncertainty, and
dread; the real risks are completely uncorrelated with the impression these
media create. This is one reason why diseases fall in and out of style in
false "epidemics" over the years, even though their real incidence never
changes.

Doctors are not immune to the siren song of CNN and trade media. When they
start to read about an interesting condition, they think about it more, and
they look for it more ... and so they find it more. They are much less likely
to find things that they are not looking for and that they have never thought
about (this is where computer assistance with diagnosis can come in handy, but
it is not widely used). So when your local Dr. Welby hears universal expert
Dr. Gupta on CNN, he starts looking around to see if any of _his_ patients
might have the Disease of the Month, and sure enough, he often finds one or
two that kinda sorta match the clinical picture.

> I have met one person who lost a leg from DVT after an SE.Asia-Europe
> flight. One is one too many for me!
> But I don't know if he already had circulation problems etc.

Many cases of DVT are associated with predisposing conditions, such as
cardiovascular problems. DVT in a completely healthy individual usually
warrants a careful examination to see if that individual is really as healthy
as he seems.

--
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On 1 Apr, 03:47, Mxsmanic <mxsma...@gmail.com> wrote:
> (PeteCresswell) writes:
> > Senior or otherwise, blood clots from lack of motion seem tb a significant
> > consideration from what I've read so far.
>
> DVT can occur anywhere, whenever one stays in the same place for a long time.
> Air travel doesn't make one especially prone to DVT. Getting up and moving
> around periodically (even for just a minute or two) helps. DVT is rare in
> people who are in good health, irrespective of age.
>
> > And I'll be they're under-reported, since the bad stuff happens sometime *after*
> > the flight.
>
> I think in recent years the danger of DVT on aircraft has been greatly
> exaggerated.

Maybe. Although I find it hard to believe that the human body has
evolved
to enable us to be immobilised in such a confined spacer for such long
periods
of time. You practically need a crane to lift some people out of
their seats
after > 10 hours.

For me the worst thing is the dead time before take-off, knowing you
have >10
hours ahead of you, yet stuck on the tarmac for > 1hour. God knows
what it
will be like on the A380.

I believe hospital patients can suffer serious bed sores if they are
not moved
regularly, and they are lying flat.


>
> --
> Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

whitely525@yahoo.co.uk wrote:

> On 1 Apr, 03:47, Mxsmanic <mxsma...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>(PeteCresswell) writes:
>>
>>>Senior or otherwise, blood clots from lack of motion seem tb a significant
>>>consideration from what I've read so far.
>>
>>DVT can occur anywhere, whenever one stays in the same place for a long time.
>>Air travel doesn't make one especially prone to DVT. Getting up and moving
>>around periodically (even for just a minute or two) helps. DVT is rare in
>>people who are in good health, irrespective of age.
>>
>>
>>>And I'll be they're under-reported, since the bad stuff happens sometime *after*
>>>the flight.
>>
>>I think in recent years the danger of DVT on aircraft has been greatly
>>exaggerated.
>
>
> Maybe. Although I find it hard to believe that the human body has
> evolved
> to enable us to be immobilised in such a confined spacer for such long
> periods
> of time. You practically need a crane to lift some people out of
> their seats
> after > 10 hours.

Anyone who remains in their seat for 10 hours needs medical care. But
not in the area which is seated.

>
> For me the worst thing is the dead time before take-off, knowing you
> have >10
> hours ahead of you, yet stuck on the tarmac for > 1hour. God knows
> what it
> will be like on the A380.
>
> I believe hospital patients can suffer serious bed sores if they are
> not moved
> regularly, and they are lying flat.
>
Bed sores are a quite different problem. I have never heard any
association to air travel.

"Frank F. Matthews" <frankfmatthews@houston.rr.com> wrote in message
news:461928b1$0$9959$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...

> 1hour. God knows
>> what it
>> will be like on the A380.

It shouldn't take any longer.

It's a double decker configuration boarded via a double air-bridge and so no
more people via each door than on a stretched 747.

--
William Black


I've seen things you people wouldn't believe.
Barbeques on fire by the chalets past the castle headland
I watched the gift shops glitter in the darkness off the Newborough gate
All these moments will be lost in time, like icecream on the beach
Time for tea.

William Black writes:

> It's a double decker configuration boarded via a double air-bridge and so no
> more people via each door than on a stretched 747.

Airlines can't even fill 747s these days. A trip on an A380 will more likely
be lonely than anything else.

--
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"Mxsmanic" <mxsmanic@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:o6ii13dfghh5kcllt7id1o8epged40du38@4ax.com...
> William Black writes:
>
>> It's a double decker configuration boarded via a double air-bridge and so
>> no
>> more people via each door than on a stretched 747.
>
> Airlines can't even fill 747s these days. A trip on an A380 will more
> likely
> be lonely than anything else.

Depends on the price.

Depends on where they fly to.

Flights to the Far East and the Indian sub continent from Europe are usually
pretty full.


--
William Black


I've seen things you people wouldn't believe.
Barbeques on fire by the chalets past the castle headland
I watched the gift shops glitter in the darkness off the Newborough gate
All these moments will be lost in time, like icecream on the beach
Time for tea.

"Mxsmanic" <mxsmanic@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:o6ii13dfghh5kcllt7id1o8epged40du38@4ax.com...
> William Black writes:
>
>> It's a double decker configuration boarded via a double air-bridge and so
>> no
>> more people via each door than on a stretched 747.
>
> Airlines can't even fill 747s these days. A trip on an A380 will more
> likely
> be lonely than anything else.
>

You are, yet again, talking nonsense. BA are currently filling just about
every seat on their long-haul 747-400s.

JohnT

arouth@radiology.umsmed.edu wrote:
> Greetings! Now a days there are very long flights lasting more than
> twelve hours. One can go directly from Dallas to Tokyo or Chicago to
> Delhi. I am a senior citizen. I am wondering the effect of such a
> long distance flight on senior citizens like me. Has any member has
> taken such a long flight? Please write about your experience with such
> long flights. With thanks.
>
As a disabled paraplegic (42-year-old male), I'd be interested too. I'm
looking at a 9-hour LHR-YEG flight (coming home from a cruise) on April
26.
--
Stop the chop by deleting it from my address.

On 31 Mar 2007 16:05:51 -0700, "arouth@radiology.umsmed.edu"
<arouth@radiology.umsmed.edu> wrote:

>Greetings! Now a days there are very long flights lasting more than
>twelve hours. One can go directly from Dallas to Tokyo or Chicago to
>Delhi. I am a senior citizen. I am wondering the effect of such a
>long distance flight on senior citizens like me. Has any member has
>taken such a long flight? Please write about your experience with such
>long flights. With thanks.

Aches and pains, crankiness, all the normal symptoms of old age.

arouth@radiology.umsmed.edu wrote:

> Greetings! Now a days there are very long flights lasting more than
> twelve hours. One can go directly from Dallas to Tokyo or Chicago to
> Delhi. I am a senior citizen. I am wondering the effect of such a
> long distance flight on senior citizens like me. Has any member has
> taken such a long flight? Please write about your experience with such
> long flights. With thanks.
>

In my case the problem is the loss of sleep. I do not sleep much the
first night and arrive fairly wasted. If I can manage a flight which
arrives in the evening I do pretty well although operating machinery
might not be indicated.

Drink lots of fluids and stay hydrated. Get up at least every 2 hours
unless you are sleeping. Unless the connections are chancy I prefer
leaving early and making a transfer to a direct flight. A couple of
hours wasted in an airport makes things easier. You are upping the
baggage risks though.

If you do get in in the morning to early afternoon do not take more than
a 2 hour nap and make sure that you get some sunlight.