Deydration And Heat Stroke: No Fun In The Sun

Over the past few years, we’ve been setting record temperatures and dealing with the health hazards that go with them. Very few of our general aviation fleet has the luxury of air conditioning.

Even if you do, summer flying without adequate fluid intake can mean trouble. A METAR temperature of some 90 degree usually means your cockpit will be boiling at over 100 degree. Add to that the time you spend pulling out your aircraft, pre-flighting, loading luggage and passengers and you’ve worked up a heck of a sweat.

Unless you’re filed for up high, you’ll be cruising in an 80 degree to 90 degrees cockpit for hours. When you descend back into the boiling pot, you could be way behind in your hydration. Bottom line, you may not be anywhere near your best during the most critical portion of your flight.

So how do you know if you’re low on fluids and beginning to develop heat exhaustion or heat stroke? Prolonged activity in a hot environment initially can lead to heat exhaustion or as it’s sometimes called, heat stress.

Symptoms include headache, nausea, dizziness, weakness, irritability, heavy sweating, decreased urine output and naturally, thirst. The body core temperature starts to elevate and unless something is done things can progress to heat stroke. Treatment is pretty straight forward. Remove yourself from the hot environment and drink lots of fluids. If this happens when you’re aloft, you better start thinking about diverting while you still are competent to pilot your aircraft.

Heat stroke is a much more serious condition. It’s pretty unlikely that you’ll develop heat stroke in the cockpit. But working on a hot tarmac hour after hour, trying to get your bird ready to fly could do the trick. It happens when the body’s heat regulating mechanisms fail and sweating

ceases. The core temperature rises rapidly. Temperatures as high as 106 degrees can occur within 15 minutes. Death or permanent disability can quickly result unless emergency treatment is administered.

Symptoms include confusion with slurred speech and altered mental state, hot dry skin, loss of consciousness and even seizures. It is imperative that treatment be initiated immediately. Remove the victim to a cool environment. Call 911.

The aim of emergency treatment is to lower body temperature as fast as possible. Cool water and a fan can help. Better yet, apply ice, concentrating on body areas where circulation is the greatest—head, neck, armpits and groin.

How do you prevent getting into trouble with summer heat? Again, some pretty straightforward measures can make a big difference. If you are going to be out working in the sun for an extended period of time, wear loose-fitting light-colored clothing. By all means wear a broad brimmed hat. If you’re ever in Northfield, check out the glider pilots at Stanton Field. Look at what all of them wear in those big bubble cockpits. If you are working out on the tarmac, bring along a water bottle and use it frequently. Take a break every 20 to 30 minutes or so and enjoy some A/C in the FBO. And don’t forget to put on sunscreen! The zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide-based preparations are the best. It won’t prevent dehydration but it will help to avoid sunburn, the other big summer health hazard for pilots. When you finally climb into that hot cockpit make sure you have taken along a good supply of beverages. Good old water is probably

the best although some of the newer sports drinks have the advantage of replacing salts lost in perspiration as well

as water. And don’t forget the gallon jug just in case you are overgenerous with fluids on a long flight. Fly wisely. See you next month.

As always, comments, questions and suggestions are welcome: jdlakinmd@gmail.com. Also, we’ve moved our office to Airlake Airport’s FBO (KLVN)! Call 952-469-4414 or email hannah@wpflights.com for a flight physical appointment.