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Somehow, it’s nearly October, which means the impending influx of holiday air travel is just around the corner. Although hopping on an airplane these days isn’t quite as stressful as it was in, say, 2020, there are still a host of health factors to consider before climbing into the cabin.

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Cardiologist Henry Ting, MD, MBA joined the Delta Air Lines team as its chief health officer back in 2021, when reinventing air travel in the midst of a pandemic was pivotal. Today, his scope reaches well beyond keeping COVID-19 out of planes. Dr. Ting has built a team that’s helped the airline roll out an extensive update to its in-flight medical tools, including Medaire’s in-flight MedLink app, which allows the cabin crew to communicate with doctors on the ground in real-time about medical emergencies on board. He’s also advised on important additions to on-board diagnostic equipment, such as pulse oximeters and automatic blood pressure cuffs.

“We sought to look at the most common medical emergencies we encounter and to provide the incremental equipment that we feel will make a better diagnosis,” Dr. Ting says.

Apparently, the most common symptoms people experience during flights are neurologic. This ranges from temporary loss of consciousness to seizures, he says. But pulmonary problems are also fairly common, including shortness of breath, chest pain, and chest heaviness. Delta’s additional tools are designed to help crew members more accurately determine the source of these symptoms and decide whether or not the plane needs to be diverted.

And while these new gadgets are great news for people experiencing medical distress on an airplane, some of these emergencies can be prevented by passengers exercising a little caution, and not sabotaging their own safety, Dr. Ting says. If you want to know how to stay healthy while flying, here he shares five things he would never do on a flight, no matter how long (or short) the trip.

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Photo: Getty Images/Catherine Falls Commercial

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Click the link below for the article:

https://www.wellandgood.com

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