Air travel in older people

LOW, JAMES A.
CHAN, DANIEL K. Y.

Department of Geriatric Medicine, Prince of Wales Hospital, High Street, Randwick 203, NSW Australia (Low)
¹Department of Aged Care and Rehabilitation, Bankstown Hospital, Bankstown, NSW Australia

Address correspondence to: J. A. Low, Department of Geriatric Medicine, Alexandra Hospital, 378 Alexandra Road, Singapore 159964. Fax: (+65) 379 3540. Email: [email protected]

Age and Ageing 31(1):p 17-22, January 2002.

Commercial air travel is one of the safest means of transport. However, the environment within the aircraft cabin may have deleterious physiological effects on passengers, especially those with underlying medical problems and those who are old. With growing affluence, cheaper airfares and an ageing population, there will be more older people travelling by air over extended periods and longer distances, with a concomitant rise in the number of medical illnesses in the air. Older people may encounter various problems during a long journey. Certain actions may help to minimize these problems.