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Explained: Why Drinking On A Flight Is Not The Best Idea

Ahead of the summer holidays, long flights and luxe locales await. But, here’s why holding back on drinking alcohol in flights is recommended.

Summer brings the promise of hearty holidays, novel destinations, and bucketloads of experiences. Whether you’re travelling to a tropical wonderland or a chalet in the hills, chances are rife that a long-haul flight is in tow. And while refilling the champagne flutes and downing bubbly mid-air is seemingly exotic, scientists recommend otherwise. We break down key findings from a study conducted by researchers at the Institute of Aerospace Medicine at the German Aerospace Center in Cologne (Germany) about the impact of alcohol consumption on a flight and its corresponding effect on the heart.

Long haul flights and alcohol: A deceptive pair

Published in the journal Thorax, the research builds on the known fact that sleeping on a plane throttles the fall in blood oxygen saturation (Spo2) because of the drop in oxygen partial pressure in aircraft cabins. The study digs into the collective impact of atmospheric partial pressure (also called hypobaric hypoxia) and alcohol consumption on the passengers’ heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, and sleep.

The experiment: The researchers mustered 48 participants who were divided into two groups. While the first group was required to sleep in a sleep laboratory with atmospheric pressure similar to sea level, the other was exposed to that of an aircraft at cruising altitude. Further, these groups were divided into two sub-groups each, one that consumed alcohol and the other that didn’t. Post this, they were required to sleep for four hours. The study was conducted for over two nights.

While science contests the consumption of alcohol in general, the activity takes a worse form mid-air. Alcohol is an active somnogen (a substance that causes sleepiness) which furthers rapid eye movement, cognitive impairment, heightened heart rate during sleep, difficulty in concentration, and even memory disorder.

“Together these results indicate that, even in young and healthy individuals, the combination of alcohol intake with sleeping under hypobaric conditions poses a considerable strain on the cardiac system and might lead to exacerbation of symptoms in patients with cardiac or pulmonary diseases. Cardiovascular symptoms have a prevalence of 7% of inflight medical emergencies, with cardiac arrest causing 58% of aircraft diversions,” the study authors mentioned in the paper. The study also mentions, “Our findings support the recommendations of the BTS Clinical Statement on Air Travel to avoid alcohol in the 12 hours preceding and during air travel when suffering from obstructive sleep apnea syndrome or obesity hypoventilation syndrome.”

In a nutshell, if you choose to indulge in spirits of any kind, it’s highly advisable to refrain from pouring a glass mid-air and wait until you reach the destination.

The author: admin

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