Effects of Hypoxia on the Aviation Industry - Essay Example

Effects of Hypoxia Student’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course Code & Name: Date of Submission: Effects of Hypoxia For a body to carry out its functions properly, it needs to oxygen. However, there are times when the amount of available oxygen is too low for the body cells to survive. This is hypoxia. Hypoxia occurs when there is no adequate oxygen supply either to the whole body or a body tissue. Hypoxia occurs when there is a lack of a synchronized supply of oxygen according to the oxygen demands in the body. Generally, it is as a result of a person breathing in air which has low levels of oxygen concentration. There are various causes of hypoxia. They will be discussed in detail later in the paper. One of the key causes of hypoxia which affects the pilots is ascent to high altitudes (Bogaerde, Pieters, & Raedt, 2012). This is due to the fact that there is a low concentration of oxygen in the air. The following paper takes a deep insight into hypoxia, with a special focus on the effects of hypoxia in the aviation industry. Over the past years, hypoxia has been a cause of worry in the aviation industry. This is due to its adverse effects on pilots which translate to accidents. As pointed out above, high altitudes are one of the main causes of hypoxia. Due to the fact that flying and high altitudes are interrelated, it would be impossible to fly without increasing the chances of experiencing hypoxia. For this reason, various aircraft manufactures have taken up the task of ensuring that flying is safe by installing mechanisms which reduce/ solve the problems which lead to hypoxia in pilots. The main causes of hypoxia during a flight are cabin pressure failure, inhalation of carbon 2 oxide, failure of oxygen delivery and preexisting medical conditions of the pilot. The causes of hypoxia during flights are discussed in detail below. First is the inhalation of carbon 2 oxide which is commonly referred to as carbon monoxide. The poisonous gas is an engine emission as a result of an incomplete combustion of gasoline. There the generally acceptable carbon 2 oxide (CO) from the engine. However, there arises a problem is the gas emissions are way above the normal levels hence leading to their leakage into the cockpit or cabin. The leakage may also e caused by a mechanical failure in an aero plane. When the gases are inhaled by the pilot, they readily combine with the oxygen in the lungs and CO is oxidized to Carbon 4 oxide CO2. CO + O2 2CO2 This in turn creates a deficiency in the oxygen levels in the lungs, hence leading to an insufficient supply of oxygen to the body organs and tissues. This ultimately leads to hypoxia. Inhaled carbon monoxide also replaces oxygen in the hemoglobin cells, which are the oxygen carriers in the body. This leads to insufficient oxygen supply to the body cells, hence leading to hypoxia. Another cause of hypoxia is a failure in the delivery of oxygen to the cabin. The main cause of this is due to a failure of the oxygen regulator and also depletion of the oxygen reserves in the oxygen tanks. Due to the reduced oxygen amounts which are associated with increases in flying altitudes, aircraft manufactures have adopted mechanisms of maintaining a regular oxygen supply in the plane. This measures aim at increasing the amount of oxygen levels available for inhalation by the cabin crew, pilots and passengers. However, there may be instances whereby the oxygen regulator may be malfunctioning or the oxygen reserves may become depleted. In such scenarios, the pilot is forced to inhale the oxygen scarce air surrounding him/ her. There is a variation in the oxygen levels in the air depending on the altitude of flying and the geographical region on which a plane is flying. However, the general fact is that there is a tremendous reduction in the oxygen levels as the altitude of flying increases (Prasad, 2010, p.188). It is recommended that a pilot uses an additional oxygen supply if he /she is flying at an altitude above 10000ft. if the oxygen regulator falls fails above this altitude, hypoxia is due to occur due to insufficient oxygen uptake. Another cause of hypoxia is a failure in the cabin pressure. The cabin pressure system is a strategy which involved the pumping of pressurized air into the plane and the cabin so as to provide a comfortable and safe travelling environment. This strategy is employed due to the fact that at high altitudes, there is an increased in the atmospheric pressure which exceeds the internal pressure in the plane, hence tending to ‘press’ onto the plane and its occupants., hence providing an unsafe environment and an imbalance in the pressure levels. In order to maintain a stable environment, pressurized air with some high percentages of oxygen levels if pumped into the plane, hence providing additional oxygen and stabilizing the atmosphere. In case there is a failure in the cabin pressure control, there is a lack of sufficient oxygen and also a high pressure which makes it difficult for breathing (US. Government, 2006, p.1). The two conditions lead to insufficient oxygen supply to the body organs and tissues, which ultimately leads to hypoxia. Another reason which leads to hypoxia is an underlying medical condition which puts a pilot at a greater risk of experiencing hypoxia. Examples of such medical conditions include leukemia, anemia and heart diseases among other medical conditions which affect the blood circulatory system. Since such medical conditions interfere with the normal blood supply in the body, they are certain to cause an insufficient oxygen supply in the body (Ann, Aina, Jon, Morten & Tomas, E et al, 2011, p.50). Therefore, it is recommended that pilots undergo regular medical checkups so as to ensure that they are physically fit to survive their working conditions. The different causes of hypoxia lead to different types of hypoxia which will be discussed below. As indicated earlier hypoxia occurs when there is no adequate supply of oxygen in the air that is breathed in. consequently, this leads to a low oxygen supply to the organs and tissues in the body, which in turn translates to their malfunctioning. Precisely, it is a pathological condition which occurs when there is a low oxygen supply to the body. There are various cases of hypoxia. They include the following; cardiac/heart arrest, inhaling of carbon monoxide, strangulation high latitudes, pulmonary embolism, asthma, pneumonia and hypoventilation. Taking an analysis at each of the causes of hypoxia, a cardiac or heart arrest comes about as a result of coronary arteries not supplying blood which is rich in oxygen to the heart. Since the heart is deprived off its normal oxygen supply, it fails hence leading to its malfunctioning. This in turn leads to its inability to supply blood to the other organs and tissues of the body. Strangulation on the other hand leads to an inadequate intake of oxygen in the body. This is as a result of the blocking of the wind pipe. Due to this limited supply of oxygen to the body, hypoxia occurs. Inhaling of carbon 2 oxide commonly referred to as carbon monoxide leads to a limited supply of oxygen in the blood (US. Government, 2006, p.1). This comes about as a result of the carbon 4 oxide combining with the oxygen in the lungs to form carbon 4 oxides. Asthma leads to the inflammation of the bronchioles and alveoli which are responsible for the supplying of oxygen to the blood. This leads to the blockage of the air passage hence leading to insufficient supply of air to the blood and hence to the body organs and tissues hence leading to hypoxia. On the other hand, higher altitudes translate to low oxygen concentrations in the air. The general rule is that, the higher the altitude, the lower the amount of oxygen concentration. Due to this scenario, people in high altitudes for instance pilots, cabin crew, passengers and other stakeholders in the aviation sector are due to experience hypoxia. Early ammonia also leads to hypoxia. This is specifically so during the early stages of the disease whereby a bacterial infection in the lungs leads to an irritation which in turn leads to the swelling of the air passages and as a result leading to a reduction in the oxygen supply to the blood. The inadequate supply of the oxygen to the blood leads to insufficient oxygen in the body tissues, organs and the entire body thus leading to hypoxia. Hypoventilation occurs when there is a reduced supply of oxygen to the pulmonary alveoli. This is due to a lack of sufficient air in the surroundings. Ultimately, this condition leads to hypoxia. Generally, hypoxia occurs when there is a low supply of oxygen in the body, either as a whole or to specific body tissues and organs. Therefore, any condition which leads to a deprivation of adequate oxygen supply in the blood leads to hypoxia. Other condition which may lead to hypoxia includes malfunctioning of the lungs, malfunctioning of the oxygen carrying cells (hemoglobin) among others. Due to the various causes of hypoxia, there various types of hypoxia. They include the following; hypoxic hypoxia, hypemic hypoxia, histotoxic hypoxia, ischemic /stagnant hypoxia, cerebral hypoxia and anemic hypoxia (Domborovsky, & Racz, 2010, p.2). Cerebral hypoxia occurs when there is no adequate supply of oxygen to the brain. The brain is a vital organ in the body. It’s the control unit of the body. It is divided into four parts which are the cerebrum, cerebellum, limbic system and the brain stem. Among its functions includes action and thought, movement, maintaining balance, maintaining posture, controlling emotions, maintaining and coordinating the basic body functions like breathing, blood pressure and the heartbeat. Because of the fact that the brain is a vital organ in the body, it is therefore critical for its normal oxygen supply to reduce, since it means that all or some of the functions above will not realized. Failure of some for instance heartbeat and breathing may lead death. With respect to the aviation industry, in instances of hypoxia occurring to the pilots and other support crew may lead to very fatal consequences. Generally, the pilots and other cabin crew are exposed to higher chances of experiencing hypoxia. This is due to the high altitudes on which their planes cruise. The chances of pilots experiencing hypoxia varies with the altitudes on which they cruise. This is due to the fact that different planes have different cruising altitudes. For instance, the cruising altitude of a helicopter is different from the Boeing’s cruising altitude; Boeing’s cruising altitude is different from a Concorde’s cruising altitude and so on. No matter the cruising altitude, instances of cerebral hypoxia occurring to the pilot can lead to adverse effects. In the instances whereby, it leads to failure of thought and reasoning, the pilot will make inappropriate decisions, for instance taking a wrong route, flying at inappropriate latitude among others. In the instances where there is an impairment of vital body functions for instance breathing and vision, the pilot would not be able to carry out his tasks effectively. This ultimately leads to him/ her not being able to control the plane, hence leading to the plane crashing. This leads to loss of life which is unrecoverable. In addition to this, there is a loss of capital to the aviation industries as a result of their expensive planes crashing. Cerebral hypoxia in pilots is mainly caused by high altitudes. Other causes of cerebral hypoxia include all the other causes discussed earlier. Depending on the extent to which a person has experienced in adequate supply of oxygen in his/ her body, cerebral hypoxia may manifest itself either as a mild or severe condition. Symptoms and signs of mild cerebral hypoxia are impaired judgment, lack of attention and uncoordinated movement. Symptoms and signs of severe cerebral hypoxia are lack of breathing, visual impairment and total unresponsiveness and unawareness commonly referred to as coma. No matter the extent of the effects of cerebral hypoxia any negative effect on the normal functioning of the pilot leads to a negative impact on the ability of the pilot to control the plane appropriately (US. Government,2006, p.1). However, the adversity of the effects of cerebral hypoxia on the plane depends of the severity of the condition. The more severe the condition is the more it is likely to lead to a fatal accident. Hypoxic hypoxia is another type of hypoxia which occurs as a result of a deprivation of sufficient oxygen supply to the lungs (Domborovsky, P., & Racz, O., 2010, p.2). This may be as a result of high altitudes (above 10000 ft), blocked air passages and drowning. Other underlying medical conditions may also lead to hypoxic hypoxia. Such include neuromuscular and intestinal lung diseases and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In the aviation industry, hypoxic hypoxia occurs when there is a gradual reduction in the oxygen concentrations in the air inhaled. This is caused by increase in the flying altitude. Hypoxic hypoxia is also caused by the reduction in the partial pressure of air, denoted as PO2, as the cruising altitude increases. The recommended minimum partial pressure of air is 65-60 mm HG. However, when the flying altitude exceeds 10000ft, PO2 drops to lower levels which in turn lead to hypoxic hypoxia. In instances when there is a fast altitude ascent, which does not give the body system time to adapt to the changes, there are chances of a person developing high altitude cerebral edema and high altitude pulmonary edema, whose effects are adverse. The signs / symptoms and effects of hypoxic hypoxia include the following; headaches, drowsiness, numbness, euphoria, impaired judgment, dizziness and reduced reflex time. These effects have a negative effect on the normal functioning of a pilot. The ability of a pilot to make fast and correct judgments is essential in assurance of a successful flight. However, hypoxic hypoxia tampers with his /her reaction and judgment abilities hence reducing his / her efficiency. Fatal effects of hypoxic hypoxia can leads to fainting, coma and dizziness which in turn translate to very adverse effects on the ability of the pilot to fly the plane. Another type of hypoxia is histotoxic hypoxia. In this type of hypoxia, there is sufficient oxygen supply to the body (Domborovsky & Racz, 2010, p.2). However, the body cells are not able to utilize the supplied oxygen hence leading to hypoxia. The inability of a body cell to utilize the supplied oxygen is a result of alcohol and drug & substance abuse. However in the aviation industry, histotoxic hypoxia is caused by insufficient supply of air, poor ventilation and the carbon monoxide gas emissions from the engine. These elements cause a disruption to the oxidative phosphorylation enzymes hence causing a disruption in the ability of the hemoglobin cells to take up, transport and release oxygen effectively. This ultimately leads to histotoxic hypoxia. Effects to histotoxic hypoxia to a pilot include the following; headaches, visual impairment, euphoria, numbness, drowsiness, impaired judgment ability, dizziness, limpness and a reduced reflex time. These effects differ in their severity from person to person. However, some or all of them are due to happen in pilots flying on high altitudes. They affect the normal functioning of the pilot hence leading to accidents. Another type of hypoxia is hypemic hypoxia which occurs as a result of the blood’s inability to carry adequate oxygen amounts to the body organs and cells (Domborovsky & Racz, 2010, p.2). Generally, this type of hypoxia is brought about by a reduced blood level and not by the unavailability of sufficient oxygen levels. This may be caused by some medical conditions such as anemia, leukemia. Other causes of hyperemic hypoxia may be foreign substances which displace oxygen from hemoglobin, for instance carbon dioxide. This type of hypoxia can only occur to pilots if they have underling medical conditions like the ones indicated above. Ischemic/ stagnant hypoxia is another type of hypoxia experienced by pilots. It is occurs when oxygen rich blood does not reach the intended organs or tissues hence leading to a reduced oxygen supply to them (Domborovsky & Racz , 2010, p.2). This leads to hypoxia. This condition may be as a result of heart pumping problems, blocked blood vessels or any other problems in the circulatory system. The effects of this type of hypoxia are the same as the other types of hypoxia. In a pilot’s situation, stagnant hypoxia may be caused by ill designed seats which cause a blockage on the blood vessels. However, all the other causes of stagnant hypoxia are most likely to be as a result of a medical condition of the pilot. Anemic hypoxia is another type of hypoxia. As its name suggests, it is caused by anemia. Since anemia leads low blood levels in the body. A low blood level translates to a low hemoglobin count in the body. Since hemoglobin is responsible for the transportation of oxygen in the body, its low levels consequently translate to low oxygen supply to the body organs and tissues (Ann, Aina, Jon, Morten & Tomas, E et al, 2011, p.51). The chances of a pilot to experience anemic hypoxia are only possible only if the pilot suffers from anemia. Over time, there have been several accidents which have been associated with hypoxia. One of such cases occurred when a plane PA-28R crashed as it attempted to make a forced landing. The pilot has flown at an altitude above 10000 feet for 5 hours and 4 minutes. Over that period of time, the radio controller noticed that the pilot was making incorrect judgments, was uncoordinated in his radio conversation with the radio controller and was slow in his reactions. In addition to this, the plane which the pilot was flying was unpressurised, meaning that it did not have a system of maintaining a cabin pressure. As seen earlier, these are the key signs and symptoms of hypoxia (Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, 2009, p.1). Another aviation accident which has been associated with hypoxia is the cashing of the Sunjet Aviation Learjet 35 in the year 1999 (Airsafe, 2012, p.1). Due to the obvious fatal effects of hypoxia, various aircraft manufactures have devised ways of ensuring that they are able to counter the chances of hypoxia occurring. Some of the measures put in place include pressurization of planes and cabins, provision of portable oxygen gas supplies, installing oxygen tanks in planes (Nishi, 2011). The most effective and sustainable means as at now is the pressurization of aero planes. Some of the aircraft manufactures have installed warning systems which alert the pilot on altitude changes and possible dangers, for instance the Airbus and the Boeing 737. In conclusion it is evident that hypoxia has adverse effects on the aviation industry. Among the effects of hypoxia includes dizziness, loss of consciousness, impaired judgment, uncoordinated movements and delayed response. These effects have a very negative effect on the ability of a pilot to fly a plane since they affect his / her normal self. Extreme cases of hypoxia cause unconsciousness and coma which contribute are surely to cause plane crashes. There are various causes of hypoxia, hence its different types. The main cause of hypoxia in aviation is high altitudes. Because of the fact that for flying to take place, a plane must ascend to a recommended attitude, it therefore becomes necessary for aircraft manufactures to devise mechanisms which assure safety to the pilots, crew and passengers. As seen in the essay, some of the mechanisms of providing a safe environment include pressurization of the plane, regulation of oxygen supply and the carrying of large reserves of oxygen in the plane. All in all, hypoxia poses a danger to the aviation industry and therefore aircraft manufactures must devise redundant measures which are aimed at reducing the chances of it occurring. References Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, 2009. Hypoxia, Poor Planning A Deadly Combination, Viewed on 19th September 2012 < http://www.aopa.org/asf/epilot_acc/den03fa038.html> Airsafe, 2012. Payne Stewart Plane Crash Information, Viewed on 19th September 2012 http://www.airsafe.com/stewart.htm Ann, E., Aina, A., Jon, H., Morten, R., & Tomas, E et al , 2011. High Prevalence Of Respiratory Symptoms During Air Travel In Patients With COPD, Respiratory Medicine. Vol. 105, no. 1, pp. 50-56 Bogaerde, A., Pieters, J., & Raedt, R., 2012. The Nature of Threat: Enhanced Recall of Internal Threat Words in Fear of Flying, Cogn Ther Res. Vol. 36, no 1, pp.390–396 Domborovsky, P., & Racz, O., 2010. Hypoxia, Definition and Classification, pp.1-12 Nishi, S., 2011. Effects of Altitude Related Hypoxia In Aircraft with Unpressurised Cabins, Military Medicine, Vol. 176, no. 1, pp. 79-84 Prasad, B.,2010. ENT Morbidity at High Altitude, The Journal of Laryngology & Otology, Vol. 125, no. 1, pp.188–192. US. Government, 2006, Aeromedical Factors, Free Online Private Pilot Ground School.[Online], viewed on 19th September 2012 from < http://www.free-online-private-pilot-ground-school.com/aeromedical.html > Read More