PHAK Chapter 17: Aeromedical Factors
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Questions and Answers

What does carbon monoxide (CO) prevent hemoglobin from doing?

Carrying oxygen to the cells

How long does the body require to dispose of carbon monoxide?

Up to 48 hours

What are some common effects of carbon monoxide poisoning?

Headache, blurred vision, dizziness, drowsiness, loss of muscle power

What is stress?

<p>The body's response to physical and psychological demands</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are examples of stressors?

<p>Physical stress, physiological stress, psychological stress</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are some effects of fatigue?

<p>Degradation of attention, impaired coordination, decreased ability to communicate</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is dehydration?

<p>A critical loss of water from the body</p> Signup and view all the answers

What can cause dehydration?

<p>Hot environments, wind, humidity, and diuretic drinks</p> Signup and view all the answers

What condition is described as the inability of the body to control its temperature?

<p>Heatstroke</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does alcohol impair?

<p>Judgment, coordination, memory, attention span</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are some visual illusions that can occur at night? (Select all that apply)

<p>All of the above</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is autokinesis?

<p>A nighttime visual illusion where a stationary light appears to be moving</p> Signup and view all the answers

What can result from false horizon illusions?

<p>Confusion between cloud formations and the actual horizon</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the reversible perspective illusion?

<p>An aircraft appears to be going away when it is actually getting closer</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the size-distance illusion?

<p>A false perception of distance due to misinterpretation of an object's size</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is fascination (fixation) in the context of flying?

<p>When pilots ignore orientation cues and fixate on a specific object</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does hypoxia mean?

<p>Reduced oxygen or not enough oxygen.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following are types of hypoxia? (Select all that apply)

<p>Stagnant</p> Signup and view all the answers

What causes hypoxic hypoxia?

<p>Insufficient oxygen available to the body as a whole, such as flying at high altitudes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is hypemic hypoxia?

<p>Hypemia occurs when the blood is not able to take up and transport sufficient oxygen to the cells.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is histotoxic hypoxia?

<p>The inability of the cells to effectively use oxygen due to toxins.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What causes stagnant hypoxia?

<p>Reduced circulation of oxygen-rich blood to tissues.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are common symptoms of hypoxia? (Select all that apply)

<p>Cyanosis</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the treatment for hypoxia?

<p>Flying at lower altitudes and/or using supplemental oxygen.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is hyperventilation?

<p>A condition of taking abnormally fast and deep breaths.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are symptoms of hyperventilation? (Select all that apply)

<p>Numbness</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the treatment for hyperventilation?

<p>Restoring the proper carbon dioxide level in the body.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What causes ear and sinus problems during flights?

<p>Difference in pressure causing gas expansion in body cavities.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is spatial disorientation?

<p>A condition where a person's sense of direction does not agree with reality.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What systems does the body use to overcome spatial disorientation?

<p>Vestibular system, somatosensory system, visual system.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the vestibular system?

<p>The system in the inner ear that helps sense movement and orientation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the somatosensory system?

<p>The system that sends signals from skin, joints, and muscles to the brain.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are some vestibular illusions? (Select all that apply)

<p>Graveyard Spiral</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the leans?

<p>An illusion of banking when the aircraft is actually level.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the Coriolis Illusion?

<p>Illusion of rotation in a different axis due to abrupt head movement.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the Graveyard Spiral?

<p>An illusion leading to a loss of altitude during a constant-rate turn.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the somatogravic illusion?

<p>The feeling of being in a nose-up attitude during forward acceleration.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the inversion illusion?

<p>The feeling that the aircraft is tumbling backwards due to abrupt changes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What causes elevator illusion?

<p>Abrupt vertical accelerations simulating climb or descent sensations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are examples of visual illusions? (Select all that apply)

<p>Featureless Terrain Illusion</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the False Horizon illusion?

<p>Choosing a wrong reference point as the horizon.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is autokinesis?

<p>The perceived movement of a single point of light against a dark background.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is motion sickness?

<p>Conflicting messages about the body's state leading to discomfort.</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is carbon monoxide poisoning?

<p>A toxic condition caused by inhaling colorless and odorless gas from combustion.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Hypoxia

  • Hypoxia refers to a condition characterized by reduced levels of oxygen in the body.
  • Four types of hypoxia: hypoxic, hypemic, stagnant, and histotoxic.

Types of Hypoxia

  • Hypoxic Hypoxia: Occurs at high altitudes where oxygen availability is low.
  • Hypemic Hypoxia: Involves blood's inability to transport adequate oxygen, often caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.
  • Histotoxic Hypoxia: Cells cannot effectively use oxygen due to toxicity from substances like alcohol and drugs.
  • Stagnant Hypoxia: Results from inadequate blood flow to tissues, potentially due to high G-forces or cold temperatures.

Symptoms and Treatment of Hypoxia

  • Initial symptoms: euphoria, increased reaction time, visual impairment, cyanosis, headache, and dizziness.
  • Treatment: Descend to a lower altitude and/or use supplemental oxygen.

Hyperventilation

  • Characterized by rapid, deep breathing leading to a loss of carbon dioxide in the blood.
  • Symptoms include visual impairment, unconsciousness, dizziness, and muscle spasms.
  • Treatment involves restoring carbon dioxide levels by breathing into a paper bag or talking aloud.

Middle Ear and Sinus Problems

  • Pressure differences during flight can cause ear pain and sinus discomfort due to trapped gas in middle ear cavities.
  • Eustachian tubes help equalize pressure but may not function properly in some situations, leading to pain and reduced hearing ability.

Spatial Disorientation

  • Defined as a condition where a person's sense of direction does not align with reality.
  • The body relies on three systems for orientation: vestibular (inner ear), somatosensory (skin, joints, muscles), and visual (eyes).

Vestibular System

  • Comprised of three semicircular canals in the inner ear that detect motion and orientation through fluid movement.

Somatogravic System

  • Sends sensory signals about the body's position relative to gravity but is often misled by accelerative forces causing sensory illusions.

Vestibular Illusions

  • Common types include:
    • The Leans: Misperception of banking direction after leveling off from a turn.
    • Coriolis Illusion: Confusion in aircraft axis movement due to head movement while in a turn.
    • Graveyard Spiral: Illusion of descent leading to loss of altitude in a spiral.
    • Somatogravic Illusion: Sensation of climbing when accelerating.
    • Inversion Illusion: Feeling of tumbling backwards during abrupt altitude changes.
    • Elevator Illusion: Sensation of ascent or descent caused by vertical accelerations.

Visual Illusions

  • False Horizon: Misalignment due to sloping cloud formations or lights leading to dangerous attitudes.
  • Autokinesis: A stationary light moves when fixated upon, creating an erroneous flight path.
  • Optical Illusions: Features such as runway width affect perception during approach; these include runway and terrain slopes, featureless terrain, and ground lighting issues.

Motion Sickness

  • Results from conflicting messages from the body; symptoms can include nausea, dizziness, and vomiting.

Carbon Monoxide (CO) Poisoning

  • CO is a toxic, odorless gas that impairs oxygen transport in the blood, leading to hypemic hypoxia.
  • Symptoms include headache, dizziness, blurred vision, and loss of muscle control.
  • Immediate corrective actions include ventilation and the use of supplemental oxygen.

Stress

  • The body’s physical and psychological response to demands, leading to increased hormones, heart rate, and respiration.
  • Common stressors: physical (noise), physiological (fatigue), and psychological factors.

Fatigue

  • Impairs attention, coordination, and decision-making capabilities; can arise from sleep loss, stress, or prolonged cognitive activity.

Dehydration

  • Refers to a significant loss of water in the body, which can affect physiological function.### Dehydration
  • Causes include hot environments, wind, humidity, and consumption of diuretic beverages like coffee, tea, and alcohol.
  • Common symptoms are headache, fatigue, cramps, sleepiness, and dizziness.
  • Initial sign of dehydration is fatigue, which impairs physical and mental performance.
  • Long flights in high temperatures or at altitudes enhance dehydration risk due to increased water loss.
  • Recommended fluid intake is two to four quarts of water every 24 hours.

Heatstroke

  • Heatstroke occurs when the body cannot regulate temperature, starting with dehydration symptoms but may lead to collapse.
  • To prevent heat-related issues, carry and consume water regularly during flights, regardless of thirst.
  • The body absorbs water at a rate of 1.2 to 1.5 quarts per hour; drink one quart per hour under severe heat stress.
  • Wear light-colored, porous clothing and a hat; ensure ventilation in the flight deck to reduce heat.

Alcohol

  • Alcohol consumption harms bodily efficiency and judgment, critical for pilots making time-sensitive decisions.
  • Impairs multiple faculties including:
    • Judgment and sense of responsibility
    • Coordination and visual field
    • Memory and reasoning ability
    • Attention span
  • Even one ounce of alcohol can slow reflexes and increase errors, with vision and hearing impairments possible after one drink.

Night Vision Illusions

  • Various visual illusions at night include Autokinesis, False Horizon, Reversible Perspective, Size-Distance, and Fascination.

Autokinesis

  • Visual illusion where a stationary light appears to move after prolonged focus.
  • Occurs after staring at a single light in darkness for over 8-10 seconds.
  • To mitigate, engage in visual scanning and avoid focusing on one light for too long.

False Horizon Illusion

  • Confusion between cloud formations and the true horizon or ground.
  • Can happen when the natural horizon is obscured, especially near bright lights or large water bodies.
  • Pilots may misinterpret lights along shorelines as stars.

Reversible Perspective Illusion

  • Aircraft may appear to be moving away when actually approaching.
  • Common when flying parallel to another aircraft.
  • Correct analysis involves observing the brightness of lights: increasing indicates approach, while dimming suggests moving away.

Size-Distance Illusion

  • Misinterpretation of distance due to unfamiliar object size perception.
  • Influenced by changes in light brightness, misleading pilots on an object’s proximity.

Fascination (Fixation)

  • Occurs when pilots concentrate on a single task or object at the expense of surrounding cues.
  • Particularly hazardous at night, as the assessment of ground closure rates can be difficult, risking delayed corrective action.

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Description

This quiz covers key terms and definitions related to aeromedical factors, specifically focusing on hypoxia and its types. Understand and memorize the different forms of hypoxia, their causes, and effects which are crucial for pilots and aviation professionals. Perfect for reinforcing knowledge from the PHAK textbook.

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