Is it safe for people with seizures to fly?

By Airplane While most people with seizures can travel safely by airplanes, guidelines of the Aerospace Medical Association do recommend that people with uncontrolled seizures not travel by commercial airliner. An airline may ask for a letter from your doctor that you are okay to fly.

Does flying affect epilepsy?

Travelers with epilepsy may have special concerns about traveling by air. Generally, a person with epilepsy does not pose any greater safety risk on a plane than a passenger without epilepsy. 1 There is also no medical evidence that air travel increases the risk of seizures or adversely affects people with epilepsy.

What happens if you have a seizure on a plane?

When the seizure stops, help the person into a resting position in a single reclining seat. If the seizure continues for more than about 5 minutes or is immediately followed by another one, tell the flight attendant that the person may be experiencing a medical emergency and may need emergency care.

Can flying trigger seizure?

Approximately 1 in every 39 000 airline passengers presents with an in-flight medical emergency, and about 6\% of these are seizures. Patients with epilepsy have shown an increase in seizures during the first few days after a flight.

How do you get around with seizures?

11 Ways to Make Travel Safer if You Have Epilepsy

1. Pack plenty of medication.
2. Carry your medications with you at all times.
3. Bring copies of your prescriptions.
4. Take your meds on schedule.
5. Talk to your seatmates.
6. Request an aisle seat.
7. Be selective about your destination.
8. Check your health insurance.

Does altitude affect epilepsy?

The description of the clinical event obtained from the witness and the presence of a positive family history strongly support a high altitude-triggered new epileptic seizure. This report suggests that at high altitudes seizure risks in a seizure-prone person may be higher than for normal individuals.

Does epilepsy shorten your lifespan?

Reduction in life expectancy can be up to 2 years for people with a diagnosis of idiopathic/cryptogenic epilepsy, and the reduction can be up to 10 years in people with symptomatic epilepsy. Reductions in life expectancy are highest at the time of diagnosis and diminish with time.