121 and health issues

Box hauler

Box hauler

Well-Known Member
I am about to finish my first year flying for a regional and have noticed that I have had more health issues this year than ever before. In the past I would get a cold or sinus infection maybe every two years or so but this year I have had 3 major colds or sinus infections in the last 6 months. Is this really abnormal?
 
Box hauler said:
I am about to finish my first year flying for a regional and have noticed that I have had more health issues this year than ever before. In the past I would get a cold or sinus infection maybe every two years or so but this year I have had 3 major colds or sinus infections in the last 6 months. Is this really abnormal?
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Probably not. This type of flying is terrible for you. I mean... look at the death statistics.
 
I don't know if that's normal or not. I'm finishing my first year at a regional and haven't been sick once, and I usually get sick twice a year. So who knows?
 
Yes, it's normal. You're enclosed in a tube with slobs. Mitigation techniques are required. Drink plenty of water, use Airborne, or your vitamin supplement of choice. Get plenty of sleep and exercise. Most importantly, make sure you wash your hands before eating, and resist the urge to touch your face, eyes, nose.

Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor.
 
I made a thread like this a few months back because I've had the same problem. When working the corporate world I never got sick, maybe once a year. Since joining the airlines (2yrs now) I've had a cold just about every 2-3 months, and like once a year I get hit with something pretty hard. Had a bad sinus thing going on last year, and just a couple months ago I had a terrible cold with bronchitis that kicked my butt for an entire week.

We work in an absolutely disgusting environment, and I'm not a germaphobe, but NOTHING we touch is clean. We're stuck commuting in the back with the general public, walking through dirty airports filled with all sorts of people, and then spend days in a flight deck that hasn't been cleaned since the delivery flight.

My routine has been to wipe down the yoke/throttles and common knobs with wipes when I can (Not that it helps for more than a leg or so). I always wipe down my phone with alcohol wipes at the end of the day, and try to avoid touching my face. I also always throw on disposable gloves when I help to cross seatbelts at the end of a flight. Also, wash your hands!


TL;DR: You're not alone
 
My first year at Comair, I had never been more sick in a one year period. The cockpit is a cesspool of germs. You won't get as sick as the years go bye as your immune system starts to build/fight all that crap. Wipe down everything and always wash your hands before you eat.
 
I agree with everyone here. I got sick around 6-8 times to varying degrees in my first year. Unfortunately on two different trips I had to call in. It's no fun. One of them royally kicked my butt like I haven't felt in YEARS when I got the flu in December.

I've had some unhealthy habits as far as eating and working out. I'm making a concerted effort to change that now. It's so easy to eat out and enjoy yourself, but honestly you're just destroying your body. I recognize that now, and I'm changing now before my body gives me a rude wake up call.

I don't drink soda anymore.
I try to avoid eating any fried foods.
No fast food.
Drink lots of water.
I don't overeat.
I don't snack or eat any small sweets.
Take a daily multivitamin.
Eat a healthy breakfast lunch and dinner.
Exercise. Work out. Keep your body moving.

I sometimes wipe down the flight deck with hand wipes. More effectively, I keep my hands away from my face, and if I really need to eat food with my hands I sanitize my hands several times. Flight decks, and airplanes in general are just a cest pool of germs.

If you have to sneeze. Use a tissue, or sneeze into your arm. Don't sneeze or cough into your hand and wipe your hand all over your face... Conversely if you sneeze in your hand then put your hands all over buttons and switches and knobs you're just playing into why the flight deck is such a gross place in the first place.

When you get home from work. Wash your hands before you start touching everything with your dirty "airplane hands."

I feel like there is only so much you can do, but you have to do something unless you just want to get sick all the time or unexpectedly at the least convenient time. Which when the company works you 100 block hours a month pretty much anytime you get sick is always inconvenient...
 
Box hauler said:
I am about to finish my first year flying for a regional and have noticed that I have had more health issues this year than ever before. In the past I would get a cold or sinus infection maybe every two years or so but this year I have had 3 major colds or sinus infections in the last 6 months. Is this really abnormal?
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Well, working abnormal and often long hours, around lots of people, in different areas of the country, with the highest ionizing radiation exposure of any job in the US -- nothing about this job is good for you...
 
Pilots are the cheapest people known on earth. I don't think a single one of us would buy hotel quality p0rn. I don't even turn on the TV in my room but ball sweat on the remote is the least of my concerns. At my last company an FO ejaculated in the middle of the floor and left it there because "he was pissed at the maid for waking him".
 
wheelsup said:
Pilots are the cheapest people known on earth. I don't think a single one of us would buy hotel quality p0rn. I don't even turn on the TV in my room but ball sweat on the remote is the least of my concerns. At my last company an FO ejaculated in the middle of the floor and left it there because "he was pissed at the maid for waking him".
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500px-Anchorman-well-that-escalated-quickly.jpg
 
wheelsup said:
Just tellin' in like it is.
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On a related note, where I work, there was a 737 F/O seat that had poop on it a few days ago. Supposedly the F/O who discovered the visible streak had an F/A check and they confirmed via smell that it was indeed . . . dooodie.

tumblr_lbdkspfgLr1qzuqe9.jpg
 
wheelsup said:
Pilots are the cheapest people known on earth. I don't think a single one of us would buy hotel quality p0rn. I don't even turn on the TV in my room but ball sweat on the remote is the least of my concerns. At my last company an FO ejaculated in the middle of the floor and left it there because "he was pissed at the maid for waking him".
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Really? i hope he gets hit by a bus, more than once.
 
JustinS said:
I don't snack or eat any small sweets.
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Snacking right can be healthy though. Nuts, fruit, things like that. I'll usually nosh on somemthing healthy-ish about every leg, otherwise by the time I get to the hotel I'm starving and end up doing something like eating an entire pizza or a whole serving of fries with dinner. I finally quit eating the damn first class cookies on United. Those things are like 300+ empty calories and taste like Diabeetus.

Box hauler said:
Really? i hope he gets hit by a bus, more than once.
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"I hope someone pushes him off a cliff, and then Superman swoops him up.... and drops him from higher."
 
Nick said:
On a related note, where I work, there was a 737 F/O seat that had poop on it a few days ago. Supposedly the F/O who discovered the visible streak had an F/A check and they confirmed via smell that it was indeed . . . dooodie.

tumblr_lbdkspfgLr1qzuqe9.jpg
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Probably chocolate.

FA's aren't rocket scientists but do you honestly believe they got one to sniff a seat cushion? Really?
 
wheelsup said:
Probably chocolate.

FA's aren't rocket scientists but do you honestly believe they got one to sniff a seat cushion? Really?
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Yes -- there was significant discussion about this on an internal thread and maintenance was involved and took the cushion off and put it on MEL yadda yadda yadda.

There was poop on the seat.
 
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