AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2012 - 40

FLYWELL

BY DR. JONATHAN M. SACKIER

10 stupid things

e watch David Letterman’s Late Show and laugh at his top-10 list. Consider “stupid things pilots do to sabotage their medical.” So,

5. Many pilots view their medical with disdain, even hiding problems that might lead to loss of flight privileges. Common wisdom states one-quarter of adults will suffer from mental illness, and an astute AME will detect what you already know—and with a few probing questions, uncover depression. This will again lead to red ink, avoidable by seeing an appropriate physician when symptoms first appear and starting therapy. 4. If you smoke, stop. No smart person should like Letterman, let’s count backwards from the smoke and, as pilots are smart, I hope none of number 10. you do. However, a smoking history might inspire Dr. Jonathan M. 10. In the movie Never Say Never Again, James several investigations that could lead to being Sackier is an grounded. If you are at risk of lung, heart, or Bond visits a doctor’s office and a nurse, standinstrument-rated ing across the room, picks up a specimen bottle vascular problems, see your regular doctor for a pilot and trained and tells 007, “Mr. Bond, I need a urine sample, checkup. However, if your AME does find someas a surgeon. if you could fill this beaker for me?” In a laconic thing abnormal, be grateful it was discovered. One pilot told me her AME found evidence of manner, he responds, “From here?” At your aviation medical examiner’s office your urine will be dipstick disease in her neck arteries that led to surgery. The alternatested for sugar, blood, and protein; if present, approval tive could have been permanent grounding—as in six feet may be deferred until the matter is resolved. Occasionally, underground. 3. Gut problems may affect certification; it is alimentary. however, the test provides a false positive or the cause is readily fixable. To avoid this potential problem, one month If your belly is misbehaving, get it sorted out. Do not be one before your physical buy some dipsticks and test your own of the tens of thousands who contract colon cancer every urine. If positive, see your regular doctor, sort it out, and year, an avoidable problem by having a screening colonosself-ground yourself until you have resolution. You can copy. Report this at your next AME visit and keep flying well. then report it at your next AME visit and avoid a lot of Many other illnesses, therapies, and operations need not be aggravation. disqualifying, but if you fail to disclose them and are later 9. Good vision is so obviously a critical faculty that our found out, there may be consequences. friends at the FAA ask that an eye chart be part of the test— 2. FAR 91.17 prohibits the use of “any drug that affects and memorizing the letters from year to year is only fooling the person’s faculties in any way contrary to safety.” Between yourself. See an eye doctor one month before your physical physicals you may have been prescribed medications by and if you need corrective lenses, get them, and let your AME another doctor without checking to see what the FAA thinks. know. You can have your eye doctor complete an FAA eye AOPA has an online tool to help you out (www.aopa.org/ evaluation form. members/databases/medical/druglist.cfm). The association 8. While not exhaustive, the physical will include a hearing strives to ensure thoroughness, but certainly tell the prescribtest. Once you are of a certain age, consider an annual hear- ing doctor you are a pilot and, if there is an issue, obtain an ing test—or perhaps check out the Internet, because there alternative, “allowable” therapy. are online tools for self-evaluation. 1. Many problems detected at the visit to your AME are 7. Feeling the pressure yet? It is sensible on so many easily resolved with a test or two. However, if you schedule fronts to get frequent blood-pressure checks—your fam- your medical the last day of the month it is due, there is no ily doctor can do this, and if abnormal please take action. wiggle room. Book an appointment earlier in the month— Hypertension is a common killer. Further investigation your AME will definitely appreciate this and if there is an may be necessary and treatment prescribed. Report this issue, you may be thankful. at your next AME visit. There are many other potential pitfalls that might 6. Breathing regularly is a good thing, right? With weight impede your certification, which is why AOPA developed gain, obstructive sleep apnea—often associated with snor- the medical services plan; if you’re not already a member— ing—impairs your ability to do so. The FAA knows this and, I am—consider enrolling. There will be some exciting news in the 2012 FAR/AIM 8-1-1 e(4), states that snoring, daytime about future enhancements to this program—maybe it will drowsiness, obesity, or a collar size 17 inches or greater merit be on Letterman! a sleep study. So if this sounds like you, deal with it before your AME does. Email the author at jonathan.sackier@aopa.org. 40 • APRIL 2012

AOPA PILOT •

http://www.aopa.org/members/databases/medical/druglist.cfm http://www.aopa.org/members/databases/medical/druglist.cfm

AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2012