Air travel is an exotic endeavor. Advertisements often promote the appeal of travelling to a different location for a holiday. With the advent of low airfares in the 1980s, more and more individuals have taken the opportunity to see parts of the world that were previously out of reach. Recent events and their promotion in the newspapers, though, raise the possibility that individuals may be at some harm from air travel. Several case reports exist, for example, that note a medical emergency occurring during a flight.

This lecture discusses the possible health risks related to flying. Learning objectives include the following:

1. To introduce the possible health risks associated with air travel in the short- and long-term.

2. To understand the primary issues related to deep vein thrombosis and air travel.

3. To identify the study design issues underlying research on the health effects of exposure to cosmic radiation.