Pilot’s Perspective: The Dry Dilemma
Captain Lim Khoy Hing explores the strange effects of dry cabin air.
A guest once wrote to me for tips on overcoming the problems caused by dry air. He asked if the air in the cabin could be the reason his nose often bled while flying.
Air inside an airplane can indeed be very dry. Cabin air has a very low relative humidity of around 10 per cent. Compare this value to the Earth’s desert regions where humidity is around 20 to 25 per cent. However, if you are in a tropical region, for example, in Singapore, the average relative humidity is about 85 per cent.
In the dry environment of the cabin, evaporation of moisture from the skin can be as high as eight ounces of water per hour! According to some medical sources, those with very sensitive skin may find that the delicate sinus inside the nose tends to dry out fairly quickly. This may cause the nose to bleed.
Dehydration may also be the cause of cracked lips, as well as a burning sensation in the eyes, headaches and lethargy. Less obvious consequences of dehydration include inducing stress on the body, reducing mucus production and lowering the body’s immune system.
Captain Lim Khoy Hing explores the strange effects of dry cabin air.
A guest once wrote to me for tips on overcoming the problems caused by dry air. He asked if the air in the cabin could be the reason his nose often bled while flying.
Air inside an airplane can indeed be very dry. Cabin air has a very low relative humidity of around 10 per cent. Compare this value to the Earth’s desert regions where humidity is around 20 to 25 per cent. However, if you are in a tropical region, for example, in Singapore, the average relative humidity is about 85 per cent.
In the dry environment of the cabin, evaporation of moisture from the skin can be as high as eight ounces of water per hour! According to some medical sources, those with very sensitive skin may find that the delicate sinus inside the nose tends to dry out fairly quickly. This may cause the nose to bleed.
Dehydration may also be the cause of cracked lips, as well as a burning sensation in the eyes, headaches and lethargy. Less obvious consequences of dehydration include inducing stress on the body, reducing mucus production and lowering the body’s immune system.
