spudskier
20th Feb 2002, 06:42
I've noticed when I'm extremely tired or have a huge lack of sleep I become somewhat nearsighted. One eye Dr. brushed it off and said don't worry about it... and I know I'd pass an FAA eye exam no prob, but it worries me that I do get a little nearsighted when I'm that tired. (AV student currently) I know pilots work odd hours and sometimes (well probably more often than not from what I've heard...) get less than adequite (sp?) sleep. Any suggestions?
marcuschester
20th Feb 2002, 07:43
I've also noticed that I get extremely nearsighted when I have a large sleep debt - I can only see as far as the back of my eyelids.
Seriously though, spudskier, your doc is probably right. Fatigue can cause many problems.
As a flight instructor I used to work from 7am to 10pm on busy days. I, along with many of my flight instructor colleagues, would have made an excellent study on the effects of fatigue. During this time I began to notice some symptoms that I could not explain. I was low on energy, I was thirsty alot, and I seemed to be producing excessive amounts of urine. I learned that these symptoms can indicate diabetes - something my granddad suffers with. I thought for sure if I went to the doctor they would discover diabetes. This gave me great concern about my career prospects.
Then I stepped back and took a close look at my lifestyle. My butt was dragging because I was working too much, not eating right, and not getting enough sleep. I was making up for my fatigue with caffiene in the form of several Moutain Dews a day. Caffeine, being a diuretic, was causing the excessive urine production. And, I wasn't drinking enough water, which was why I was always thirsty (and I'm sure contributed to my fatigue). Once I fixed those habits, the symptoms went away. I never got a checkup, but that was five years ago. I'm pretty sure I don't have diabetes now.
Anyway, my whole point is that many times our physical problems can be fixed with a simple change in lifestyle.
Anybody else notice this?
[ 20 February 2002: Message edited by: Look Up ]</p>