Is It Safe to Fly After a Brain Injury?

Is It Safe to Fly After a Brain Injury?
Question: 

My fiancé wants to travel to live with me in Australia, but has been told flying is too dangerous. He was in a coma for a month after a car crash a year ago. He is on various medications to prevent seizures and blood coagulation, but walks, talks, and surfs in his spare time (against doctors’ orders). Is it safe to travel on a plane after a serious brain injury, or even a mild one for that matter?

Answer: 

Based on the information you provided, it is difficult to give you a specific answer as it relates to your fiancé traveling to live with you in Australia. In and of itself, TBI is not a contraindication to traveling by plane, particularly when the plane is adequately pressurized. That said, there are at least some physiological stress factors implicit in air travel. On rare occasions, people who have a lowered seizure threshold or who are on anti-epileptic drugs find that air travel can lower their seizure threshold causing them to seize. Therefore, it is important for your fiancé to discuss specific restrictions with his physician and know whether the plane he’ll be traveling on will be adequately pressurized. Ultimately, without knowing more, it’s difficult to offer specific suggestions.

For people who have had a mild TBI and unless there were extenuating circumstances, I would see no general reason for your fiancé to avoid flying, particularly in the post-acute phase.

My best recommendation is for your fiancé to talk with a physician who specializes in brain injury medicine who can review his specific circumstances relative to the safety of air travel. Safe flying!

Posted on BrainLine March 5, 2012. Reviewed July 26, 2018.

Comments (8)

Please remember, we are not able to give medical or legal advice. If you have medical concerns, please consult your doctor. All posted comments are the views and opinions of the poster only.

I am in a foreing country and suffered a concussion because I felt off my bike and landed on my nose. Dr in the ER told me I had a 3 small bleedings that were dry and represent no risk (I went to er 3 days post fall, by ambulance, the emt decided I needed to be rushed to hospital) He said the best thing to do was take a flight home and stay there. Through the visit I felt like they were annoyed I was a foreigner and couldn’t communicate in their language….making a game/bet, who could understand what I had to explain. I do it in English, and they all go p-“oh…at least speaks English, with that attitude of,”wtf are you doing in my country”… and I feel the advice is more than medical, more like (I want you out of my country0

My sister was in a car accident 7 days ago and was life flighted to a trauma hospital 2 hrs from her home. At first she was actually walking and talking after the accident scene but she was taken to hospital anyways. Within 2 hours of her arrival at hospital her brain was bleeding and swelling and she had to be put on a ventilator and slipped into a coma. She was in ICU for last 7 days. They did a MRI yesterday which still showed blood on the brain and a small amount of swelling but she was sent home with a Walker because she can’t walk on her own right now and we were told the worst is behind us hopefully and in time she will continue to get stronger. I live 3 hour plane ride from her and my mom has talked her into flying home with me tomorrow so we can take care of her at our homes. I’m terrified to take her on w plane tomorrow for 3 hours with the MRI showing there is still blood on the brain and the recovery she is going to need until the swelling goes down and her body heals. Am I wrong for not wanting to fly her right now up to my home ?

My son hade seizure las year his under medication Kepra I want to go overseas can he go on the plane 20 hours flaying

I worked in a ship and i have a brain injury 3 months ago anx need to go home in 2 months now i fell pressure headache cant sleep problem thinking ad memory problem become slow and emotion changes what is the risks of flying back home for almost 2 days together in waiting in the airport

I worked in a ship and i have a brain injury 3 months ago anx need to go home in 2 months now i fell pressure headache cant sleep problem thinking ad memory problem become slow and emotion changes what is the risks of flying back home for almost 2 days together in waiting in the airport

Hi im'e john from the uk I had my brain injury 10 years ago after my drink got spiked and I ended up in a coma for 5 months and left with the loss of 10% of oxygen and then in 2015 I had my first fit and that left me with a small bleed on the brain and a namanola on the brain and my sister wants me to go on holiday and wondering if I can fly

My husband had a stroke and brain haemorrhage in 2005. He has a missing bone flap. He is on medication. Do you know if he would be able to fly a short trip?

Is ten days long enough to wait to fly after a concussion