Airplanes & Anxiety

Airplane anxiety can range from mild to extreme. In the most extreme cases, individuals may refuse to fly at all. Severe airplane anxiety is referred to as aviophobia.

Effects

• Symptoms associated with airplane anxiety include shortness of breath, chest pain, heart palpitations, tremors, muscle tension, upset stomach, sweating, dizziness, dry mouth, pale face, flushed face, weakness and prickly sensations.

Significance

• According to LiveScience.com, about 25 million individuals in the U.S. suffer from some degree of airplane anxiety.

Misconceptions

• Airplane anxiety stems both from irrational fears about plane crashes and from other fears such as a fear of heights (acrophobia) and a fear of enclosed spaces (claustrophobia). Also, some people may be overcome with a feeling of helplessness because they are not in control.

Safety Fact

• The U.S. Department of Transportation has determined that flying in a plane is 29 times safer that traveling by automobile.

Treatments

• Treatments for airplane anxiety may include education about how planes operate and what to expect on a plane, anti-anxiety medications, and cognitive or virtual reality therapies.