epilepsy and the wind tunnel

[socalflight 0]

are there any neurologists out there or jumpers with experience with epilepsy and possible effects flying in the tunnel may have. in essence, does using those parts of your brain required to fly your body something that could provoke a seizure?

[PhreeZone 14]

They do have flashing lights in the tunnel to signal time up.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[mailin 0]

Do you know where the focus of the seizures is? Only certain types are triggered by lights.

Arianna Frances

[pope 0]

pm sent.

[Eule 0]

Quote

They do have flashing lights in the tunnel to signal time up.

I was just at Eloy and they also have a loud mechanical bell. I don't think it's tied to the phone ringing; it seems like there was just a push button someplace so it could be rung at will. There is also usually a countdown on a computer monitor that is visible from inside the chamber, and the tunnel rats would also flag people down when their time was up. So, if the strobe lights might be a problem for someone, I don't think it would be a big deal to not use them for a session.

The original poster may also want to inqure in the wind tunnel forum.

Eule

PLF does not stand for Please Land on Face.

[GravityJunky 0]

I know several folks that skydive w/ epilepsy, what really matters is, the cause origin of the seizures, the types of them experienced, (basically the individuals personal medical history... every case is different) but the key element would most likely be how well controlled the epilepsy in the individual is! Good luck!

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[Baksteen 84]

I am a skydiver with a past of epilepsy, who recently had his first wind tunnel experience in Roosendaal, The Netherlands.

Before getting to the tunnel proper, we had to pass through an airlock, which I failed to recognise as such. Therefore I was taken by surprise by the sudden drop in pressure as the outer door closed; I felt a wave of dizziness, and had to grip the banister with my right hand to keep from falling. I steadied myself and let go. A second later I realised that I was dizzy (as I used to seconds before an otherwise unexpected seizure) and I felt a surge of panic. I nearly ran back out to the locker rooms.
Instead I closed my eyes, gripped the banister again and reasoned with myself that a fall in pressure was only to be expected, as the updraft in the tunnel was bound to suck air from the surrounding chamber. So i was probably not going to have a seizure, especially since I had carefully taken my meds the past few weeks, and since my last seizure was so long ago, etc. My panic lifted,the dizziness passed, and I had a blast with my first ten minutes of tunnel time without any other.. "side effects".

I am posting this because the drop in pressure was a really nasty surprise. I don't know if others are as attuned to unexpected changes in their surrounding environment, but forewarned is forarmed. I have felt this wave of dizziness before; during my first high-alti jump from 19.000 ft, right after taking off my oxygen mask. The difference is that in that case i was expecting an unfamiliar environment, and prepared to feel a bit weird at first.


edited for clarity

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