Question from Comm written

[spiderweb]

Aeromedical factors. Why is "euphoria" not associated with hyperventilation? The correct answer has "drowsiness" in it.

I once told a student of mine who got very nervous before performances to breathe deeply during the orchestral introduction. She breathed so deeply she almost passed out! I now add the word "slowly" to my admonition to breathe deeply.

 

[ajstoner21]

Euphoria is a symptom of hyperventilation. Alot of the questions on the FAA tests may have more than one correct answer, its just that one may be "more" correct.

"Hyperventilation occurs when you are experiencing emotional stress, fright, or pain, and your breathing rate and depth increase although the carbon dioxide is already at a reduced level in the blood. The result is an excess loss of carbon dioxide from yoru body which can lead to unconsciousness due to the respiratory systems overriding mechanism to regain control of breathing. After becoming unconscious, your breathing rate will be exceedingly low until enough carbon dioxide is produced to stimulate the respiratory center."

Common Symptoms of Hyperventilation: headache, decreased reaction time, impaired judgment, euphoria, visual impairment, drowsiness, lightheaded or dizzy sensation, tingling in fingers and toes, numbness, pale, clammy appearance, and muscle spasms.

(from Jeppesen)

I would say drowsiness is more correct because its part of the bodies natural defense mechanism to lower your breathing rate and produce carbon dioxide to stimulate the respiratory center.


(carbon dioxide is what is in your blood that stimulates your respiratory system to stabilize your breathing rate)

Cure: Breath normally. You can slow your breathing rate and you can also breathe into a paper bag to restore the carbon dioxide levels. I think slow is the important part, not the deep part. Breathing deep is the respiratory systems response to remove excess carbon dioxide. Too little carbon dioxide is part of the problem. So don't want to remove any more.

Talking out loud is a way to naturally slow the breathing rate.

 

[poadeleted20]

Are you saying "euphoria" wasn't one of the choices but "drowsiness" was, or that both "drowsiness" and "euphoria" were but the "correct" answer was only "drowsiness"?

In any event, the FAA doesn't give out the "correct" answers, just the questions, and the test guide publisher has to determine what s/he thinks is the "correct" answer. Where did you find this?

 

[spiderweb]

Are you saying "euphoria" wasn't one of the choices but "drowsiness" was, or that both "drowsiness" and "euphoria" were but the "correct" answer was only "drowsiness"?

In any event, the FAA doesn't give out the "correct" answers, just the questions, and the test guide publisher has to determine what s/he thinks is the "correct" answer. Where did you find this?

This was in the Gleim test prep. As you know, it uses the FAA questions. There are two questions, I think, where you have to choose between euphoria and drowsiness. But having gone through it again, I am seeing that the answers that have euphoria in them have other things that are definitely not correct. The end result is that the answer you have to pick isn't the one you or I would have constructed, I guess!

 

[spiderweb]

I am thinking that they are trying to get away from the idea of euphoria, because it is a word that connotes good things, and they want you to understand that hyperventilation is a bad thing.

 

[poadeleted20]

This was in the Gleim test prep. As you know, it uses the FAA questions. There are two questions, I think, where you have to choose between euphoria and drowsiness. But having gone through it again, I am seeing that the answers that have euphoria in them have other things that are definitely not correct.

Yup -- they do that, and not just on aeromedical questions. They'll give multiple choices, each of which has several answers, and only one of the choices has all correct correct answers. The others have some correct and some incorrect, and you have to reject the ones that have some incorrect answers.

 

[spiderweb]

Yup -- they do that, and not just on aeromedical questions. They'll give multiple choices, each of which has several answers, and only one of the choices has all correct correct answers. The others have some correct and some incorrect, and you have to reject the ones that have some incorrect answers.

Which, actually, is not a bad idea, because it has that human tendency for us to bundle a bunch of items together in one concept--but one of those items might be completely off-base.