advice on health

Not sleeping can affect your health

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Sleep apnea can worsen blood sugar control in people with Type 2 diabetes by disrupting the deepest stage of sleep, a new study suggests. The findings provide another good reason for people with sleep apnea to wear a CPAP mask that helps assure uninterrupted breathing, the standard treatment for the condition, throughout the night.Travelling with oxygen

It is well known that sleep apnea, which causes breathing pauses and dangerous drops in oxygen during sleep, sharply raises the risk of Type 2 diabetes. More severe cases of sleep apnea are generally associated with poorer blood sugar control in diabetics.

While breathing pauses can occur throughout the night in apnea patients, the new study, published in Diabetes Care, found that episodes that occurred during the rapid eye movement, or REM, phase of sleep had the most detrimental effects on long-term blood sugar control.

Most REM sleep occurs in the early morning hours before waking. But research shows that many patients remove their CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure, mask in the middle of the night because it can feel uncomfortable, said Dr. Babak Mokhlesi, an author of the new study and the director of the sleep disorders center at the University of Chicago.

As a result, their apnea is more likely to go untreated during REM sleep, a time that may be particularly important for anyone with diabetes, Dr. Mokhlesi said.

reference to Anahad O’Connor, New York Times, 2014

Seeing and breathing clearly

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glassesOxygen therapy eyeglasses are designed for those individuals that require supplemental oxygen.  Glasses allows you to “ditch” your nasal cannula, improve your quality of life, and feel better about yourself, while assuring that you are receiving the oxygen prescribed by your doctor.  These attractive eyeglass frames not only hold your prescription lenses, they also deliver the oxygen you need in a way that others will hardly notice.
Oxygen glasses use a special tubing that is nearly invisible. This tubing attaches to your eyeglass frames at the ends of the side pieces. The oxygen travels through the frames to the bridge. At the bridge, it flows through inconspicuous nasal prongs into your nasal cavity. The nasal prongs sit back against your face along the sides of your nose.
COPD patients using oxygen glasses look better and more normal than patients using traditional nasal cannula. This boosts patients’ self esteem. Patients with oxygen glasses use their oxygen more consistently and have more active social lives. Oxygen glasses reduce the stigma associated with oxygen use. Oxygen glasses do not require tubing over the ears or across the face. This reduces skin irritation and sores. Traditional oxygen tubing gets very cold in winter weather. Oxygen glasses make it more pleasant to go out in colder temperatures.

xygen glasses come in full rim and half rim styles. Both styles feature lightweight frames in several sizes to fit different users. The full rim glasses come in gold-tone or brown, and the half rim glasses come in gunmetal, pink, blue and brown. Hinged models fold like traditional glasses and have replaceable rubber seals over the hinge to protect the oxygen flow. Non-hinged models do not fold, but are more durable than hinged models.
Oxygen glasses come with tubing, connectors, nasal prongs and the frames. Take the frames to your optician to have your personal prescription lenses inserted. Available accessories include clip-on shades to turn your oxygen glasses into sunglasses and complementary shoulder bags and backpacks for discreetly carrying your portable oxygen tank.

There are many companies that sell and market these products, take a look and you may be able to improve your breathing and see more clearly.
Traveling with medical oxygen? Make sure you take a look at OxygenWorldwide.

New Year Resolutions

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It’s time to set goals and new initiatives for yourself in the form of often-made, seldom-followed “New Year’s Resolutions”. We’ve developed some resolutions for people that use medical oxygen and who suffer from breathing conditions.
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 1.  Stop Smoking – This resolution is a no-brainer. A popular resolution every January for smokers, quitting smoking is the easiest way to prevent COPD, and it is the best way to slow the progression of COPD if you already have it. If you have an oxygen tank, then quitting smoking should be even more of a no-brainer, but in case you needed another reason to quit: it is incredibly dangerous to have smoke around a medical oxygen tank.
 2.  Go on Spontaneous Trips – One of the greatest gifts that a portable oxygen concentrator offers is the potential to do something unplanned. Enjoy that freedom to pick up and go somewhere. Sometimes the easy choice is to stay at home, but you will be happy that you decided to spend an afternoon out, and those closest to you will be happy as well. If you require medical oxygen and aren’t yet enjoying the freedom of a portable oxygen concentrator, then 2014 is the year to start.
 3.  Connect – Connect with a group or organization of interest. There is great comfort, support, and fun to be had in knowing that you are not the only one living with medical oxygen, a breathing condition, or both. Whether it’s attending an event or making a donation, you’ll feel better after you get involved.
 4.  Eat better, Exercise better, Live better -This is a very popular resolution, and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t make it one of yours and follow through with it. You might think that since you have your oxygen concentrator, the rest is out of your control. But when it comes to diet & exercise, there are a number of things that you can do to make things easier on yourself. Eating better will not only improve your overall health, but by eating certain foods and avoiding others, you can make breathing easier for yourself.
What are your personal New Year’s Resolutions? Share with us which of these 5 resolutions you’ve decided to adopt, and any others that you might have.
Find out more about travelling with a portable oxygen concentrator www.oxygenworldwide.com

Managing Christmas Stress

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w4r3Christmas can be a very stressful time for anyone – you want to buy presents for your friends and family, plan a trip, plan a family meal and a get-together, and handle the cold weather that you might be experiencing. All of this can be hard to handle for someone who is in full health, not to mention for someone who has a chronic lung condition, such as COPD, or for someone who needs to portable oxygen concentrator on a daily basis.

The key is to not out-do yourself. Buying presents and working yourself into a stressful situation isn’t worth taking a toll on your health. It’s important to keep in mind that your friends and loved ones would want you to stay healthy above all else this time of year.
Here are some ways you can manage your busy holiday season, so you aren’t trying to do too much at once and wearing, as well as ways to relax and just enjoy this special time of year.
Staying Calm and De-Stressing
Write down what you have to do on a calendar and space these things apart so that you have plenty of time between each event or activity. This gives you a time buffer, just in case something comes up. You won’t feel stressed out with a quickly approaching deadline.
Keep it simple with your finances. Shopping and thinking about your loved ones shouldn’t send you into a tizzy – it should be more enjoyable than stressful.
Keep your spending realistic and don’t stress out if you can’t afford to get your grandchildren or children that iPad that they want.
Have friends or family help you set up your Christmas decorations, which will save you some work and exhaustion, so you can enjoy the decorations, as well as the time spent with others. This kind of enjoyment is important to keep your stress levels down. After everything has been set up, sip some hot chocolate and watch Christmas films and enjoy the decorations. Scents are important when you are trying to relax. Natural pine scents, candles that smell like vanilla or freshly baked cookies that will help you relax.

We don’t take breathing for granted.

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Travelling with oxygen
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Holiday and travel.
Even if you have a condition which requires oxygen therapy, you may wish to go on holiday either within the UK or abroad. We have put together some key considerations for you if you wish to go on holiday. We can help with many of the details and offer advice. Please give us as much notice of your holiday requirements, however
it is best to request as early as possible.
Going on holiday in the UK
Before you book
→ Contact your planned holiday destination to gain permission for oxygen equipment to be delivered and stored in the accommodation.
→ If you are travelling by public transport – contact the transport company and inform them you will be carrying oxygen.
Remember to advise:
1. Start and end date of your holiday
2. Full postal address and telephone number of the holiday destination.
Holidays outside the UK
(including the Channel Islands)
Before booking a holiday outside the UK it is advisable to discuss your plans with your doctor or
healthcare professional – especially if you are flying. During a flight, the high altitudes will cause the
oxygen concentration levels in the air in the cabin to fall. People without the need for supplementaryBefore you book your flight find out the following information:
→ What the airline’s policy is on oxygen. Taking oxygen on a plane can be easy and free, or
difficult and expensive. Some airlines will not allow oxygen on the plane at all, it depends on the airline. You must find out before you book a ticket. This may also affect your choice of destination or carrier.
→ The exact length of the flight, and whether delays are likely.
→ The facilities available at both airports. This includes assistance required with luggage, boarding the aircraft, wheelchair requirements and whether oxygen is available. If the holiday involves a long-haul flight, you should find out if time will be spent at a third airport for refuelling and how oxygen will be supplied there if required. With the exception of oxygen provision, these services will usually be free.
→ How you confirm your fitness to fly. Some airlines let you travel without a letter from your doctor, while others ask you to fill in a special medical form, verified either by your own GP or by the airline’s medical staff. Most ask for a fitness to fly certificate, obtained from your doctor.

COPD and Portable Oxygen Therapy

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Many people with COPD need supplemental oxygen therapy. Unfortunately, some people who use portable oxygen are wary of traveling with oxygen. So they opt to stay at home instead of going out to see friends, shop, or enjoy a vacation.

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But oxygen therapy can actually enhance your physical ability to go places and do things that the advance stage of COPD was keeping you from doing. Once you’ve learned what’s involved, you may find that oxygen gives you more freedom to go places and do things you want to do.

Switch to Portable Oxygen Therapy

If you don’t use one already, you’ll need to switch to a portable oxygen delivery system for trips away from home. Portable oxygen concentrators (POCs), hold compressed oxygen in small tanks. Most POC tanks come with carrying cases and travel carts. These are excellent for using in airports or simply going sightseeing.
POCs run on batteries. Some batteries can last up to five hours. POCs also have AC/DC adapters so they can be plugged in when you are in a car or in a location with electrical outlets. The portable oxygen delivery system will allow you to have more freedom to live an active life.
Always keep the phone number of your oxygen supplier close by. You never know when you might have problems with your portable oxygen — whether you’re in town or out of town. Here are more tips on traveling with oxygen:

Land Travel With Portable Oxygen

First, talk with your doctor. Ask if it’s safe for you to travel with COPD. Let your doctor know about your travel destination. This is particularly important if you are traveling to higher altitudes or traveling outside the country.
If you’re going by car or motor home, you’ll have few restrictions in traveling with oxygen. You can take portable oxygen with you in the vehicle if it’s stored safely. Keep your oxygen in the vehicle during travel but away from heat. Partially roll down a window as oxygen containers give off gasses. These gasses can build up in small spaces and be hazardous.
Never store the portable oxygen concentrator in the trunk or other areas that get hot. And make sure no one in the vehicle smokes.
Depending on how far you’re traveling on land, plan ahead to get refills of oxygen. Your oxygen supplier can help you arrange this before you leave.
If you’re taking a bus, call the bus line before the trip. Ask if you can travel with portable oxygen on the bus. Again, make sure no smoking is allowed on the bus you select.
Traveling with oxygen by train should be fine with portable oxygen. Again, call the railway line ahead of time to check on bringing portable oxygen on board. On the train, stay away from smokers (use the “no smoking” cars only). Also, allow for enough oxygen for the trip plus extra for traveling to and from your destinations.

Day Trips and Eating Out With Portable Oxygen

Even with oxygen therapy, you can go to restaurants, shopping malls, movie theaters, symphonies, religious gatherings, and other places. Again, to have a successful day trip with portable oxygen, abide by the rules of safety when traveling with oxygen:

  1. Check the tank before leaving home to make sure you have enough oxygen — enough for the trip to and from the destination, plus extra.
  2. Make sure your oxygen equipment works well.
  3. When you arrive at your destination, do not sit in smoking areas or get near smokers.
  4. Ask to have any candles removed from your table in restaurants.

Cruising With Portable Oxygen

Before you make reservations for a cruise, talk with the cruise line personnel. Ask about the ship’s policies for bringing portable oxygen. Sometimes, supplemental oxygen is provided on the ship. If not, you’ll need to bring plenty of oxygen to last the entire cruise, plus extra.
You may be able to get oxygen refills when the ship docks at each port of call, but ask ahead of time to be sure.
Also, take the appropriate electrical conversion devices for your portable oxygen equipment. While the cruise ships from the U.S. may use standard electrical outlets, converters are especially important to bring when traveling outside the United States.

Air Travel With Oxygen

Many people with COPD must use in-flight supplemental oxygen during air travel. To be able to do this, you will need to make arrangements ahead of time. Here are some guidelines to help you make the trip easier:

  • Ask the airline about policies on using portable oxygen when you first make your reservation.
  • Find out which portable oxygen concentrators are approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for use on the flight. Your airline must approve the type of portable oxygen you use in order for you to bring it with you.
  • If you don’t have the FAA approved type of container, ask your oxygen provider if you can rent an FAA-approved portable oxygen concentrator.
  • Try to get a nonstop or direct flight to alleviate worries about layovers or missing a connecting flight.
  • Contact the airlines again 48 hours before takeoff. Remind them that you’re traveling with oxygen. Some airlines must inspect the oxygen tank 48 hours ahead of the flight to approve its use on the plane. Other airlines may provide oxygen to use on the plane for a fee.
  • Contact your insurance company to see if you need supplementary coverage for traveling with oxygen during your flight.
  • Get a prescription for supplemental oxygen from your physician and keep this with you — always. This prescription should verify the need for in-flight oxygen and also give specifics on how long oxygen should be used and on the oxygen flow rate. The airlines may have their own forms for your physician to fill out — so be sure to get these filled out early.
  • At your doctor’s discretion, you may need an increase in the oxygen flow rate during air travel. Be sure you talk to your doctor about this so you have no discomfort breathing when flying at high altitudes.
  • The airlines may require you to bring ample batteries to power your POC. Make sure your battery lasts 50% longer than the total time of your trip — from the time you leave your home until you arrive at your final destination. You don’t want to have any gaps in getting necessary oxygen for COPD.

What is fit to fly?

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travel with oxygen
flying with medical oxygen

Most travellers with existing medical conditions are able to fly without difficulty. However, occasionally certain precautions need to be taken.
A fitness to fly form is required to be completed when:

  • Fitness to travel is in doubt as a result of recent illness, hospitalisation, injury or surgery
  • If you have an existing unstable medical condition
  • You wish to use medical equipment or therapeutic oxygen on-board

Most medical cases are straightforward, but some require individual assessment. In certain cases, we may ask that you and your doctor complete a “Fitness to Fly’ Form.

Carriage of a POC:

Passengers carrying a POC should obtain a Medical Equipment Approval & Baggage Waiver letter.   This approval & waiver letter must be presented at the Bag Drop desk or at the boarding gate if travelling with no checked baggage.

Use of POC during Flight:

If you wish to use a POC during flight, for the use onboard you will be required to complete a ‘Fit to Fly’ form which will be sent to the passenger once the requirement has been notified.   This completed “Fit to Fly’ form must be returned between 14 up to 2 days prior to travel for validation. The validated “Fit to Fly form must be carried by the passenger on all flights and produced to our cabin crew on boarding the aircraft.

If the POC is to be used onboard it is the passenger’s responsibility to ensure that they have a sufficient number of fully charged batteries for the duration of the flight and any possible delays, as POC or batteries cannot be charged on board.

Individual airline carriers have their own regulations please check before booking departure for full details.

For further info and back up service please contact our team at info@oxygenworldwide.com or www.oxygenworldwide.com

For an example:

Please see below list of models approved for carriage on Ryanair flights:

AirSep FreeStyle (PDF)
AirSep LifeStyle (PDF)
AirSep Focus (PDF)
AirSep Freestyle 5 (PDF)
Delphi RS-00400 / Oxus RS-00400 (PDF)
DeVilbiss Healthcare iGo (PDF)
Inogen One (PDF)
Inogen One G2 (PDF)
lnogen One G3 (PDF)
lnova Labs LifeChoice Activox (PDF)
International Biophysics LifeChoice / lnova Labs LifeChoice (PDF)
Invacare XPO2 (PDF)
Invacare Solo 2 (PDF)
Oxylife Independence Oxygen Concentrator (PDF)
Precision Medical EasyPulse (PDF)
Respironics EverGo (PDF)
Respironics SimplyGo (PDF)
Sequal Eclipse (PDF)
SeQual SAROS (PDF)

 

Traveling with oxygen has become much easier with the development of portable oxygen concentrators

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Traveling with oxygen has become much easier with the development of portable oxygen concentrators (POCs). These devices run on a battery pack, can be recharged, plugged into the wall or a cigarette lighter in a car, and can be taken on airplanes.
Commercial airlines must provide a cabin pressure altitude of no more than 8,000 feet of altitude. Your pulmonologist can determine if air travel is safe for you. Your pulmonologist may order an altitude simulation test to help determine your ability to fly safely at this cabin pressure.
If you are going to need oxygen in flight, you must make arrangements with the airline well ahead of time. You can use either the on-board oxygen supply.
The airline will require a physician’s statement. The airlines generally have their own form for the doctor to complete.
Some tips for air travel with POCs:

  • Start making arrangements with the airline well ahead of time to find out which POC is allowed. Many airlines list accepted manufacturers and brands on their websites.
  • Allow plenty of extra time for check-in.
  • Carry several extra battery packs. FAA regulations require enough battery time to cover 150 percent of the flight time.
  • POCs and battery packs can be rented for travel, along with your POC.
  • Carry an extra three-way plug for recharging your POC in the airport. People often need to recharge their electronic equipment in the airport during layovers, and this will help assure that you will be able to recharge yours.
  • POCs are exempt from the carry-on count.
  • Carry a prescription for oxygen, signed by your doctor.

For more information about POCs and air travel, go to www.oxygenworldwide.com

OxygenWorldwide Reveals Challenging Design of Medical Oxygen Vest

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OxygenWorldwide.com has revealed its design for a Medical Oxygen Vest ( M.O.V.) for those medical oxygen users who want or need to be exeptional mobile like e.g. children or golfplayers.
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OxygenWorldwide, market leader in the medical oxygen travel branch for 20 years challenges with its Medical Oxygen Vest (M.O.V.) a fast growing but rather conservative market when it comes to the design of portable oxygen equipment.
It shows that, in the past few years a unilateral design/development of portable oxygen concentrators (POC’s) has taken place. The medical oxygen equipment industry has put it’s emphasis mainly on making the units smaller and lighter, says Rutger Berntsen, founder and marketing director of OxygenWorldwide . OxygenWorldwide is worlds largest company that arranges medical oxygen for travellers in more than 100 countries and thousands of holiday destinations. Over the past 5-6 years the market shifted from renting more traditional stationary oxygen equipment like cylinders, concentrators or liquid oxygen with a stroller to portable devices. Having clients travelling with these POC’s every day Berntsen and his colleagues  were confronted with the various problems that arise using this particular equipment. Searching for a solution was a natural progression.
The Medical Oxygen Vest is a body warmer type of vest that contains the necessary equipment to provide medical oxygen to the wearer. The vest would be ideal for oxygen users who require a constant supply of medical oxygen and the life line of being able to be mobile and freely move around without the constraints of a more conventional oxygen device. The M.O.V is designed for e.g. young children or active sport users to give the ability to move around more freely such as going to play a game of golf or running around in the playground.
A portable oxygen concentrator (POC) is normally carried around by means of a shoulder strap. This is not convenient when one has to make movements beyond normal walking. The main advantage of the M.O.V. is that the weight of the equipment in the vest is equally divided over two sides located under the arm pits. The fact that the equipment is ‘concealed’ inside the vest could take away the burden of having to carry around a medical device, which to many medical oxygen users indicates the appearance that you are in fact a ‘patient’. Flexible solar panels are placed on the chest and back of the vest to provide (at this stage) power to the display panel. To make the system fully operational the batteries should (at this stage) be charged by plugging into a AC outlet. POC developers interested in learning more about de M.O.V. should contact Rutger Berntsen at + 34 96.688.28.73 Or view the video online at (www.oxygenworldwide.com/mov-design).
About OxygenWorldwide.
OxygenWorldwide is worldleader when it comes to arranging medical oxygen for travellers. (www.oxygenworldwide.com)
OxygenWorldwide is based in Spain but operates in more than 100 countries and thousands of holiday destinations. All staff members speak a minimum of 5 languages and provide a 24/7 telephone service.
Rutger Berntsen, Marketing director.
OxygenWorldwide s.l.
rutgerbernsten (at) oxygenworldwide (dot) com

Simply the answer with medical oxygen

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OxygenWorldwide provide a service for all medical oxygen users who are travelling and should register.
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WHO should register?
If you intend to travel with a portable concentrator and want to be sure alternative oxygen can be supplied in case you encounter problems with your oxygen device you can register below for this service at no cost!
WHY register?
First of all for your peace of mind and secondly to enable us to work out and inform you if we can provide the service you might require in the place and country where you will be going. Although we generally will be able to help you without a pre-registration we can act faster if we have already your details in our database.
WHEN to register?
Any time but the earlier the better as you might want to travel to a certain area where we need to check on availability.
WHO do I call?
In case of an emergency you simply call our 24 hour S.O.S. service on ++ 34 609 657 727
Questions? If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. OxygenWorldwide can, if needed, also arrange oxygen at your destination before your arrival. There is no charge for this registration Register here FREE today.
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