More and more need for medical oxygen especially after more respiratory conditions such as Covid so this service is on the increase. `
Always plan in advance so that everything can be arranged for the correct dates of travel with no last minute panics
Airlines operate different policies please see you A-Z list here for further details as this can cause problems when booking travel by air
Careful arrangements by speaking with the OxygenWorldwide team here to make sure correct oxygen therapy is at your holiday for the duration of your stay
Simply be prepared and plan in advance when traveling with medical oxygen.
Traveling can be stressful let alone during the festive season when many are going home for the holidays, visiting friends and family and meeting up with loved ones for Christmas. This can provide another layer of anxiety for those using medical oxygen and could deter anyone from even thinking about travel. Here are a few tips so you can set off on your travels and not miss out plus feel more relaxed as with anything planning and being prepared is the best tip especially if you have portable oxygen to take with you and also if you are going away for a longer period than normal.
Avoid travelling on busy days for example Christmas Eve or once most companies break up for the Christmas holidays.
Always plan to have extra battery power in case of travel delays or disruptions beyond your control.
Real Christmas trees are magical but for those with respiratory difficulties this can affect your breathing. Fake Christmas trees are much safer.
The festive season brings out all the scents but also with this comes naked flames so avoid scented candles that may trigger problems and also walk passed those chestnuts on open fires or grills.
If you are traveling via air or sea please do check with your transportation provider your needs and that you are all pre-booked for your requirements. It is always advised to check all requirements before travel to stop any confusion or problems when boarding.
Finally enjoy your holiday, the time of year and being with your loved ones. Christmas is a magical time and can be enjoyed by all. Simply plan and prepare for all situations. If you require medical oxygen abroad simply send your medical requirements to the team at OxygenWorldwide who can arrange everything for you. Having 24/7 contact especially during holidays is a must and the OxygenWorldwide team will be your support.
IMPORTANT: A local contact for you airbnb, hotel or villa reservation
OxygenWorldwide arranges the delivery of oxygen before you arrive and collects it again after you leave.
To achieve this we will always need a verifiable local contact person who can accept the materials on your behalf.
In the event that you do not have a local contact person because you made a booking through an online travel operator such as Airbnb or booking.com or alternative travel website and you have to let yourself in with a key or with a code, we can in only in some cases make a delivery on your arrival day or the day after.
The materials will then be collected before you leave.
Important: this last option is not available in all countries.
To enquire about medical oxygen delivery with our expert team please contact us here.
Winter is here. For many its a time to get excited for all the festivities as we warm up for spending time with loved ones, take a break or have some time out to see out the end of another (tough) year. But for many it can anticipate worry, anxiety and even cause for concern if you have a respiratory disease such as asthma, COPD or bronchitis. Many will be short of breath, coughing more or even not wanting to leave the house to avoid worsening conditions especially in times where coughing and having a cold makes many even more wary with Covid-19.
The best advice is to Keep Warm and to Keep Active. These two elements will help you be less severe and stay away from worsening your conditions. And the most important piece of advice is if you are unwell please do speak with you GP or doctor for further advice. Leaving the house may give many anxiety but a short walk in your local area and getting fresh air is so important for your physical and mental health.
Staying warm is important to keep your body temperature up. Carefully plan your ability to keep you house warm, wear extra layers of clothing and even thick socks and long-sleeved tops. Moving about will help to keep your temperature warm and strengthen those lungs which is very important at this time of year. You may be travelling this winter to visit or be with your family so please do speak with our team for advice and arrangements to allow you one less thing to worry about when arranging medical oxygen on holiday.
If you are recently new to lung problems due to contracting COVD-19 then do not worry. Even thought you may need extra support with medical oxygen, we have been experts for well over 20 years! Travelling currently has many restrictions in place as the world prepares to ease lockdown rules. This will vary by country and rules consistently change as the situation continues to be monitored.
BUT the good news is that if you are a medical oxygen user we can help arrange travel for you.
IMPORTANT Information: Due to Coronavirus regulations outbound travel is only allowed in accordance with your guidelines in your country. OxygenWorldwide can send you documentation prior to travel but will need dates of intended travel and required medical forms that you are a medical oxygen patient.
This article information is as of publish date so please do check all regulations or contact us for the latest advice here.
You may have heard this in the UK press recently and wondering what this means? This loophole has been discovered for UK residents who own second homes. Many UK residents have holiday homes or second homes across Europe such as Spain, France and Italy. Lots of UK residents who have enjoyed their time split between being close to loved ones in the UK and also enjoying an extended holiday or summer months in warmer climates over the years.
The last 12 months has meant many have not been able to enjoy this as flights or travel was not permitted. Now the UK prepares to ease lockdown with its roadmap planned out there is a loophole for all those second home owners, but what is it?
All UK residents can travel to their second home if the reason is to prepare it for sale or rental reasons. This will come into force this week on step 1 of the latest roadmap allowing certain reasons to travel.
You may be wondering why it is called the ‘Stanley Johnson Loophole’ and it is connected to Boris Johnson’s father who travelled to his Greek villa to make it ‘COVID-proof’ which breached the guidelines at the time in summer 2020.
Below is what has been published that is an appropriate reason to travel to your second home:
– Visiting an estate agent – Visiting a show home – Viewing a property or several – Preparing to move into a property – If you need to travel for study – If you are participating in an elite sport event
Currently travel from the UK carries a fine if rules are broken and although summer holidays for many now seems to not include getting on a plane to another country; will this loophole if still allowed mean for some they will be able to hop on a plane and get to their second home to prepare, buy or sell a property?
We can truly say that we have all had a very challenging year especially for travel and most have put off or delayed travel plans over the summer.
As we approach winter there is a still a chance to stop dreaming and actually get in a break before Christmas and the new year. A lot of short breaks still give the sense or relaxation and escaping the normal routine of day to day life. Many people are either stuck to their mobile devices, working from home or simply stuck in a routine within the same four walls. For many a break away however long will give a sense of escapism before the year is over plus before more weeks of uncertainty around COVID and a global pandemic.
There are many countries that will be open for travel this winter and also have great safety measures. Many hotels and hospitality premises have very good socially distanced and clean commitments in place to give everyone the confidence when visiting and these can all be researched online prior to booking. When booking your winter break you can also have confidence that many hotel companies are offering very flexible policies so that you do not loose your money if you plans have to change.
Research and plan your travel plans wisely and look forward to travel before another lockdown so you have something to look forward before the year is over.
When travelling with oxygen you can speak to our team and contact us with all your arrangements and be confident that your requirements will be fulfilled and you can sit back and relax awaiting an adventure before the year is over and have something positive to remember.
COPD can have a devastating impact upon your personal life but if you are also aged 45-65 it can also have an even greater impact on your job. Work-loss for COPD patients is not just due to COPD alone but also due to the other associated medical problems that coexist with COPD. Not being able to work has an impact on the rest of your life, from financial worries to personal fulfillment.
Results from a cross-sectional survey of 2,426 people with COPD living and working in 6 countries around the world (Brazil, China, Germany, Turkey, United States and United Kingdom) revealed the following:
• 80% were unable to maintain their previous lifestyle.
• One in four felt they could not continue to care for their children or other members of their family as they once did.
• One in five felt they had become a burden to family members and friends.
• 41% felt they could no longer plan for their future.
• 37% reported their income had dropped since being diagnosed.
However some people still manage to continue working until retirement. It depends on your job role; will it make your condition worse by continuing to work in that role or is there an option to change roles or career so that you can still work? If this is not possible then you can claim long-term disability which will give you some income.
If however you feel that you can continue employment then there are things that you and your employer can do to make your work life less of a burden on your disease. The employer will welcome that a few changes will help to ensure that you don’t take as many days off from work for being ill.
Here are just a few accommodations that employers can make that are not overly imposing:
• Providing an accessible parking space that is close to the door.
• Moving your workstation closer to the entrance of the building.
• Allowing you to work from home at least a couple of days a week, if not every day.
• Providing a smoke-free, dust-free, fume-free environment. This can even mean asking other employees not to wear heavy colognes or perfumes.
• Providing adequate ventilation.
• Allowing you a flexible schedule so that you don’t miss your doctor appointments or perhaps letting you come in later on certain days.
• Giving you advanced notification of any construction work or cleaning that will be going on in your particular work area.
• Allowing you to use a scooter or motorized cart to increase your mobility while in the workplace or to move from one office building to the next during work hours.
If your employer makes changes to help you then you must try to ensure that you are as productive as possible in return:
• Doing everything you can to prevent COPD exacerbation. An exacerbation can cause you to miss more days of work, or worse yet, land you in the hospital. Frequent hand-washing, staying away from crowds and sick people and getting your vaccinations will all help.
• Wearing your oxygen at work. Oxygen therapy helps prevent breathlessness, improves your mental alertness and increases your stamina so you can get through your work day. If you feel conspicuous with your nasal canula then there are oxygen glasses you can try or tracheal oxygen may be an option as you can hide the tubes with a scarf or a high-neckline top.
People with COPD are more likely to accept early retirement than those who do not have COPD and this can negatively impact your pension benefits and have a dramatic affect on your financial well-being, as well as that of your family.
Before deciding on retirement you should ensure you have explored with your doctor and your employer all possible avenues of adapting your workplace environment and tried different medications before giving up on work completely. You can also talk to a financial adviser to see what else you could do to ensure that you and your family are well taken care of.
References: http://copd.about.com
A new study has found that women require more oxygen when breathing when compared to men. It was discovered that during exercise the muscles around the diaphragm and ribcage that are needed for breathing consume more oxygen in women than in men.
gender
As more oxygen is required by the respiratory muscles to breathe, women consume more energy and require a higher oxygen intake, which increases during exercise. Therefore women need to breathe more to compensate for this increased oxygen requirement.
Previous research indicated that women’s airways ate narrower than men’s, even when both have the same sized lungs and therefore moving the same amount of oxygen through the airways costs more energy-wise for women than for men.
The study also suggested that if women’s respiratory muscles require more oxygen then blood flow is directed here and may be reduced from other parts of the body such as the leg muscles and for cardiac output. Therefore the physical performance of other parts of the body may decrease due to the focus of the body to concentrate the oxygen to travel mainly to the respiratory muscles.
The findings could prove important in the treatment of lung disorders, as a reduced lung capacity combined with harder working muscles may lead to a higher energy demand, with it being greater in women. These findings could be important in the clinical management of people with lung disorders and lead to more focus on the gender of the patient as to how best to treat them such as altering their fitness programs.
References: http://health.usnews.com and http://www.foxnews.com
1. Portable oxygen concentrators…
2. Oxygenworldwide has a huge network on a worldwide scale
3. OxygenWorldwide has a team of experts on hand prior to travel and during your holiday (SOS)
4. There are a wide selection of equipment types suitable for most oxygen patients
5. OxygenWorldwide have a multilingual team of staff
