Oxygen and you
Oxygen is a drug and must be prescribed by your physician. If you have ever experienced difficulty breathing, or if you have lung or heart problems, you have probably wondered about using oxygen at home. While oxygen therapy relieves many of the adverse symptoms associated with low oxygen levels, much of the damage caused by heart disease or lung diseases like emphysema are irreversible. Presently, there are an estimated 4 million people with heart and lung problems that benefit or could benefit from home oxygen therapy, while an estimated 50 million Americans are affected by heart and lung diseases.
Once you begin your home oxygen therapy you can look forward to sleeping better, remember things better, being less irritable, feel more energetic, and suffer fewer depressions. Your ability to endure more exercise will increase and you typically spend less time hospitalized. You will be able to lead a happier and more productive life.
Oxygen is most commonly delivered to you via tubing called a nasal cannula. This cannula is placed under your nose and over your ears.
DO NOT SMOKE WHILE USING OXYGEN! While oxygen is not flammable, it does accelerate combustion. It is possible to ignite a flame and burn your cannula and your face by smoking and using oxygen. Do not allow smokers within 10 feet of you if you are using oxygen.
Kontakt Oxygenworldwide for all your travelling with oxygen needs.
Find Relief from COPD with Portable Oxygen Concentrators
If you suffer from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), you are not alone. Because the body does not get enough oxygen on its own with this disease, shortness of breath, chronic cough and wheezing, fatigue and tightness in the chest are often experienced.
However, many of those struggling with COPD have found relief with mobile oxygen therapy such as Portable oxygen concentrators (POCs). They also help to protect the heart and decrease its workload, which can become overwhelming when there is a lack of oxygen. Those who use portable oxygen solutions, can also experience better sleep patterns during the night and more energy and alertness during the day.
There are certain adjustments that can be made in your daily routine to ensure your supplemental oxygen has the opportunity to perform to its highest ability. Incorporate these tips into your life for a more independent and healthy way of life:
- Eat Small Meals: Strive to eat six small meals a day with a high caloric intake. Use whole milk and cream with your morning cereal and coffee. Use butter, cream cheese and healthy oils in your meals. And don’t skimp on the dessert! When you cook, make enough for two or three meals to cut down on cooking efforts.
- Exercise with Your Oxygen: Simply walking for 20 to 30 minutes a day, three to four times a week, will keep your body active and healthy. So you don’t have to run a marathon to get maximum benefits. Instead, walk around your block or even down your driveway and back. Find an activity you enjoy and stick with it. You can always build up your routine.
- Reorganise Your Home: Ask a friend or family member to help you rearrange your belongings so that they do not require you to reach overhead. Remove dishes from the top shelves and make sure everything in your closet is easily accessible, as reaching over your head can become tiring.
The newest mobile oxygen therapy options allow those challenged with COPD to travel freely instead of lugging around large, awkward tanks of oxygen. Many POCs have the ability to plug into cars.
To learn more about how a portable oxygen system can allow COPD patients to lead active lives by helping the body receive the oxygen it needs anywhere it needs it.
For more information when travelling with your portable oxygen concentrator visit OxygenWorldwide.
The above article is a guide taken from various resources for useful information relating to portable oxygen concentrators.
Simple, safe oxygen solutions
The presence of portable, medical oxygen in the home has grown over the past decade — and so has the need for education about the fire hazards associated with its use.
Medical oxygen adds a higher percentage of oxygen to the air a patient uses to breathe. And fire needs oxygen to burn and if a fire should start in an oxygen-enriched area, the material burning will burn more quickly. When more oxygen is present, any fire that starts will burn hotter and faster than usual, it is crucial to follow safety precautions when medical oxygen is in use in a home.
Oxygen saturates fabric-covered furniture, clothing, hair and bedding, making it easier for a fire to start and spread, according to the regulator. Smoking is the leading heat source resulting in medical oxygen-related fires, injuries and deaths. Homes where medical oxygen is used need specific fire safety rules to protect people from fire and burns.
Simple, safety tips:
• There is no safe way to smoke in the home when oxygen is in use. Patients on oxygen should not smoke.
• Candles, matches, wood stoves and even sparking toys can be ignition sources and should not be used in the home.
• Keep oxygen cylinders at least five feet from heat sources, open flames or electrical devices.
• Body oil, hand lotion and items containing oil and grease can easily ignite. Keep oil and grease away from where oxygen is in use.
• Never use aerosol sprays containing combustible materials near the oxygen.
• Post “No Smoking” and “No Open Flames” signs in and outside the home to remind people not to smoke.
• Ensure smoke alarms are working by testing monthly. Daylight saving time weekends are great times to replace smoke alarm batteries. Also consider using 10-year batteries for smoke alarms.
• Practice a home fire escape plan with two ways out of every room at least twice a year.
Stay safe with OxygenWorldwide and our care team - register your portable oxygen concentrator with us today at info@oxygenworldwide.com.
caring for you guaranteed
While the warranty service on your portable oxygen concentrator is handled by the retailer you purchase it from, oxygen concentrators are covered by different warranties depending on who manufactured them. It is important to keep in mind the duration of your warranty so you are prepared with the correct information, should a problem with your device arise. Not all warranties cover everything especially the need when you are away in a different county and your machine is faulty or needs repairing.
Be sure to carefully consider the different portable oxygen concentrators available before purchasing. However, regardless of what model you choose, you are sure to enjoy the freedom of being able to travel in ways that, several years ago, were not possible for patients requiring oxygen therapy.
At OxygenWorldwide we have a very unique service that our customers rely on each time they chose to travel abroad for every trip. Registering is free and all the hard work is done by our team of consultants priory to your travels to make your trip stress and worry free.
Our Simple Oxygen Solutions means that we can arrange alternative oxygen can be supplied in case you encounter problems with your oxygen device and also check this is possible before you travel.
For further details and to register please contact our team on info@oxygenworldwide.com or visit our website for further details www.oxygenworldwide.com
The Good, the bad and your Portable Oxygen Concentrator
Portable oxygen concentrator (or POC) is a portable device used to provide oxygen therapy to a patient at substantially higher concentrations than the levels of ambient air. It is very similar to a home oxygen concentrator, but is smaller in size and more mobile. The portable oxygen concentrator makes it easy for patients to travel freely; they are small enough to fit in a car and most of the major concentrators are now FAA-approved.
Most of the portable oxygen concentrator systems available today provide oxygen on a pulse (on-demand) delivery in order to maximise the purity of the oxygen. The system supplies a high concentration of oxygen and is used with a nasal cannula to channel oxygen from the concentrator to the patient.
The Bad...
But what happens if your POC breaks down, stops working or is faulty? This is not just a machine that can be switched off. Patients need continuous supply to stay alive and aid their breathing. This is where OxygenWorldwide step in. As a POC owner if you register you device with our team online or by phone you can be safe in our hands if this occurs whilst travelling abroad.
Enquire online & register now
Our Simple Oxygen Solution (SOS) is very unique but life saving protection for your next trip abroad.
For more details or to speak to one of our care team please call us or visit our website: www.oxygenworldwide.com
Oxygen, travel and the best experts in Europe
You are here because you or a loved one is on oxygen therapy. You found yourself out of breath after doing simple task. Traveling with oxygen may seem intimidating. With a little planning, however, it can be easily – and safely - done. Before you begin to plan any kind of travel with oxygen, you'll first need to get clearance from you doctor for travel. You'll want to have his support and expertise to help with your travel plans.
Whether your traveling by car, bus, or plane there will be some rules to follow and practical things you can do to make traveling with oxygen as easy as possible. Organising your medical oxygen is easy - just send an email or contact our team at www.oxygenworldwide.com who will help you plan your trip. If you already have a portable oxygen concentrator we can help you feel safe and have peace of mind when in a foreign country with our simple oxygen solution.
When you register for our back up service this means that if something breaks down, goes wrong or is faulty we will be on hand to help. Email our team info@oxygenworldwide.com
OxygenWorldwide visits Kenya
Thanks to the sponsorship by OxygenWorldwide, The Style Foundation's mission to create a sustainable economy in developing countries are able to continue the work on the schools in Kenya.
VeraPijnenburg: "In the three weeks I spent with a group of 35 enthusiastic volunteers in Kenya we have helped build a project related to a trade school for catering and construction business. Together with the local population we helped bricklaying for lodges, make foundations, connected a water pump and painted the local school."
This project is primarily aimed at education for a better future for the population. The lodges are designed for the tourists and the income thereof will be for the maintenance of the school. The Style Foundation are very grateful for the sponsorship from the whole team at OxygenWorldwide!
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world".
Nelson Mandela.
Are you using a LifeChoice Portable Oxygen Concentrator?
If you are a proud owner of a LifeChoice POC then you will already know how The LifeChoice is now helping patients all over the world: USA, Europe, Latin America, Middle East and Asia.
The LifeChoice is the smallest POC (less than 2.2 kg) with 5+ hours of battery life, Auto Breath detection for Active and Sleep Mode, and the most powerful POC in its class at 750 ml output utilizing the state of the art Pulse Wave delivery system. The Pulse Wave delivery is a technology advancement over standard demand bolus pulse systems. You can feel the difference between the Pulse Wave and other demand systems. The LifeChoice is FDA listed (USA medical device), ISO 13485, FAA (airline use) and CE mark approved.
For mobile patients who are still active, walking, traveling, living their lives to the fullest and require 3 LPM or less, the truly portable LifeChoice is superior to the heavy carted/trolley transportable systems that the patient must drag behind them. These heavy carted/trolley systems are not truly portable since they require a cart/trolley with wheels. The LifeChoice also helps with certain patients where compressed or liquid oxygen gas is just not the right therapy especially if the patient is very mobile or travels. Also, with the LifeChoice, there is no fear of your cylinder running out of oxygen.
With the LifeChoice and its unique Pulse Wave delivery system (a blend of pulse/continuous delivery), patients Stay Active and Sleep Well.
With OxygenWorldwide you can enquire online or speak to one of our expert multilingual members of staff to help organise your back up service to keep you and your LifeChoice portable oxygen concentrator safe and in working order.
Our registration for S.O.S back up service is completely FREE and for your peace of mind. Our team can 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.
OxygenWorldwide can, if needed, also arrange oxygen at your destination before your arrival.
For further details on our back up service also known as simple oxygen solutions go to our website www.oxygenworldwide.com and simply complete the registration form.
We look forward to helping you travel with your portable oxygen concentrator with peace of mind.
Traveling abroad with medical oxygen - no big deal!
Traveling abroad with medical oxygen can be very stressful, time consuming and worrying. Oxygenworldwide have been arranging this for many years and the team are experienced in making this service as stress-free for you - giving you more time to relax and enjoy your travels, every time.
Read more information at www.oxygenworldwide.com and also tweet @oxygenworldwide and like facebook.com/oxygenworldwide to speak to our care team, ask queries and read our client testimonials.
Happy Travels!
Frequently Asked Questions when travelling with oxygen
Can I travel across the border?
Yes, but with increased border security, make sure you have the following documentation:
- A current oxygen prescription from your doctor
- Proof of “point of origin” for your oxygen equipment
What should I take with me when traveling?
- Your Home Oxygen Provider’s phone number
- Your doctor’s name and office phone number
- An emergency contact’s name and phone number (e.g. family, friend)
- A letter from your physician to any health care professional (e.g. physician, nurse, etc.) you may need to see while travelling
- A list of your allergies, vaccinations and current medications
- A copy of your treatment plan in case of flare-ups
- A prescription for antibiotics, if prescribed by your physician
- The name of a physician at your destination; make sure this physician receives current medical information from your Canadian physician before you travel
- A copy of your Health Directive (Ensure your family is also aware of your wishes)
- Extra medication, in case you are delayed returning home
- If traveling by plane with a portable oxygen concentrator (POC), bring the Physician's Statement for Airline Travel with a POC, completed by your physician. This will authorize your POC use during the flight.
