This year we will help even more travel with medical oxygen
For those of you with diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema or chronic bronchitis, supplemental medical oxygen is a necessity. If you have ever tried to travel with supplemental oxygen, you know how difficult this can be. Being prepared, and knowing how to travel safely with oxygen and where to obtain oxygen at your final destination is vital. This is where OxygenWorldwide can help with 20 years of expertise the team are ready and waiting. On call 24 hours a day book your next trip no matter how short or long haul and you will always be in safe hands.
Safety is a very important issue when traveling by car, as an oxygen tank can become a dangerous projectile in an accident. It is crucial to secure the unit. Your oxygen company can provide you with information about safe ways to store and protect your particular oxygen unit in a vehicle. In case of break down OxygenWorldwide provide a FREE registration to a Back Up Service - complete details online now and await a confirmation from our team.
Portable oxygen concentrators — which form oxygen by extracting and separating it from the surrounding air, and deliver it through a nasal cannula — may be stored in any position, but they should be padded to protect them from impact.
Travel by airplane also takes a good amount of research and preparation. No airline will allow you to bring aboard your own oxygen cylinder, but many airlines have medical oxygen cylinders available for a fee for use on their planes, such as Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Continental, Delta and Japan Airlines. The oxygen containers used on airplanes vary from airline to airline.
You will also need to contact your airline to learn their requirements for advance notification of your need for medical oxygen. Many airlines will need a letter from your physician in advance of the flight, so they can contact him or her to verify liter flow. The letter should have a date of no more than one year prior to the flight (some airlines require a letter dated no more than 10 days prior to the flight), stating the amount of oxygen needed and the flow rate, adjusted to cabin pressure.
In Europe, the rules and regulations for oxygen use on vary from country to country. There is no one place to find the information for a trip that takes you from country to country. Your best bet is to contact OxygenWorldwide's customer service department who have a wide range of knowledge in these countries.
Being well prepared will make your travels much more enjoyable.
New Year New You
New Year's Eve is perhaps the most intensely and raucously celebrated night of the year. After all the fanfare, fiestas and fun that are over, it is time for those resolutions!
It’s a brand new year. A time of great hope and optimism as we pocket all the old worries, fears and failures that plagued the last one.
We believe there’s no better way to mark the significance of such a blessed milestone than committing to some New Year Resolutions. Have you given it any thought? Now’s the time!
We all know the “usuals” and they invariably have to do with achieving a greater level of health. People everywhere want to begin anew by getting in shape, eating healthy, exercising.
We researched a list of the most popular resolutions and posted them for you here. See any that strike your fancy?
Most Popular New Year Resolutions
- Eat Healthy Food
- Travel to a new destination
- Do more exercise
- Visit a long-lost friend
- Save Money
- Book your summer holiday
- Volunteer to Help Others
2012 in review
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.
Here's an excerpt:
600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 2,900 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 5 years to get that many views.
Click here to see the complete report.
Your travel Checklist
A checklist for those traveling with portable oxygen concentrators
□ Ask your doctor before traveling
Check with your doctor for travel clearance, especially if you've been hospitalized recently.
□ Complete the paperwork
You may need a letter from your doctor that verifies all of your medications, including oxygen.
□ Take a copy of your oxygen prescription
You will need to show your prescription to travel personnel, so be sure to carry it with you.
□ Take contact info for your Doctor: ________________________________________________
Phone: _____________________________
Respiratory Therapist: ____________________________________
Phone: _____________________________
Oxygen Supplier: ________________________________________
Phone: _____________________________
Home Healthcare Representative: ___________________________
Phone: _____________________________
□ Take enough medication to last the entire trip
Remember to pack all medication and supplies in your carry-on bag and keep a list of medications with you at all times.
□ Wear emergency medical identification
□ Contact your home healthcare company
Tell them where you are going so they can assist in arranging for oxygen when you reach your destination.
□ Know how to use your portable oxygen concentrator
Try operating on all types of power: AC, DC, battery. Test how long your batteries last at your dosage or liter flow level.
□ Contact your travel carrier
Call your airline, cruise ship or bus company before departure to check for any special requirements.
Travelling with COPD
Where are you going?
Be sure to research the city or state that you will be visiting. Places at high or low altitude can affect your breathing. Poor air quality can cause an exacerbation of COPD. Before you leave, call ahead or check air pollution levels to determine if air quality will be an issue.
Are you healthy enough to travel?
Nothing ruins a holiday faster than ending up in a hospital bed. Schedule a visit with your health care provider shortly before you plan to leave. He or she might prescribe extra medication in case of a flare – up whilst on the road. Your doctors can also provide you with your home-oxygen prescription as well as with any other medical documents that may be required when you travel.
How will you get there ?
How you travel can also affect your COPD systems. Travel by car, air or rail all present different challenges to consider.
Air Travel
There are special considerations for those with COPD when flying. Especially when using supplemental oxygen. Many major airlines now allow you to take and use your own portable oxygen concentrator. We always recommend checking with your airline before booking your holiday, or click on the link below for more information.
Bus
Most bus lines will provide assistance for those with special needs. We recommend you call at least 48 hours before you plan to leave and let them know if you use supplemental oxygen or are in a wheelchair. Most bus lines will allow patients to carry and use their oxygen concentrators on board. Always call ahead for specific regulations.
Cruise Ship
Most cruise lines require 4 to 6 weeks prior notice if travelling with supplemental oxygen. They do however allow you to take your own oxygen concentrators on board, just remember that cruise line regulations may vary.
Quick List:
- Sufficient Batteries for your oxygen concentrator
- Sufficient Medication
- Copy of your oxygen prescription
- Required medical documentation
- A list of your medications
- Proper electrical adapters, particularly if travelling overseas or foreign countries
- Directions to hospital, walk in centres, in case of emergency
To register for our Simple Oxygen Solutions please read more here or to speak to one of our advisors info@oxygenworldwide.com @oxygenworldwide facebook/oxygenworldwide .
Home or away?
When travelling at home or abroad OxygenWorldwide make travel as carefree as possible for all our customers who use medical oxygen. With international networks worldwide, a team of advisors who speak many languages plus we are contactable 24/7, you know you are in safe hands.
For all or our customers who use portable oxygen concentrators we also have a Simple Oxygen Solutions back up service that you all can register for FREE OF CHARGE. To find out more please register here.
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.
Contact 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
