[/caption] Since 1986, airlines have been prohibited from discriminating against passengers with disabilities, including those who need portable oxygen. While regulations vary between airlines, the Air Carrier Access Act assures that passengers needing portable oxygen will be allowed a certain amount of supply and devices aboard their flight. Another challenge faced by travelers is the question of whether or not you need portable oxygen on your flight. As most of you know, the air quality diminishes as you ascend from sea level so on standard commercial flights that cruise between 30,000 and 40,000 feet above sea level, the cabins must be pressurized. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires air pressure to be equal or lower than 8,000 feet above sea level which is sufficient for most of us. However, for passengers with respiratory problems, the air pressure may not be enough to keep them healthy. Consult your healthcare provider before travel if you are suffering from emphysema or COPD, pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary fibrosis or interstitial lung disease or have difficult time breathing during normal everyday activities. Please share with us your experiences in traveling with portable oxygen. To find an oxygen provider in your area, click here! Thursday, March 15, 2012
Traveling with Respiratory Issues: Do I need Portable Oxygen In-Flight?
Is traveling with portable oxygen in your future? While traveling with oxygen is possible, there are several factors to take into account. You will first need to check that if you need portable oxygen while in-flight. Once you discover you need portable oxygen, you'll need to check with your airline to see which portable oxygen devices they approve and also how much oxygen you'll need. [caption id="attachment_427" align="alignright" width="200" caption="Traveling with Portable Oxygen"][/caption] Since 1986, airlines have been prohibited from discriminating against passengers with disabilities, including those who need portable oxygen. While regulations vary between airlines, the Air Carrier Access Act assures that passengers needing portable oxygen will be allowed a certain amount of supply and devices aboard their flight. Another challenge faced by travelers is the question of whether or not you need portable oxygen on your flight. As most of you know, the air quality diminishes as you ascend from sea level so on standard commercial flights that cruise between 30,000 and 40,000 feet above sea level, the cabins must be pressurized. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires air pressure to be equal or lower than 8,000 feet above sea level which is sufficient for most of us. However, for passengers with respiratory problems, the air pressure may not be enough to keep them healthy. Consult your healthcare provider before travel if you are suffering from emphysema or COPD, pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary fibrosis or interstitial lung disease or have difficult time breathing during normal everyday activities. Please share with us your experiences in traveling with portable oxygen. To find an oxygen provider in your area, click here!
[/caption] Since 1986, airlines have been prohibited from discriminating against passengers with disabilities, including those who need portable oxygen. While regulations vary between airlines, the Air Carrier Access Act assures that passengers needing portable oxygen will be allowed a certain amount of supply and devices aboard their flight. Another challenge faced by travelers is the question of whether or not you need portable oxygen on your flight. As most of you know, the air quality diminishes as you ascend from sea level so on standard commercial flights that cruise between 30,000 and 40,000 feet above sea level, the cabins must be pressurized. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires air pressure to be equal or lower than 8,000 feet above sea level which is sufficient for most of us. However, for passengers with respiratory problems, the air pressure may not be enough to keep them healthy. Consult your healthcare provider before travel if you are suffering from emphysema or COPD, pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary fibrosis or interstitial lung disease or have difficult time breathing during normal everyday activities. Please share with us your experiences in traveling with portable oxygen. To find an oxygen provider in your area, click here! 
Friday, March 2, 2012
The Man Behind the Mask: Health Benefits of CPAP Treatment
A common misuse of prescriptions is the act of halting treatment when you start to feel better. Most of us know that this is not effective and your symptoms will come back. For many new CPAP users, the reaction is the same. The device seems like an annoyance so when they start waking up feeling refreshed again, they simply stop using it. This reaction is understandable because for many, it is difficult to see the major health benefits of the CPAP until they go back for a sleep study to see the actual proof. Today, let's review the health benefits of CPAP treatment for sleep apnea to keep you using your CPAP faithfully every night! Simply from the CPAP giving patients a full night's rest, they find themselves more alert, more able to concentrate and more emotionally stable. Everyone knows that when you don't get enough sleep, you can be irritable and unable to concentrate, but there are many more benefits. A major health benefit of CPAP treatment is weight control. In many cases, sleep apnea is actually caused by obesity so when they start treating their sleep apnea, their improved sleep patterns tend to cause them to make better eating decisions during the day. Many eat during the day when they are feeling drowsy so without the drowsy feelings, they are less likely to indulge. One more, although there are many more health benefits to talk about, is hypertension. Use of CPAP treatment has a direct correlation to improvement of blood pressure. Sleep apnea causes high blood pressure so the reaction after continued CPAP use is lower blood pressure and much healthier heart. You may have noticed that all of these health benefits are dependant on one another and in some cases, caused the need for a CPAP in the first place. We'd love to hear from you so if you have thought on your own sleep apnea or treatments, leave a comment below!
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