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How Does A Person On Oxygen Prepare For Travel

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Traveling with oxygen can be very tricky, but never too tricky from visiting family and friends.  Thankfully, technology advancements made it a lot easier to travel with oxygen nowadays. Of course, there are still things to keep in mind when it comes to this type of travels, but the entire process is efficient and more convenient.

Traveling with oxygen via train used to be very tricky for people on oxygen. But nowadays they are not as hard as you might imagine. The best thing you can do if you carry oxygen on a train is to make sure that the oxygen tank is adequately secured to the wheelchair or by your side.   Contact your local bus or train office 3 days prior before you depart.  Advise them that you are traveling with oxygen and need to know their policies.  Always carry your oxygen prescription with you and ask for a non-smoking area.  This way you can avoid any potential delays or mishaps.   And you’re also sure that the tank is ready to go and suitable for use whenever you need it the most.

Work with oxygen vendors to arrange for supply throughout your trip.  Ideally, you also want to keep some inhalers and emergency medication on hand. This is an excellent piece of advice for both the caretaker and the person on oxygen.

Traveling with oxygen via an airplane is a little different.  If your new at this before you book a ticket find out what the airline policy is for traveling with oxygen.   Inquire what documents are needed for carrying an FAA-approved portable oxygen concentrator.  If you are required to be using oxygen during flight inform the agent in advance as you may need to fax your prescription or medical form.  Some airlines require that you fill out the medical form found on their website if so, bring copies to give to the airline agent when checking in.  Be sure to have a reasonable supply of batteries and AC/DC power supplies and oxygen devices with you. Majority of airlines will not allow a POC to be plugged in on a flight.  In advance pre-charge the batteries to avoid any potential problem.  Arrange for ground assistance at each end of the flight and during layovers/changes.

You will have to rely on the portable oxygen concentrator, so you need to be very familiar with it. Traveling with oxygen is not as hard as it once was. Thanks to portable oxygen concentrators, you won’t have a problem flying with oxygen, and the best part is that there are lots of models on the market at a somewhat affordable price. Sure, you still need to figure out what works for you best, but for the most part, the return on investment can be nothing short of amazing.  Traveling outside of the United States when carrying oxygen will vary.  The best thing to do is contact your travel agent to assist in making plans for any travel abroad. Do keep in mind that there might be some regulations to follow beforehand, so it’s imperative to know the rules before you attempt anything.  Always check with your Doctor to make sure you’re in good health to travel.