3 Tips To Help COPD Patients Travel With Oxygen

If you are worried that your reliance on oxygen to treat COPD will limit your ability to experience new places and vacations abroad, it's important that you take the time to learn how you can safely travel with your oxygen.

Here are three tips to help you travel more freely with portable oxygen in the future.

1. Work with your doctor to provide the airline with the documentation needed to fly with a portable oxygen tank.

Just because you are reliant on oxygen doesn't mean that you are excluded from enjoying the advantages air travel can provide. Riding on a plane with your portable oxygen tank is easier than you might think, but it requires that you work with your doctor to provide the documentation an airline needs to ensure the safety of your flight.

You will need a statement from your doctor indicating whether you will need oxygen for the duration of the flight and a statement letting the airline personnel know that you are able to hear any alarms your portable oxygen tank produces and have the capability to respond appropriately.

2. Be sure that you bring along enough batteries to power your portable oxygen tank for the duration of your flight.

Since portable oxygen tanks rely on battery power to product the oxygen you need, it's essential that you have enough battery power to last the duration of your flight.

When you check in at the ticket counter for your flight, you will be asked to provide proof that you have enough battery power to last the length of your trip, plus a 50% reserve. Planning to bring along extra batteries will ensure that you meet the airline's requirement for taking a portable oxygen tank on board.

3. Coordinate with your respiratory therapist to find an oxygen provider in the city you will be traveling to.

Even if you bring along enough oxygen to last for your entire trip, there is always the possibility of an equipment malfunction when you rely on oxygen. It's imperative that you work with your respiratory therapist to locate a reputable oxygen provider, like Corner Home Medical, in the city where you will be traveling to assist you in the event of an emergency.

Creating a relationship with a provider before you embark on your trip will reduce the likelihood that you experience serious complications while traveling away from home.

Traveling with oxygen doesn't have to be difficult if you take the time to properly prepare. Have your doctor provide the necessary documentation, bring along enough batteries to power your equipment, and find a reputable oxygen provider in your destination city to make airline travel with oxygen a breeze.


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