Do you have to wear an oxygen mask on a plane?

The masks are only meant to keep passengers supplied with oxygen until a pilot is able to bring the aircraft down. Up in the cockpit pilots get their own oxygen masks. Once they're outfitted, they maneuver the plane to less than 10,000 feet in altitude, where passengers will be able to breathe more easily.



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Without oxygen, you will quickly feel drowsy and even euphoric, a phenomenon known as hypoxia, but as time passes, continued lack of oxygen to the brain will lead to blackouts, passing out, and possibly even death.

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The air on a plane contains less oxygen than the air we normally breathe in. This leads to lower levels of oxygen in the blood. If you do not have a lung condition, the drop in oxygen is not enough that you would feel the difference.

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Airlines are not required to provide oxygen service and many do not. Passengers may carry portable oxygen concentrators (POCs).

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Choose a seat in the middle of the plane. As the air circulates across the rows and not up and down the plane, some experts believe the worst air is in the front or the back of the plane. Stay well hydrated by drinking lots of fluids (water or fruit juice) and avoiding caffeine and alcohol, which will dehydrate you.

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For Part 91 General Aviation operations the required flight crew must use supplemental oxygen for any portion of the flight that exceeds 30 minutes above a cabin pressure altitude of 12,500 feet mean sea level (MSL) up to and including 14,000 feet (MSL).

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Oxygen production cannot be shut off once a mask is pulled, and oxygen production typically lasts at least 15 minutes, sufficient for the plane to descend to a safe altitude for breathing without supplemental oxygen.

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Masks will automatically drop
Any cabin depressurization above a certain altitude (usually around 14,000 feet) will cause the panels of the chambers containing the masks to automatically open, and the masks to drop down. This can, of course, be done manually by the cockpit crew as well.

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The only oxygen equipment allowed on an airplane is the portable oxygen concentrator (POC). If you need oxygen in flight, you must take a portable oxygen concentrator with you, and , you must let your airline know ahead of time.

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After about 20 minutes without supplemental oxygen, you will be pronounced dead. By the time you get to 35,000 feet, EPT drops to 30 to 60 seconds and it falls to nine to 15 seconds at 45,000.

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A simple pulse oximeter reading while you are at high altitude, at rest and during activity, can determine if oxygen is needed at altitude. Alternatively, some pulmonary function labs can perform an altitude simulation test to determine your oxygen saturation at altitude.

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Flight above 40,000 ft
We still can take a deep breath and fill our lungs (still 1 liter capacity), but we are filling them with oxygen at such a low density (because oxygen density is nearly equal to the air density outside of the oxygen mask) that there are too few oxygen molecules to keep us alive.

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Try holding your breath and then breathing deeply, or better still, force yourself to breathe out for as long as you can and then take a long, deep breath. Seif and Farchione both recommended taking deep breaths, since this triggers the calming response and can help to prevent hyperventilation.

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Pharmacological treatment These drugs are usually taken shortly before a flight. They include: Anti-anxiety medication, such as diazepam (Valium) or alprazolam (Xanax). Motion sickness medication, such as dimenhydrinate (Dramamine).

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In most cases, you must provide at least 48 hours (72 hours for certain destinations) advance notice and obtain submit the Oxygen Physician's Statement before travel. Select your airline, download the form, have your doctor complete the form and return it to the airline.

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Low air pressure during air travel also decreases the amount of oxygen in the air. This effect is modest and generally not noticeable for healthy travelers. For patients with significant lung disease, a small decrease in available oxygen can cause significant symptoms, especially with exercise.

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Answer: No. The cabin is pressurized between 6,000 and 8,000 feet on long flights. Adding supplemental oxygen is not necessary, because the percentage of oxygen is the same as being on the ground at those altitudes.

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