How do you avoid hypoxia when flying?

For best protection, you are encouraged to use supplemental oxygen above 10,000 feet MSL. At night, because vision is particularly sensitive to diminished oxygen, a prudent rule is to use supplemental oxygen when flying above 6,000 feet MSL. So, when you fly at high altitudes, supplemental oxygen is the only solution.



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Others will allow you to bring your own Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved portable oxygen concentrator (POC) onto the flight, but will often specify the type of device you can use. You should speak to your airline as early as possible to make sure that they are able to accommodate your needs.

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The most common causes of hypoxia in aviation are: flying, non-pressurized aircraft above 10,000 ft without supplemental oxygen, rapid decompression during flight, pressurization system malfunction, or oxygen system malfunction.

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In aeronautics, hypoxia typically results from a decompression or lack of pressurisation of the aircraft cabin. Hypoxia occurs within a few minutes if the cabin pressure altitude rises to between 5,000-6,000 m (about 16,000 - 20,000 ft).

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The order of symptoms varies among individuals: increased breathing rate, headache, lightheadedness, dizziness, tingling or warm sensations, sweating, poor coordination, impaired judgment, tunnel vision, and euphoria.

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For a person who has been exposed to hypoxia for a long time, the situation can be very serious. Therefore, patients with heart, lung and respiratory diseases should consult their doctor before flying.

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Some patients, however, are in need of more advanced pre-flight testing using a hypoxia-altitude simulation test (HAST), breathing a gas mixture with 15.1% oxygen, corresponding to an aircraft cabin altitude of 8000 feet (2438 m) [5–7].

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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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Oxygen masks release whenever there's a drop in cabin pressure. Sometimes the flight crew might initiate the release. However, it usually triggers automatically when the cabin altitude gets to 14,000 feet.

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Most people with a lung condition can travel safely on planes, but you should talk to your doctor before you make any plans. You may need a fitness-to-fly (hypoxic challenge) test to confirm whether you need in-flight oxygen.

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