Ventilators run at higher than atmospheric pressure… they are nothing like being on a plane. And yes, that higher pressure can damage a patient’s lungs which is why you want to avoid a vent and if you must, get off it as soon as possible.
Supplemental O2 just increases available oxygen in the air you are breathing from the normal 22% to 30% or 50% or higher. That makes it easier for your lungs to transfer oxygen into your blood. That’s all. No pressure involved. However prolonged exposure to high O2 can burn your lungs, which is why patients on ventilators at 100% O2 tend to not come off alive.
The bigger problem with airline travel is the lack of movement combined with the change in pressure. I get headaches for a day when going up into the mountains… airline travel forces you through that same depressurization / repressurization path and it messes with your blood pressure. Combine that with sitting still for a few hours and if you are prone to clotting, you are at much higher risk.
Planes are pressurized at 6000-8000ft equivalent, not sea-level and certainly not higher pressure.
Ventilators run at higher than atmospheric pressure… they are nothing like being on a plane. And yes, that higher pressure can damage a patient’s lungs which is why you want to avoid a vent and if you must, get off it as soon as possible.
Supplemental O2 just increases available oxygen in the air you are breathing from the normal 22% to 30% or 50% or higher. That makes it easier for your lungs to transfer oxygen into your blood. That’s all. No pressure involved. However prolonged exposure to high O2 can burn your lungs, which is why patients on ventilators at 100% O2 tend to not come off alive.
The bigger problem with airline travel is the lack of movement combined with the change in pressure. I get headaches for a day when going up into the mountains… airline travel forces you through that same depressurization / repressurization path and it messes with your blood pressure. Combine that with sitting still for a few hours and if you are prone to clotting, you are at much higher risk.