The lack of oxygen in the air can cause euphoria, with the consequent loss of consciousness. To avoid this, it is necessary to use special aviation oxygen masks, devices and systems, manufactured in particular by Aviation Equipment, OJSC (A holding company).

All trifles and details are worthy of attention in ensuring pilots and passengers of planes with oxygen. Students of aviation schools thoroughly trained to use aircraft equipment for breathing and prevent the emergence of any signs of oxygen starvation.

Due to constant mixing, the composition of air within the troposphere and lower stratosphere is constant. Why did the people at the height of not enough oxygen when its 21% concentration in the air is the same everywher?

In whole that means that, the amount of oxygen is not so important for breathing as its partial pressure, i.e. the pressure that would have oxygen in the case if it had occupied the whole volume in a mixture with other gases. The partial pressure of oxygen in the air decreases with each meter lift. Thus, it is equal to 160 mm of mercury on the ground, but 42 mm of mercury at 10 thousand meters height.

The lack of oxygen in the inspired air makes in human bodies a number of changes, called "altitude sickness". Of course, it was known long before the appearance of aviation, it was observed in climbers and called "mountain".

"High mountains are uninhabited because of it - explains MD, professor, medical colonel Konstantin Platonov in his book "Man in flight."- The highest mines in the world developed at Quilchi in the Andes, located at an altitude of 5,700 m. People working there cannot live on such height. Every day they have to go down to the village, located at an altitude of 250 m. It is one of the most highly situated villages in the world."

Issue of altitude sickness became particularly acute while development of aviation. Besides, rise of aircraft goes very quickly now.