To survive, you need to breathe in air to get oxygen into your body. You may not get enough if you suffer from lung disease or another medical condition. As a result, you may have trouble breathing, and your heart, brain, and other body parts may suffer. Oxygen therapy can be helpful. By breathing in extra oxygen, you will feel better. You can buy oxygen over the counter. Read on to learn when to use Oxygen therapy and which oxygen therapies are available on the go at Sky Medical Supplies!
Do I need Oxygen therapy?
Many conditions can be helped by home oxygen therapy, including:
- Asthma
- Chronic bronchitis
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
- Congestive heart failure
- Cystic fibrosis
- Emphysema
- Lung cancer
- Pneumonia
- Pulmonary fibrosis
- Sleep apnea
How much will I need?
If you have high blood pressure, your doctor will prescribe the oxygen you need every minute. If you exercise or sleep, your doctor may prescribe oxygen only when you need it. For others, oxygen might be required continually.
After checking your usual oxygen levels, either with a blood test or through the skin with a device attached to your finger, toe, or ear, your doctor will know how much additional oxygen you need.
Equipment
There are several ways to obtain oxygen. What's the best choice for you depends on what you need, what kind of lifestyle you have, and other factors.
Standard oxygen concentrator
Electricity or batteries are sometimes used for this machine's motor. It draws air through a filter and removes other gases to obtain oxygen. There are usually wheels on it so you can move around while connected to it while it weighs about 50 pounds. A power outage will mean you'll need an alternative source of oxygen if your plug-in kind doesn't work.
Portable oxygen concentrator
Running errands or going to work are great times to use this. You can carry it anywhere between 3 to 20 pounds. Pluggable models can be used in cars or powered by batteries. At Sky Medical supplies, Portable oxygen from inogen is available.
Liquid oxygen tank
Oxygen is typically a gas. In lower temperatures, however, it becomes liquid. Since liquid oxygen takes up less space than gas, a thermos-type tank can store more liquid oxygen. You can breathe it in right after the liquid turns into gas. These tanks weigh over 100 pounds each, so they'll have to be refilled every few weeks.
Alternatively, you can fill a small canister to carry it out when you leave the house.
Compressed oxygen gas tank
In recent years, this choice has become less common. An oxygen cylinder or tank is squeezed to compress oxygen at high pressure. Since the tank is too heavy to move, it cannot be moved. Either it is empty, or it needs to be replaced. Smaller, portable, compressed gas cylinders are also available, but they are only good for a short time.
Additionally, it will be necessary for you to breathe in oxygen. Among the options are:
Nasal cannula
It is made of soft plastic and has two prongs at one end. You put a tube in your nose, which is held in place by the tube resting over your ears. Your oxygen supply is connected to the other end of the tube. The nasal cannula delivers oxygen steadily. Your nose may feel a little dry afterward.
Face mask
You can wear it over your mouth and nose. Wearing a mask while eating or drinking isn't allowed since it can make talking hard. If you need high oxygen levels, you would usually wear a mask.
Transtracheal catheter
In this procedure, your doctor inserts a catheter, which is a small, flexible tube, at the base of your neck, just below your Adam's apple. The tube is attached to a necklace. One end of the tube feeds oxygen into your body. While your shirt is buttoned to the top, you won't be able to see the catheter.
Another benefit is that you require less oxygen flow since it is directly delivered to your lungs. It, however, has several drawbacks. Among them is the possibility of infection at the incision site.
Risks of oxygen therapy
Depression of ventilation
Patients with COPD and chronic carbon dioxide (CO2) retention with hypoxic breathing drive often develop this condition. Hypoventilation can result in these patients if arterial tension is increased to normal levels without hypercapnic stimulus to maintain ventilation.
Hyperbaric oxygen toxicity
It is possible to develop pulmonary, optic, and central nervous system toxicity following long-term hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Fire hazard
During combustion, oxygen enhances the burning of other fuels. It is recommended to administer no more oxygen than the ambient air oxygen level (21% during laser bronchoscopy) during the procedure to avoid intratracheal ignition.
Absorption atelectasis
As pure oxygen is rapidly taken up from the alveoli, pure oxygen leads to the collapse of the dependent part of the lungs. It can also occur during the process of introducing general anesthesia.
Oxygen safety
Oxygen is a safe gas, but it will brighten, burn hotter, and make something else easier to burn. When working with portable oxygen from inogen, follow these safety tips:
- Don't smoke, and don't allow others to smoke around you. Matches, lighters, and burning tobacco should be kept from open flames.
- Do not stand too close to heat sources. Gas stoves, candles, lighted fireplaces, and electric or gas heaters fall into this category.
- Clean with non-flammable fluids, paint thinners, and aerosol sprays instead of flammable products.
- Make sure oxygen containers are upright. They should be attached to something so they don't fall over.
- Oil, grease, and petroleum-containing products should be avoided. The same applies to petroleum-based creams and ointments on the face and upper chest, such as Vaseline.
- Make sure you have a fire extinguisher close at hand. If your home contains oxygen, inform your local fire department.
- Providing your electric company with information about your oxygen concentrator will ensure that you receive priority service during an outage.
Final thoughts
Choosing an Oxygen therapy for yourself is difficult, and one must buy these apparatus from a reliable source. Sky Medical Supplies offers portable oxygen concentrators and other oxygen therapy-related devices with high quality and durability. You can visit Sky Medical Supplies if you need any Oxygen therapy in Denver, Colorado, or the surrounding. Contact us in case of any queries!