Living with a disease that leaves you breathless can be challenging. For many people, supplemental oxygen is the key to a more active and fulfilling life.
Supplemental oxygen, or oxygen therapy, can be a treatment option for many patients with lung disorders, like COPD, interstitial lung diseases, or pulmonary fibrosis, who can’t get enough oxygen to meet their body’s needs.
Sometimes patients I see in my pulmonology practice may not realize how oxygen can make a difference in their lives or that there are different options for using oxygen at home or on the go. What follows are some facts I share with my patients when discussing oxygen therapy.
Improving quality of life with oxygen therapy
Your doctor may prescribe oxygen therapy if you have low oxygen levels in your blood. Without enough oxygen in your bloodstream, your organs can’t function normally.
Oxygen therapy can help address this problem — and improve some of the symptoms of your lung condition. For example, it may:
- Help you walk farther with less coughing, fatigue, shortness of breath, and dizziness.
- Allow you to do more of your daily tasks and favorite activities.
- Improve your mood and your energy.
- Help you sleep better.
Some people need oxygen all the time, while others need it only at certain times, such as at night.
There are different types of oxygen delivery systems
Several different devices can be used to supply extra oxygen to your body. With each of these systems, you breathe in the oxygen through a nasal cannula or a mask. The oxygen goes through a tube and into your nose. Oxygen tubes come in various lengths, so you can have enough to walk around the different rooms of your home.
The type of oxygen therapy system your doctor prescribes for you will be based on things like how much extra oxygen you need to support your lifestyle.
The different types of oxygen therapy systems include:
Stationary concentrators. These machines pull air from a room and distill it into nearly pure oxygen by removing the nitrogen. A stationary concentrator plugs into an electrical outlet at home. We prescribe them to our patients who need constant oxygen.
What to know: You’ll never run out of oxygen with a concentrator, but you’ll need a backup source of oxygen in case the power goes out.
Portable concentrators. These devices work like a stationary concentrator, but they’re very small, lightweight, and easy to carry outside the home. Often, portable concentrators deliver oxygen in small bursts, called pulses, instead of continuously.
What to know: They can be powered by batteries you can recharge at home or in your car. But it’s a good idea to carry spare batteries.
Compressed oxygen. With this system, the oxygen is stored under pressure in metal cylinders. A gauge can be used to adjust the flow rate, depending on your oxygen needs. Oxygen tanks come in different sizes. Smaller tanks can be rolled in a cart or carried in a shoulder strap when you’re running errands out of the house.
What to know: The cylinders don’t run on electricity. But unlike a concentrator, they must be refilled when their oxygen runs out.
Using oxygen safely
Oxygen therapy is safe to use, but there are some precautions to take:
- Keep your oxygen at least 5 feet from any open flame. Although oxygen does not burn like a flammable gas, it could cause a fire if it comes into contact with flame.
- Never smoke or allow anyone to smoke around you while using oxygen.
- If you use an oxygen tank, secure it upright in a stand. If it tips and cracks, it could "fly" through the air due to the force of the escaping gas, making it a very dangerous situation.
- Be aware of your oxygen tubing. Long tubes give you more freedom of movement — but be careful not to step on or trip over your oxygen tubing when moving around your home.
Take control of your lung disease
The Temple Lung Center offers hope to people with all types of lung diseases. The center is home to renowned experts and leading-edge treatment options, like clinical trials, bronchoscopic lung volume reduction, and lung transplantation.
To make an appointment with a Temple pulmonologist, call 800-TEMPLE-MED (800-836-7536) or schedule an appointment online.
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