Is Oxygen Therapy Necessary for Breathing Difficulty? Let's Talk About This in Detail!

You may have seen that patients admitted to hospitals, especially those with breathing difficulties, are given oxygen through a small tube inserted into their nose. You may have seen some people keeping an oxygen cylinder or machine at home like this. So, what is this oxygen therapy? Why is it essential for some people? How can it be used safely? Today, we will talk about all this very simply, in a way that you can understand.

Simply put, what is oxygen therapy?

Simply put, oxygen therapy is when your lungs are unable to get the amount of oxygen your body needs through normal breathing on their own, and extra oxygen is given to you from outside. This is like a lung booster. We also call this "supplemental oxygen."

Normally, the air we breathe is about 21% oxygen. The rest is other gases like nitrogen. Healthy lungs can properly filter oxygen from this air, add it to the blood, and send it to all the other organs of the body. But when the lungs become diseased, this function does not work properly. That is when this treatment is needed.

Who needs oxygen therapy?

Your doctor will determine whether you need oxygen therapy. It is usually recommended for people with the following conditions:

• When conditions like asthma and bronchitis become severe.
• For people with a long-term lung disease called COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) .
• For those who have suffered lung damage and difficulty breathing due to COVID-19 infection.
• In cases of lung infections such as pneumonia .
• In cases of heart failure .
• Lung cancer or other types of cancer.
• Other diseases that affect the lungs, such as cystic fibrosis and pulmonary fibrosis .
• For those with severe sleep apnea .
• Also, some people may temporarily require oxygen for altitude sickness, which occurs when traveling to mountainous areas (such as Nuwara Eliya).

What is a healthy oxygen level? How is it measured?

A healthy person's blood oxygen saturation should normally be 95% or higher . If a person's oxygen level drops below 88% , doctors usually recommend oxygen therapy.

There are several main methods for measuring oxygen levels.

What are the signs of hypoxia?

When your body's oxygen levels decrease, which is called hypoxia , symptoms such as these may occur:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.
• Lips, nails, and skin turning blue .
• Feeling excessively tired for no reason.
• Severe headache .
• Persistent cough or wheezing .
• Heart rate is very fast .
• Confusion or loss of consciousness.

If you have symptoms like these, it is very important to seek medical advice immediately.

What are the methods and equipment for administering oxygen?

Oxygen therapy can be done in the hospital as well as at home. There are various devices used for it.

How oxygen is stored

1. Compressed Gas Cylinders: These are the large iron cylinders we see most often. Oxygen gas is stored inside them at high pressure. When the oxygen in these cylinders runs out, they have to be refilled or a new cylinder has to be purchased.

2. Liquid Oxygen: These come in special heat-insulated containers. The oxygen, which is in liquid form, turns into a gas when we use it. These are usually small and easy to carry around.

3. Oxygen Concentrators: These are the most popular for home use now. This is a machine that runs on electricity or batteries. What this does is it takes in the air from the surrounding environment, removes the nitrogen gas from it, and concentrates it to give us only oxygen. The biggest advantage of this is that as long as there is electricity, the oxygen will not run out.

How to provide oxygen to the body

• Nasal Cannula: This is a plastic tube with two small tubes that are inserted into each nostril. This is the most commonly used method.
• Face Mask: Oxygen is delivered through a mask that covers both the nose and mouth.
• Tracheotomy Tube: In some very serious conditions, a tube is surgically inserted directly into the windpipe (trachea) in the neck, through which oxygen is delivered.

Safety is very important when using oxygen!

This is the most important part of this article. Oxygen is not a flammable gas, but in a fire, it can help the fire spread uncontrollably. Therefore, if you use oxygen at home, these safety measures must be followed.

• Smoking is strictly prohibited: Do not smoke or allow anyone else to smoke near an oxygen device for any reason.
• Keep away from flames: Keep oxygen equipment at least 5 feet away from any flames, such as gas stoves, candles, lamps, wood stoves, and fireplaces.
• Store cylinders safely: Always store an oxygen cylinder upright, leaning it against a stable object or on a stand so that it cannot fall. Never roll it along the ground. If a cylinder falls, its valve can be damaged and it can even explode.
• Good ventilation: The room where the oxygen cylinders are located should be well ventilated.
• Keep away from electrical appliances: Keep at least 8 feet away from things that emit heat, such as heaters and electrical appliances.
• Do not store flammable materials near oxygen equipment: Do not use aerosol sprays, cleaning fluids, oils (e.g. petroleum jelly), or mosquito coils near oxygen equipment.
• Clothing: It is safer to use cotton clothing and bedding than synthetic fabrics like wool and nylon, as static electricity can cause sparks.
• Fire extinguisher: Always keep a fire extinguisher nearby. Make sure everyone in the family knows how to use it.

What happens if you take oxygen unnecessarily?

This is a question that many people ask. Oxygen is a medicine that should only be taken on the recommendation of a doctor. Just like a pill. Taking oxygen unnecessarily or in excess can harm the body.

If more oxygen enters the body than necessary, it can cause breathing and heart rate to decrease to dangerous levels. We call this oxygen toxicity . In this condition, symptoms such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, dizziness, and vision problems can occur. Therefore, use oxygen only at the flow rate prescribed by your doctor, and only for the prescribed time .

If you suspect oxygen poisoning, seek medical advice immediately. If necessary, you can also contact the National Poisons Information Centre at the Colombo National Hospital for further advice.