Do you know how to save your life with the help of oxygen therapy?
Millions of people around the world suffer from breathing problems each year. According to the latest data, there are more than 1.5 million adults in the US alone using oxygen therapy as a medical treatment for a variety of breathing conditions.
The problem is:
The majority of people don’t understand what is oxygen therapy and how it can work. They didn’t find the time to learn before they needed it urgently.
Oxygen therapy is a life-changing and sometimes a life-saving medical treatment that provides you and your loved ones with a variety of health benefits. It’s way more than simply helping you breathe a little better.
In this guide, you will learn:
- What Is Oxygen Therapy and How Does It Work?
- Life-Saving Benefits
- Different Types of Oxygen Therapy
- Who Needs Oxygen Therapy
- Safety Considerations
What Is Oxygen Therapy and How Does It Work?
Oxygen therapy is a treatment that helps your body get more oxygen from breathing medical equipment.
You should know:
Regular air contains about 20% oxygen. When your health condition causes low oxygen levels in your body, the existing oxygen simply is not enough.
Oxygen therapy provides you with higher amounts of pure oxygen, often with up to 100% concentration, directly to your lungs through different methods such as nasal tubes, face masks, or special oxygen chambers. For more severe conditions, advanced treatment options like a hyperbaric oxygen chamber for sale can deliver even more concentrated oxygen under pressure.
The way it works:
Pure oxygen is then inhaled by you and your lungs absorb it to oxygenate your bloodstream. The oxygen-rich blood then travels to all parts of your body, nourishing your cells and tissues with extra oxygen.
The global oxygen therapy market is predicted to grow by 6.1% annually and to reach $70.37 billion by 2034, with Traditional oxygen therapy currently leading the market with $27.74 billion.
As can be seen from the previous statistics, oxygen therapy is the most common treatment for people with serious breathing conditions. But with this treatment, you can literally stay alive.
Life-Saving Benefits
Why do doctors consider oxygen therapy an essential health treatment?
Oxygen therapy has amazing benefits that are far beyond helping you to breathe a little bit easier:
Prevents Damage to Your Organs
If your body’s oxygen levels are low, your vital organs will be suffering as well. Hypoxia can cause severe health issues like brain damage, heart problems, kidney failure, and even multi-organ failure.
Oxygen therapy can prevent all these life-threatening complications by making sure that your organs receive enough oxygen to function at a good level.
Relieves Breathlessness
Most people who have some sort of breathing issue report they are always feeling breathless even if they are doing a simple task such as walking up a few stairs.
Oxygen therapy can help with the breathlessness by allowing you to be able to walk long distances, sleep better, do your daily chores with less tiredness and feel more energetic during the day.
Improved Sleep Quality
A lot of people don’t know this, but…
Sleep is one of the biggest issues that people with breathing problems tend to face. It’s because the oxygen level in their bodies will be dropping down throughout the night.
Oxygen therapy, however, can maintain oxygen level throughout the night so you can have a better night’s sleep, full of energy during the day.
Different Types of Oxygen Therapy
Did you know that there are several types of oxygen therapy?
Each type of oxygen therapy works on different health conditions and is used in different circumstances.
Traditional Oxygen Therapy
This is the most common type and oxygen is delivered to you through a nasal cannula, face mask or oxygen tents.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
And now, things get a little bit more interesting:
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a method that involves a special oxygen chamber where you will be breathing pure oxygen at a higher pressure than atmospheric pressure.
The increased pressure inside the oxygen chamber will allow your lungs to absorb up to three times more oxygen than they normally do.
A hyperbaric oxygen chamber for sale helps deliver an advanced treatment that is proven to be more efficient in treating conditions that traditional oxygen therapy can’t.
The hyperbaric oxygen therapy market is forecasted to grow by a CAGR of 8.6% to $8.16 billion by 2032, a significant growth as more and more people become aware of its advantages.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be used for:
- Serious infections that are not responding to antibiotics
- Carbon monoxide poisoning
- Decompression sickness or “the bends”
- Non-healing wounds and diabetic ulcers
- Radiation injuries
- Severe burns
Portable Oxygen Therapy
This oxygen system is for people who need oxygen therapy but still want to stay mobile and live a more independent lifestyle. Portable oxygen therapy allows you to travel, go back to work, and do all sorts of daily activities.
Technology is growing significantly each year and so is the technology behind oxygen systems. Modern oxygen concentrators are a portable system that is not only compact and lightweight, but it can also last for a very long time on battery power while it is very quiet.
Who Really Needs Oxygen Therapy?
You will be surprised to hear that oxygen therapy is prescribed for a wide range of health conditions:
Chronic Respiratory Conditions
This is the first group of people who are more than likely to need oxygen therapy. These include people with COPD, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, pulmonary fibrosis and cystic fibrosis.
A recent study has shown that globally, there are approximately 300 million people affected by COPD.
Heart Conditions and Sleep Disorders
If you or your loved ones suffer from heart failure, certain types of heart diseases or sleep apnea then you may also need oxygen therapy as your heart can’t pump oxygen rich blood fast enough or your oxygen levels drop during sleep.
Temporary Conditions
Not everyone needs oxygen therapy as a long-term medical treatment. Some people only require it temporarily as they are recovering from pneumonia, COVID-19, surgery, or an accident.
Safety Considerations
Oxygen therapy is a very safe treatment but there are some safety measures that you need to be aware of:
Fire Safety
This is important and you need to take it seriously:
Oxygen is a highly combustible gas. That means that fires will burn three times faster and three times hotter than normal with oxygen around.
Do not smoke, use candles, matches or any other equipment that may spark around oxygen.
Storage and Medical Supervision
Keep oxygen tanks upright and secured to prevent them from falling. Keep oxygen tanks away from heat sources and sources of ignition.
Oxygen is a prescription-only medication, so don’t take it unless your doctor has prescribed it to you.
If you use too much oxygen your health condition will become worse and you will experience symptoms of oxygen toxicity. These include slowed breathing and dangerous changes in heart rate.
Equipment Maintenance
Maintenance of oxygen therapy equipment is crucial. This includes equipment inspection, filter cleaning and following the maintenance schedules.
Wrapping Up
Knowledge is power and with power you can heal.
The oxygen therapy market is and will continue to grow as this treatment does work and it really helps and even saves people’s lives. From traditional oxygen therapy to more advanced hyperbaric chambers, there is a type of oxygen therapy for almost everyone.
Oxygen therapy is not just about breathing easier, it’s about providing your body with the foundation that it needs to heal and recover itself.