Oxygen Therapy If your physician has determined, based on your symptoms, physical examination, and laboratory tests, that you may benefit from the use of oxygen... What You Should Know      Oxygen is a colorless, tasteless, odorless gas that is necessary for life.  When we take a breath, we draw air containing 21% oxygen into our lungs.  The oxygen passes from our lungs into our bloodstream, where it is carried in the red blood cells to all the organs and tissues of our bodies.  Oxygen is needed by our organs and tissues to convert the food we eat into heat and energy to maintain life.      Oxygen is not addicting.  We all need oxygen to live.  If your lungs and/or heart are diseased and cannot supply enough oxygen to your body from normal room air, you need to breathe supplemental oxygen. When Is Home Oxygen Needed? Blood oxygen levels can vary from day to day depending upon your lung condition and other medical problems.  In the hospital setting, oxygen measurement is often done on several occasions when someone is quite ill.  For home oxygen, measurement is often made after recovery from any acute medical problem when medical treatment is stable and no infection is present.  The amount of oxygen is expressed as a flow rate, in liters per minute (usually between 1 and 4 liters per minute).  It will also be recommended the number of hours per day during which the oxygen should be used. Taking arterial blood, usually from an artery in the wrist, does measurement of blood oxygen.  If the oxygen level (PO2) or the oxygen saturation is low, home oxygen may be prescribed.  A repeat blood sample may also be taken while oxygen is being given. Who Benefits? Oxygen is an essential part of life.  Normal healthy people usually have a blood oxygen level above 85 units (mmHg).  In people with lung problems, the level may fall to low levels even though the body can continue to perform normally.  When oxygen levels fall below 55-60 units, added oxygen may be helpful.  Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the term used most commonly to describe smoke-related conditions such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis.  Patients with these problems may have severe shortness of breath with a normal oxygen level.  In the later stages of COPD, low oxygen levels become more common.  Supplemental oxygen in patients with severe COPD and low oxygen levels of 55-60 units or below, prolongs life and in some cases also improves the quality of their life.  Patient who use their added oxygen for 24 hours a day show a longer life span than those who use it for 15 hours; and these people in turn do better than those who use it only during sleeping hours. The same criteria are used for giving oxygen to people with other diseases such as cystic fibrosis and pulmonary fibrosis.  Oxygen may also be used for relief of breathlessness in patients who have lung cancer. How Is Oxygen Given? The most common method for home oxygen delivery is the oxygen concentrator.  It is about the size of a TV and is an electrically driven machine that concentrates oxygen from the air through a fine sieve (mesh).  These machines provide the amount of oxygen needed to reverse the low blood oxygen levels.  A small, adjustable plastic tube (called a nasal cannula), worn much as you would wear eye glasses, is placed under the nose.  This tubing, through which the oxygen will flow, is attached to the oxygen source. Patients use portable oxygen cylinders for their oxygen needs when traveling outside their home.  They are available in a cart with wheels.  Even smaller cylinders may be carried in a holster over the shoulder or in a backpack.  In order to get these smaller cylinders to last longer before needing a refill, they are generally fitted with a conserving device.  These simple devices control the flow of oxygen from the cylinder by delivering a short pulse of oxygen only when breathing in, rather than continuously as with normal oxygen regulators.  This keeps oxygen from being wasted while breathing out.  This prolongs the time each oxygen cylinder lasts by at least 3 to 5 times.  Oxygen Safety Oxygen use in the home is safe.  Oxygen does not explode; however, it does support combustion.  Therefore, do not use oxygen near an open flame, burning cigarette or electrical equipment that sparks during operation.  Do not use oil, grease or Vaseline on oxygen equipment.  At Bluegrass Oxygen, our team of respiratory care professionals make sure you know exactly how to use and operate your oxygen delivery system. Be careful to follow your doctor's orders exactly when using oxygen and never change the liter flow without his or her approval. Traveling With Oxygen When traveling, you need to plan for mobility--how to get from place to another between refills.  When traveling by car or motor home, you have the freedom to carry your own oxygen equipment and to arrange for refills along the way.  The oxygen concentrator is transportable and may be taken in the car if you are planning to be away from home for any long periods of time.  It must remain in an upright position, away from heat and flame.  You can stand it up on the back seat, with a rear seat belt to hold it in place.  Keep your oxygen cylinders secured in your vehicle (not rolling around).  Do not store oxygen cylinders in the trunk where it can get very hot.  Also, because oxygen containers release small amounts periodically, keep a window partially open, regardless of the weather.  When traveling by plane, even people with lung disease who don't necessarily use oxygen at home may require in-flight oxygen.  Be sure to clear your trip with your doctor before traveling.  You must contact the airline, rail, bus or cruise line to see if they have the necessary equipment, including electrical conversion if outside the United States. Summary There are many positive benefits from home oxygen treatment.  Most people report that with a few changes to their lifestyle, a good quality of life can be maintained.  Complaints including "being addicted to oxygen", "being tied to a machine", and "living on the end of a plastic tube", prove to be quite wrong.  When compared to being in the hospital, living at home with added oxygen therapy allows control of daily life and generally improves the way people feel.