Long Term Oxygen Therapy With Oxygen Concentrators

People with chronic lung conditions such as Cystic Fibrosis and COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) are often prescribed long term oxygen therapy to be taken at home, often for several hours a day, including some time whilst the patient is asleep. Studies have shown that oxygen therapy prolongs life and improves quality of life for adults with chronic lung conditions. Oxygen therapy may be administered using oxygen concentrators or oxygen cylinders.

Whether oxygen concentrators or cylinders are used will depend on the decision of a doctor and the needs of the patient. Either way, the oxygen will be passed through a plastic tube and inhaled either through a mask or through a nasal cannula. Oxygen therapy is known to improve sleep quality, increase energy, improve general well being and reduce the strain placed on the heart as it tries to get adequate oxygen around the body.

Many patients are fearful that beginning oxygen therapy with either oxygen concentrators or cylinders will rob them of their mobility and independence but in many cases the opposite is true. Patients find they have more energy once they begin undergoing the therapy and modern mobile oxygen therapy solutions mean that they can continue their treatment outside of the home.

Oxygen concentrators are the preferred method for giving this form of therapy because of their convenience. They use air in the room and filter it so that only the oxygen is left. The pure oxygen is then passed through the tube and inhaled by the patient. Because the devices use normal air form the room, there is nothing for them to run out of, whereas cylinders will eventually become empty. Oxygen concentrators are powered by ordinary electricity and the cost of running them is paid for by the NHS in the UK. The machines are fairly large, which is perhaps their only downside. They are around 2 feet square and about 2 and a half feet tall. They may be placed in just one room of the house and tubing can be wired around the home so that oxygen therapy can be taken around the house without having to carry the equipment around. There are also smaller versions of oxygen concentrators which allow the patient to receive oxygen therapy on the go. These are generally powered by plugging them into the power output of a car or in some cases through battery power. Some oxygen concentrators have been approved for air travel.

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