Oxygen therapy: Good health with every breath

We need oxygen to survive. Our body gets oxygen through the bloodstream, which continuously gets oxygenated by the oxygen drawn from the air by the lungs. However, those suffering from lung diseases such as COPD, asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, lung cancer and others find it difficult to extract enough oxygen from the ambient air. Without enough oxygen, our body cannot function optimally, and a continued reduction of oxygen in the body can even lead to death.

What happens if our body cannot get enough oxygen?

Imagine breathing with a plastic bag on your head. You will soon feel breathless, tired, listless, or confused. This happens due to a lack of oxygen in the ambient air in the bag. Similarly, when your lungs get damaged, they cannot extract enough oxygen from the air, and you feel increasingly tired or breathless as the illness progresses.

What causes lung damage?

Your lungs can get damaged due to air pollution, smoking, cancer and many other causes. However, the number one cause of lung damage and illnesses such as COPD or lung cancer is smoking, with air pollution a close second. These two factors can quickly decrease your lung’s oxygen-carrying capacity by up to 70% or more, rendering end-stage patients to bed with supplemental oxygen being their only respite.

Is lung damage reversible?

Damage caused by lung cancer is irreversible. Lung damage is reversible, but it can take many years to recover from the damage air pollution or smoking causes to your body. Additionally, as most smokers quit after years or sometimes even decades, the damage is mostly irreversible by then.

What are the options available for those with lung damage?

Patients suffering from lung damage can feel better by quitting smoking, moving away from areas with high air pollution and getting supplemental oxygen therapy. In fact, oxygen therapy is the only long-term solution available today that can help end-stage COPD and lung cancer patients lead near-normal lives.

What is oxygen therapy?

Oxygen therapy administers pure or near-pure oxygen to COPD or lung cancer patients through oxygen cylinders or oxygen concentrators. Also known as supplemental oxygen therapy, the technique involves providing pure oxygen to compensate for the shortfall caused by damage to the air sacs in the lungs. 

Who needs oxygen therapy?

You need oxygen therapy if you suffer from a lung disorder or any of the following conditions:

• Lung cancer

• Heart failure

• Cystic Fibrosis

• Pneumonia

• COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

• COVID-19

• Severe asthma

• Sleep apnea

How do I know if I need oxygen therapy?

You need oxygen therapy if your oxygen saturation falls below 90% regularly while resting or if you suffer from one or all of the following symptoms:

• Rapid heart rate

• Breathlessness

• Shallow breathing

• Coughing or wheezing

• Sweating and restlessness

• Cyanosis (change in skin colour to blue)

• Confusion

Call emergency services or notify your caregiver or physician immediately if you suffer from any of these symptoms.

How can I get oxygen therapy?

Oxygen therapy is available at home, in hospitals or at care centres. The therapy regimen usually involves using a nasal cannula or a mask to breathe in pure or near-pure oxygen. You must consult your doctor to know if you need oxygen therapy and the correct dosage and delivery method. In India, you can contact Sanrai Med for your oxygen therapy needs. They service and distribute a wide range of oxygen cylinders, stationary and portable oxygen concentrators, and the consumables required for these devices.

What are the various types of oxygen delivery methods?

Common oxygen delivery methods include:

• Oxygen concentrators

Oxygen concentrators extract oxygen from the air around you and deliver approximately 90% pure oxygen to you through a nasal cannula or a mask. Oxygen concentrators do not need oxygen cylinders but need an electricity supply to continue working.

• Stationary oxygen concentrators

Stationary oxygen concentrators run on household electricity and are built for 24x7 use. These devices are designed for in-home or point-of-care use. Patients can go as far as their nasal cannula pipe or power cord allows them to. Stationary concentrators can provide both a pulse (bolus dose) or continuous flow oxygen therapy. Popular stationary oxygen concentrator brands include Drive DeVilbiss, OxyFlow, and Philips. Drive DeVilbiss is the oldest and the most popular brand of world-class stationary oxygen concentrators and are available in India through Sanrai Med.

• Portable oxygen concentrators

Portable oxygen concentrators use a battery instead of electricity to run. They are small portable devices that can be put into a backpack or like a sling bag. Portable oxygen concentrators function the same way as stationary concentrators except that they can only deliver a pulse (bolus) dose of oxygen instead of continuous supply. Devices from manufacturers such as Inogen, especially the Inogen One G5 can provide up to 6 hours of oxygen therapy with one battery and up to 13 hours with a double battery.

• Oxygen cylinders

These are the most common methods of oxygen delivery used for short-term therapy or in remote regions where electricity is not available to run oxygen concentrators. Pure, medical grade liquid oxygen is filled in cylinders which use a valve to allow the oxygen to flow from the cylinder to the nasal mask or cannula. 

How can Sanrai help?

Sanrai is an innovative global medical products manufacturer and distributor that has spent years bringing the gold standard of oxygen therapy to emerging countries such as India. Sanrai believes that healthcare and diagnostics are everyone's rights and not a privilege for a chosen few and provides oxygen therapy devices and services for everything oxygen.

Final thoughts

Technology, innovation, and engineering have helped humans live longer, healthier, and happier lives than ever before. Oxygen therapy products and solutions such as portable and stationary oxygen concentrators along with diagnostic tools such as ResApp and Smart PeakFlow meter have dramatically impacted the health of their users, making them an indispensable part of our lives. If you believe that you need oxygen therapy, contact your healthcare provider or Sanrai Med today! Take care!