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Oxygen Therapy at Home

The air that we breath contains 21 percent oxygen, more than enough to keep the human body functional. However, some people have conditions that prevent the body from using the natural supply of oxygen. People use oxygen therapy at home to boost oxygen levels and reduce the fatigue and drowsiness associated with depleted oxygen levels.

  1. Identification

    • Oxygen therapy provides a steady supply of stored oxygen (O2) to the body when certain medical conditions prevent the lungs from absorbing the amount of O2 needed to function optimally, reports the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Our bodies use oxygen for nearly all processes, from breathing to cognitive ability and even maintaining our organs.

    Diagnosis

    • Before a patient can start oxygen therapy at home, he must receive a diagnosis from a doctor prescribing the proper amount of oxygen. The standard arterial blood gas test draws a sample of blood to directly measure the amount of oxygen running through the veins, reports UPMC. Pulse oximetry offers a less invasion measurement of blood-oxygen content by attaching nodes to the forehead or extremities.

    Types

    • A home therapy supplies oxygen in two parts: an oxygen container and a delivery system, reports UPMC. Most containers store oxygen in metal cylinders as a compressed gas, but smaller tanks are available that store oxygen in liquid form. Common oxygen delivery systems include a "nasal cannula", essentially just a tube inserted into the nose, or a catheter inserted into the trachea.

    Considerations

    • A doctor determines how much oxygen flow per minute a person should have, depending on the level of activity. One should never tweak setting beyond or below the doctor's orders. Since this oxygen is being used for medicinal purposes, UPMC states that almost all insurance plans, even public welfare options like Medicaid, cover most of the costs of oxygen therapy at home. So there is little reason to forgo oxygen therapy or try to conserve the supply of oxygen by lowering intake.

    Warning

    • Oxygen is a highly flammable gas. A flame or spark in a room, such as that from a telephone or hair dryer, with a leaking oxygen container could cause an explosion, reports UPMC. Because of this potential hazard, the patient should take care not to store their oxygen tank near any heat sources, and post signs for firefighters that the home contains stored oxygen.

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