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The Effects of High Oxygen Concentrator Settings

Oxygen concentrators are machines that generate oxygen-rich air for people to breathe. These machines are used by people with decreased lung function caused by respiratory disease. Oxygen is a highly reactive element that can cause a severe condition known as pulmonary oxygen toxicity. People who use oxygen concentrators must use them only at settings recommended by their doctors. If they set the concentrators too high, they are in danger of severe lung problems and even death.

  1. How the Lungs Are Affected

    • The onset of oxygen toxicity begins with the spaces in the lungs normally reserved for air rapidly filling with fluid. This is usually followed by bleeding on the inside of the lungs, which results in the formation of a gummy layer of residue that interferes with normal lung function. If not addressed, the condition continues to worsen as the body tries to heal itself. The inside of the lungs begin to thicken and scar because tissue types normally associated with healing begin to form.

    How Lung Function Is Affected

    • The effects of fluid and tissue-filled lungs are manifold. A patient experiencing oxygen toxicity will rapidly lose lung capacity; she will not be able to inhale or exhale as much air as she normally would. Lung compliance drops, meaning that the lungs sometimes will not expand upon inhalation or contract upon exhalation. Also, carbon monoxide cannot diffuse as easily out of the blood, across the lung tissue, and back into the atmosphere. This is extremely dangerous because carbon monoxide can cause death when it becomes too concentrated in the human bloodstream.

    How Cells Are Affected

    • At the cellular level there is a war between oxygen molecules and cell components. As humans breathe oxygen, the element forms derivative molecules such as oxygen free radicals, superoxide anions, hydrogen peroxide, and hydroperoxy and hydroxy radicals. In short, these molecules can destroy cell membranes and important cellular molecules like enzymes. Normally, the amounts of these deadly molecules are kept within manageable limits. But when a person breathes highly concentrated oxygen, the concentration of these molecules rises, which is probably what causes the lung tissue damage that is seen in cases of oxygen toxicity.

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