Like many other medications, oxygen therapy requires a prescription. Moreover, oxygen therapy is a type of treatment, and not a treatment that doctors recommend lightly. If you are feeling breathless, it is smart to seek medical attention immediately. However, know that even if your doctor suspects something is wrong, or even if a hospital admits you, you may not receive oxygen therapy. In this article, you will learn more about what oxygen therapy is, who might need, and what may happen if you undergo oxygen therapy without needing it, among other useful information.
Oxygen therapy, also known as supplemental oxygen, is a type of therapy that pumps oxygen into your body when your body is unable to get enough on its own. Though anyone who intakes insufficient oxygen may qualify for oxygen therapy, it is typically reserved for persons with COPD, emphysema, COVID-19, sleep apnea and other sleep disorders. The goal of oxygen therapy is to reverse or manage hypoxemia, or low blood oxygen levels, which can cause organ damage and quickly become life-threatening. Some people may require oxygen therapy on a temporary basis, while others will need it for their whole lives.
Oxygen therapy is essentially a respiratory system aid that provides the body with oxygen when it cannot provide itself with the compound. When a healthy person breathes in through the nose or mouth, he or she should take in approximately 80% nitrogen and 20% oxygen. The lungs filter and separate the mixture, pushing the nitrogen out of the body and sending the 20% oxygen to the blood vessels for use by the tissues, organs and cells.
When the lungs fail to function properly, they become unable to filter the nitrogen-oxygen compound effectively. As a result, not enough oxygen goes to the bloodstream and, therefore, not enough reaches the cells. If low blood oxygen levels continue for long periods, the organs will stop functioning as they should. Before long, when hypoxemia occurs, organ damage begins. If oxygen levels are not restored, the organ damage can quickly become life-threatening.
Oxygen therapy pushes supplemental oxygen into the body to restore and maintain healthy oxygen levels. For how long one will need oxygen therapy depends on what causes the dip in oxygen and whether the body can maintain healthy levels on its own.
Oxygen therapy is essential in any instance when oxygen levels dip below the “healthy” level—also known as the “saturation level.” A healthy oxygen level is 95% or higher. A doctor may prescribe oxygen therapy when levels dip to 88% or lower. This may occur when one or more of the following conditions is present:
People who live in or visit high altitude areas may also need supplemental oxygen, as the higher the altitude, the lower the oxygen levels. This is particularly true for individuals who are not used to the high altitude and/or who engage in strenuous activities at high altitudes, such as mountain climbing or skiing.
Diagnosing low oxygen levels typically involves assessing a person’s symptoms. Tell-tale signs that a person suffers from low oxygen levels are as follows:
If you present with these symptoms, your doctor may want to run a few tests to determine where, exactly, your oxygen levels are at. Tests that assess for oxygen levels are as follows:
If your doctor determines your oxygen levels are below the healthy range, he or she may prescribe oxygen therapy.
For people who suffer from low oxygen levels, oxygen therapy can have several benefits. The most obvious is that it quickly restores oxygen levels to the point where your cells and organs can function optimally. It also prevents potentially fatal organ damage.
Aside from these benefits, oxygen therapy can have a few obvious advantages. Those are as follows:
Oxygen deprivation can quickly drain you of energy and make it difficult for you to sleep, hence the benefits of supplemental oxygen.
Though oxygen therapy is potentially lifesaving for some people, it is not without its side effects. Though uncommon, some people do experience the following either during or immediately following oxygen therapy:
For how long a person will need oxygen therapy depends largely on the condition that causes the oxygen deprivation. For instance, individuals who experience dips in oxygen levels following a rock climbing excursion may only need supplemental oxygen temporarily and immediately following the activity. Persons who have lung infections, such as pneumonia or bronchitis, may need oxygen for several days to weeks after diagnosis, and until the infection is completely gone. Some people live with chronic conditions that require them to be on oxygen for the remainder of their lives.
Again, oxygen is a medication. As with any prescription medication, unnecessary use could have adverse and potentially dangerous side effects. One such side effect is slowed breathing and a heart rate that is reduced to dangerous levels.
Additionally, too much oxygen can lead to oxygen toxicity, which is a type of poisoning. Signs of oxygen poisoning are as follows:
If your doctor prescribes oxygen therapy, and if you end up developing one or more of these symptoms while on it, stop using the oxygen immediately and/or alert your doctor. Just like oxygen deprivation, oxygen toxicity can be fatal.
Supplemental oxygen can be a lifesaving medical treatment for persons who truly need it. Individuals who need oxygen therapy are those whose oxygen levels dip to 88% or below. That said, when supplemental oxygen is administered hastily and without measuring one’s actual oxygen saturation, it can have adverse and possibly fatal consequences. This being said, if, despite you being breathless, your doctor refuses to put you on oxygen treatment, or if he or she does not recommend it, it is likely because he or she does not feel supplementation is in your best interests.