Oxygen treatment, home
Home oxygen treatment, also known as home oxygen therapy, involves breathing in air that contains more oxygen than normal from a cylinder or machine in your home.
Oxygen treatment may be prescribed for people with a heart or lung condition that causes low oxygen levels in their blood.Low oxygen levels can damage the heart or brain.
Therefore, the main aim of oxygen treatment is to increase the amount of oxygen in your lungs and bloodstream to a level that prevents such harm.
It can also help relieve Shortness of breath and other symptoms of low oxygen, such as ankle swelling and blue lips. However, oxygen treatment shouldn't be used for the sole purpose of relieving breathlessness because it can have harmful long-term effects such as making you less fit. It can also cause a delay in finding out what's making you breathless.
Find out what home oxygen treatment is, when it's needed and the different methods used to deliver it.
Oxygen treatment can be given in a number of ways including through a: tube positioned under the nose (nasal cannula) face mask placed over the nose and mouth tube placed into the mouth and d
If you have a health conditionthat causes low levels of oxygen in your blood (hypoxia), you may feel breathless and tired, particularly after walking or coughing. Fluid may also build up around your a
If you have a long-term medical condition and your doctor thinks oxygen treatment might be helpful, you'll be asked to visit your nearest oxygen clinic for an assessment. During the assessment it's l
If you only needoxygen for short periods to relieve attacks of breathlessness after an illness, you'll probably be prescribed oxygen cylinders. However, this should be regularly reviewed so that the s
An oxygen concentrator machine is suitable if youwould benefit from having oxygen for many hours a day, including while you're asleep.It ensures you have a source of oxygen that never runs out. An ox
Talk toyour specialist if youd like a small, portable cylinder so you can take oxygen outside your home. Youll need to be fully assessed to see whether portable oxygen (also known as ambulatory oxygen
If you're going on holiday in England or Wales, talk to your supplier to see whether you can make arrangements to have home oxygen supplied to you at your destination. Try to give them as much notice