Our bodies need oxygen. Typically, people get all the oxygen they need from the air around them. However, some medical conditions, like COPD, make it hard for the body to get enough. Oxygen therapy can help increase the amount of oxygen in the blood and prevent problems caused by a low oxygen level in the body, known as hypoxia.
Goals of Oxygen Therapy
When you take a breath, oxygen from the air moves into your lungs and then into your blood vessels. From there, the oxygen circulates throughout your body and into cells, helping create energy and keep the body working. Not having enough oxygen can damage the brain, heart and other organs. Oxygen therapy can help make up the difference when your body isn’t getting enough oxygen from the air you breathe.
Regular air is made up of about 21 percent oxygen. Oxygen therapy delivers pure oxygen or air with a higher percentage of oxygen through a long, thin, flexible tube connected to a face mask or nasal cannula, a piece of plastic that sits in the nostrils.
In addition to preventing organ damage, oxygen therapy can also help you:
- Decrease shortness of breath
- Decrease the work of the heart
- Get a better night’s sleep
- Improve your energy level
- Improve your quality of life
- Increase your activity level
Who Needs Oxygen Therapy?
Sometimes oxygen therapy is only needed for a short time. For example, a person might receive oxygen therapy in the hospital if they have severe COVID-19 or pneumonia. Long-term oxygen therapy is often beneficial for people with chronic health conditions that significantly affect breathing, including:
- Breathing issues due to a combination of obesity and other health conditions
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Cystic fibrosis
- Heart failure
- Long-term severe asthma
- Pulmonary hypertension
Not everyone with one of these conditions is a good candidate for oxygen therapy. Your provider can help you determine if oxygen therapy is right for you.
Types of Oxygen Therapy Systems
There are two main ways to receive oxygen therapy:
- Stationary oxygen systems
- Portable oxygen systems
Your health care provider will help you figure out which system is best for you based on your diagnosis, how much supplemental oxygen you need, your insurance coverage and your lifestyle.
While you can purchase over-the-counter oxygen therapy systems, doing so is not a good idea. These products may deliver too little or too much oxygen, which can cause serious health issues. For the same reason, you shouldn’t use someone else’s oxygen therapy system. Only use oxygen therapy prescribed for you by your health care provider.
Stationary Oxygen Systems
People who receive oxygen therapy through stationary oxygen systems will typically receive oxygen through stationary concentrators or stationary liquid systems.
- Stationary concentrators. A stationary concentrator is a machine that plugs into a wall outlet. The machine uses oxygen from the room’s air, concentrates it and pushes the concentrated oxygen into plastic tubing connected to a face mask or nasal cannula. Most stationary concentrators have wheels that allow for some mobility. Stationary concentrators often have a humidifier attached to the machine. The humidifier looks like a plastic bottle or container and is filled with water. The water helps prevent dryness in the nose and nasal passages.
- Stationary liquid systems. Oxygen becomes a liquid when it gets very cold. Stationary liquid systems hold a large amount of liquid oxygen. As liquid oxygen moves out of the container, it warms up, changing into a gas you can breathe through the tubing. These systems don’t require electricity but need to be refilled regularly by a technician from an oxygen company.
Portable Oxygen Systems
People who use portable oxygen systems for their oxygen therapy may find themselves using tanks or concentrators while they’re out and about.
- Compressed gas tanks. These green and silver metal tanks are filled with compressed pure oxygen gas. To release the oxygen from a tank, you’ll attach a regulator to the top of the tank. The regulator lets you control the amount of oxygen flowing out and tells you how much oxygen is left in the tank. Sometimes, an oxygen-conserving device is attached to a compressed gas tank. This device delivers oxygen in pulses of air instead of a continuous flow. Compressed gas tanks come in many different sizes. Smaller tanks can be carried in a specially designed backpack, bag or cart.
- Liquid portable tanks. These tanks work like a stationary liquid system but hold a much smaller amount of liquid oxygen. They need to be refilled often with a stationary liquid oxygen system.
- Portable oxygen concentrators. These machines are smaller versions of a stationary oxygen concentrator. Instead of being plugged into a wall outlet, they use a rechargeable battery pack. Depending on the device’s design, portable oxygen concentrators may provide a continuous flow of oxygen or deliver oxygen in short pulses when you breathe.
Oxygen Therapy at Home and in the Community
You can live a full, active life while using oxygen therapy, even if you like to participate in community groups, like to travel, volunteer regularly or work outside the home.
Many people use a stationary oxygen delivery system at home and a portable one while out and about. Doing so may be as simple as carrying extra batteries, buying a car charger for a portable concentrator or getting fitted for a backpack to carry your oxygen tank.
Oxygen Therapy Safety
Oxygen therapy is a safe, effective treatment for many people. However, there are potential safety risks when using oxygen. Although it won’t cause a fire on its own, oxygen is highly flammable. If you are receiving oxygen therapy, lower the risk of burns or fire by avoiding:
- Being near matches or other open flames
- Cooking on a gas stove
- Smoking or vaping
- The use of handheld appliances, such as an electric razor or hair dryer
Monitoring Your Oxygen Level
Regularly checking your blood oxygen level with a pulse oximeter helps you and your health care provider know if oxygen therapy is working as it should. A pulse oximeter slips on your finger and measures oxygen levels in your blood quickly and painlessly.
Your provider or technicians from the oxygen company can show you how to use all of your oxygen equipment and keep it in good working order, so you can stay as healthy and active as possible.
More to Read
- How to Clean and Maintain Your Oxygen Equipment
- Tips for Traveling with Portable Oxygen
- 4 Steps to Improve Your COPD
- Nutrition for Lung Health and COPD
Medically reviewed by Karen Goodison, MS, RRT-NPS, RPFT, FACHE, Assistant Vice President, Clinical Operations at UM Upper Chesapeake Health
