COPD and Oxygen Therapy

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a serious respiratory disease,including chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma, emphysema, pulmonary heart disease, etc. Therefore, these diseases have varying degrees of airway obstruction and poor breathing, so they are collectively referred to as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD for short.

If the condition of COPD is not well controlled, the body will show a continuous and irreversible progressive development. Usually from bronchitis and bronchial asthma to emphysema, and then to pulmonary heart disease. Cor pulmonale is often attacked by acute infections, which induces the heart functional failure, lung failure, if the rescue is not timely at this time, it is often easy to lead to death.

Patients with COPD, on the one hand, due to the contraction of the trachea and bronchi, the secretion in the lumen increases, which leads to airway obstruction and poor breathing; on the other hand, due to the massive destruction of the bronchi and alveoli, the ventilation function is obstructed; the above two aspects directly lead to the patient’s body being in a state of hypoxia for a long time.

Oxygen inhalation can prevent the further development of the disease and prolong life. Medical research shows that the life expectancy of COPD patients who insist on home oxygen therapy every day is significantly longer than that of COPD patients who have not received home oxygen therapy.

Oxygen inhalation can improve the immunity of the whole body and the local respiratory tract, reduce the occurrence of acute respiratory infections; avoid acute lung function and heart failure. Statistics of medical data show that after COPD patients insist on home oxygen therapy, the number of emergency medical visits or the average number of hospitalization days due to respiratory complications has been significantly reduced, their condition is also mild, and medications are reduced, which can avoid long-term hospitalization. There are many problems such as the cost burden.

Oxygen inhalation can improve the quality of life of patients. For example, patients with shortness of breath after activities and unable to take care of themselves can go downstairs on their own after a period of home oxygen therapy. The shortness of breath is relieved, the mental condition improves, the activity ability is enhanced, and the quality of life is significantly improved.