What is oxygen inhalation ？

Oxygen Inhalation is a commonly way of clinical treatment method, and oxygen therapy is a method to relieve hypoxia. Oxygen inhalation with appropriate amount is used to correct hypoxia symptom, increase the level of arterial oxygen partial pressure and oxygen saturation, and promote metabolism. It is one of the important methods for adjuvant treatment of various diseases.

01 Role of oxygen inhalation

Oxygen inhalation is used to correct hypoxia, increase the level of arterial oxygen partial pressure and oxygen saturation, and promote metabolism. It is one of the important methods for adjuvant treatment of various diseases. Such as respiratory failure, chronic bronchitis, cerebrovascular disease, coronary heart disease. Those with symptoms of clinical hypoxia not obvious may also have oxygen debt or abnormal microcirculation metabolism, so oxygen inhalation may be required. Such as some patients before and after surgery, patients with hemorrhagic shock, poor fetal heart sounds or long labor during childbirth and other patients.

02 Common method

1. Nasal congestion and nasal cannula oxygen inhalation method: The nasal congestion method is that the nasal congestion is placed in one side of the nasal vestibule and is in close contact with the nasal cavity to inhale oxygen. The nasal cannula method is to insert a cannula into the top of the nasal cavity to inhale oxygen.

2. Mask oxygen inhalation method: Covering the patient's mouth and nose for oxygen inhalation is better than the nasal congestion and nasal cannula oxygen inhalation method, but it may cause respiratory acidosis.

3. Oral oxygen inhalation method: If the patient has nasal congestion or mouth breathing, oxygen can be inhaled through the mouth, that is, a larger catheter is used to put it into the oral cavity for oxygen inhalation.

03 Notices

1. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (chronic bronchitis, emphysema) should be inhaled with low-concentration oxygen during respiratory failure. (<35%)

2. Medical oxygen should be used for oxygen inhalation, and industrial oxygen should not be used.

3. During nasal congestion and nasal cannula oxygen inhalation, high-flow oxygen inhalation may stimulate local nasal mucosa, the oxygen flow should not exceed 7L/min.
04 Inhaled oxygen concentration

The relationship between the oxygen concentration and the oxygen flow rate: the inhaled oxygen concentration (%)=21+4×oxygen flow rate (L/min).

05 Indications for oxygen therapy
The pace of modern life is accelerating, and the mental and physical consumption increases, especially for mental workers. Because the brain is in a state of high tension for a long time, it is easy to cause brain hypoxia, lack of endogenous oxygen in cells, dizziness, chest tightness, fatigue, lethargy, and unresponsiveness, lack of concentration and other symptoms, which will affect normal study, work and life in severe cases. Experts believe that at least 10% of people in the city are in a state of hypoxia. The 10% include: people living in places with insufficient ambient oxygen; people who consume too much brain power;people suffering from hypoxic diseases.

According to relevant medical experts opinion, proper oxygen inhalation can significantly improve the following symptoms:

●Reduce mental overdraft

When studying for a long time, lack of necessary rest and entertainment, and nervousness about exams, many students suffer from "exam syndrome", which is manifested as mental exhaustion, memory loss, unresponsiveness, inability to concentrate, and reduced learning efficiency. Insist on inhaling a few minutes of oxygen every day, can be significantly improved such phenomena.

●Relieve work pressure

Under the intense work rhythm, symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, irritability, shortness of breath, and loss of appetite are prone to occur. Medical experts call it "office syndrome". Inhaling oxygen for 3 to 5 minutes every day can relieve sub-health conditions such as nervousness and irritability.

●Home treatment of bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, angina pectoris, respiratory and heart failure, etc. Oxygen inhalation can significantly improve blood oxygen saturation, relieve the pain of patients, and save expensive medical expenses. Regular inhalation of oxygen in middle-aged and elderly people can prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and is beneficial to health and longevity.

●Pregnant women health care

Regular oxygen inhalation during pregnancy can increase the oxygen content in the arterial blood of pregnant women, which is beneficial to improve the functional state of pregnant women and is conducive to the growth and development of the fetus.

●Exercise oxygen

Supplementing oxygen in time after strenuous exercise can quickly improve shortness of breath and chest tightness, eliminate fatigue and restore physical strength.

06 Precautions for oxygen therapy
Experts advise that we should pay attention to four points when inhaling oxygen therapy at home:

1. Indoor fire is strictly prohibited to prevent fire.

2. The oxygen flow must pass through the humidifier bottle to reduce the irritation to the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract.

3. For long-term oxygen therapy, the oxygen supply flow should be controlled at 2 - 4 liters/min, and oxygen inhalation should not exceed 1 hour a day to prevent the generation of oxygen free radicals that endanger health.

4. Before using the nasal cannula, check whether it is unobstructed, replace it twice a day, boil and sterilize it for 10 minutes for backup, and preferably use a disposable oxygen inhalation tube.