Who needs an Oxygen Concentrator?

Patients who have been prescribed with oxygen therapy due to breathing diseases are prescribed with supplemental oxygen therapy delivered by means of an oxygen concentrator.

Who needs an Oxygen Concentrator?

Oxygen concentrators are necessary for patients with impaired lungs, heart, or both, that require supplemental oxygen therapy.

Supplemental oxygen increases the amount of oxygen that patients inhale on their own under normal conditions, therefore, more oxygen enters the blood stream and is spread throughout the whole body.

Your body requires a steady supply of oxygen to function properly. If your doctor has prescribed supplemental oxygen it because your lungs are not getting enough oxygen from the normal breathing process.

Supplemental oxygen therapy corrects oxygen levels in the blood and eliminates symptoms such as, headache, drowsiness, confusion, fatigue or increased irritability.

Extra oxygen is not addictive, and on the contrary it raises very significantly the quality of life of the user, allowing you to lead a normal life.

Portable oxygen concentrators are now seen regularly on the streets of America and Europe. Since they were developed and launched they have very quickly established themselves as very user friendly and practical oxygen delivery systems. In fact new models, that are lighter, smaller and have increased battery power seem to be coming out constantly.

How Does An Oxygen Concentrator Work?

• These medical machines extract and separate oxygen from the surrounding air, and deliver it as pure oxygen to patients.
• The air around us, at sea level, is approximately 21% oxygen, 78% nitrogen and the remaining is a mixture of other gases.
• A concentrator runs on electrical power that is obtained either through the electric outlet, or on rechargeable batteries (most portable units have both alternatives).
• As it does not depend on "x" amount of oxygen stored in a container, and the oxygen in ambient air will not be depleted, as long as the electrical power is supplied, they will continue to deliver the required oxygen for as long as needed.

Portable oxygen generators have specific segments of use where they increasing their market share:

• One is for emergency, including life rescue (ambulances, fire fighting, rescue teams in nature), and clinical use.
• Another is for industrial use as their operational costs are much lower.
• Still another use is to supply oxygen at very high altitudes.
• The other, and main focus of this article, are people with disorders of the lungs, heart, or both, requiring supplemental oxygen therapy. A large number of patients that fall in this category suffer from COPD, (Chronic Pulmonary Disease).

A large number of portable oxygen systems used to be oxygen cylinders that store compressed gas. The other alternative was liquid oxygen tanks. These delivery systems are still very much in use and have also benefited from user friendly developments, including flow regulators and lighter weight. However the advantages of POCs have made them the oxygen unit of choice as their combined benefits have increased and bettered activity potential of patients, and hence their quality of life.

One of the practical methods of oxygen delivery being used more and more is the stationary oxygen concentrator for the home and portable oxygen concentrators for activities that make for a normal life style.

In short, those people who have been prescribed with supplemental oxygen are prime candidates for oxygen concentrators. Stationary or home concentrators are an excellent alternative (the others being oxygen tanks or oxygen cylinders) as your oxygen delivery system.

Additionally they can also be equipped to refill your oxygen cylinders (that store compressed oxygen). For greater mobility, meaning increased range and time, portable oxygen concentrators are an excellent choice as demonstrated by the thousands of people using them.