Long Term Oxygen Therapy – Smoking

A large proportion of the population is still smoking, and even if the percentages are lower than they were 50 years ago, this means that down the line a few years or decades away, many if not all of these will develop breathing problems.

An important percentage of these smokers, including ex-smokers, will eventual suffer from chronic pulmonary disease. COPD statistics show that 90% of diagnosed sufferers were smokers and that 20% of all smokers will end up having this illness. Even though the figures speak for themselves every day new smokers are born.

For most people this will mean a lot of suffering, reduced activities, general weakness and the need for a continuous use of supplemental oxygen and the lungs can no longer absorb the required amount (no oxygen – no life).

Your best bet is to stop smoking and even if this is not an iron clad guarantee that you won’t develop COPD (the damage has been done), it will certainly reduce the over all damage.

Oxygen is recognized as a very effective therapy (prevention is the best). Thanks to this therapy patients are no longer lost in a maze of clinics, but can now keep on practicing most normal activities. Receiving oxygen and being active allows patients to breathe (simplistic but true) and also to be able to maintain a life style with a certain amount of activity. This is recognized to be really important as physical health and psychological well being do go hand in hand.

There are two aspects that need to be highlighted.

The first is preventive measures. We as a society are much more aware of the dangers of smoking and the legislation and conviction are reduced numbers of smokers, or at least smoking opportunities. This still means that many millions will require oxygen therapy in the future – but at least it’s not as any as could be. (The social costs can only be measured in billions of dollars).

The other point is that everyone expects an active life and this should also be combined with quality of life. If you are bound to a bed, whether in a home or a clinic, then for most people quality of life will be low. Oxygen therapy can now be delivered with more modern machines that allow most patients a certain level of activity – these machines include stationary and portable oxygen tanks.

Long-term oxygen therapy is no longer limited to the clinic or to the home. Mobile and portable units are available, are also covered by insurance and even some portable oxygen concentrators are allowed on board planes, as authorized by the FAA.

Various devices such as pulse of oximeters, that measure oxygen saturation, and oxygen flow regulators are part of standard equipment that long-term oxygen patients are using – and as a result they are increasing their potential levels of activity.