Smoking and Long Term Oxygen Therapy
Smokers have been around for decades and even though today’s smokers have run out of excuses, there are still many youngsters who are or will become smokers in due course. Of these, both the new smokers and the older smokers, a very large percentage will develop lung and breathing problems.
These breathing problems can end up turning into chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with all the limitations this entails. All smokers run this risk and in fact 20% of them will develop COPD. And of all COPD sufferers, 90% of them did smoke in the past. When you translate these percentages into real figures the results number in the millions - and yet there are new smokers all the time.
By this time regrets and blaming others, though typical will be next to useless. The vast majority of people with COPD will need extra oxygen supplied through a machine.
For those who stop smoking this is not necessarily a guarantee of not developing COPD - but it will reduce the degree of damage.
What to do/ Aside from not smoking (I had to put that in), in most cases oxygen therapy is prescribed as part of the overall recovery and treatment process. With this oxygen therapy, patients are getting the necessary oxygen and are then able to continue with many normal activities. We all need oxygen to stay alive and being alive is more than just surviving. As the additional oxygen is received, together with more modern and practical ways of delivering, it many patients can lead active lifestyles - and this means less psychological limitations which after all does have a lot to do with quality of life.
There are two aspects that need to be highlighted.
Prevention, as they say, is the best medicine. There is a general consensus that smoking is bad for you and so legislation has focused on this. (Whether it is concern for public health or concern for the cost of medication and treatment is another thing). In the meantime many millions of ex smokers, who are growing older will develop pulmonary diseases.
The second relates to activity and quality of life. Home-stationary oxygen delivery machines are available as are oxygen tanks, cylinders and concentrators. These are also been constantly upgraded, bettered and even redesigned all of which will provide greater levels of activity and mobility.
It used to be that a patient that needed oxygen full time would be stuck to a clinic. If extra oxygen had to be given on a partial basis (not 24/7), then continuous visits had to be made. Now patients can get home oxygen systems as well as portable ones. This has made a great difference from all points of view - work, social activities and travel, both short distances and even flights. As a point of fact, the FAA has authorized certain oxygen concentrators on board flights.
Aside from these there is a whole range of accessories that are used - these include oximeters to measure oxygen blood saturation, cannulas (those hoses that deliver the oxygen to the nose or mouth) flow regulators.
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