Approximately 21% of the air you breathe is oxygen, which is absolutely essential to your wellbeing. Oxygen is used for the function of every cell in your body, and becomes transported to each and every one of these cells through your airwaves and into your lungs. This is why anything that might prevent the air from going unobstructed into your lungs can cause wellness problems, which may be the case if you suffer from COPD.
For some patients of COPD, enough air is brought to the alveoli but their capillaries don’t allow enough of the oxygen to pass, and the low oxygen levels the low oxygen levels create hypoxemia. Therefore, COPD patients may need to receive small amounts of oxygen can to allow the air to enter at a higher rate than the original 21%. That way, the oxygen will be more able to push through the capillaries.
Not every person with COPD needs oxygen therapy, but your doctor can measure whether or not you need it by finding out the amount of oxygen you already have in your bloodstream. You might find out you need oxygen when walking, eating, or performing another lifestyle activity that requires it in bigger supply, but some patients may require oxygen 24-hours a day. It works just like any other medicine prescribed by a medical professional; oxygen needs to be taken as directed.
Your doctor will explain the rate your oxygen should be set to ensure that your treatment is only at the level that your body needs, often over 89%. You should never stray from your doctor’s prescribed dosage as too much oxygen will slow your breathing, and not enough can lead to brain problems and heart problems from lack of oxygen. Your doctor may tell you that you only need to take oxygen while exercising and sleeping, or you might find you need to use it for as long as possible throughout the day. If your doctor instructs you to use continuous oxygen then you should not go off it. However, if you need to, for whatever reason, make sure you go off your oxygen while not performing any physical activity, which includes sleeping. You should only be sitting and relaxing.