Oxygen is an element found in the air around us, and it is absolutely essential for our bodies to have oxygen at all times. Even though oxygen is so common, it is classified as a drug in the medical world. Used in medical emergencies it can help...
Oxygen concentrators deliver low levels of oxygen to a person's lungs and bloodstream. Additional oxygen makes breathing easier and reduces the heart's workload. Oxygen concentrators create 95 percent pure oxygen by removing additional gases from...
Supplemental oxygen can help patients who have compromised lung function due to emphysema, COPD and other chronic conditions to breathe easier. Today's lightweight, portable oxygen systems allow patients on oxygen to travel, shop and live...
Cluster headaches, also referred to as histamine headaches or migrainous neuralgia, are a specific type of extremely painful headaches. The rare condition affects 1 to 4 people out of every 1,000, according to the Merck Manuals. The age of onset...
According to Taber's Medical Dictionary, oxygen therapy is the administration of oxygen for the treatment of conditions resulting from oxygen deficiency. The goal of oxygen therapy is to improve oxygen flow to major organs and tissues, such as the...
Carbon dioxide poisoning, more formally know as hypercapnia, results from an excess of carbon dioxide in the blood. We expel carbon dioxide when we breathe. Poisoning often occurs when something interferes with that process. Rebreathing exhaled...
The body needs oxygen to function properly and receives oxygen via the lungs to be metabolized in all cells of the body. Conditions affecting the lungs such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including emphysema and chronic...
About 5.8 million people in the United States have heart failure, according to the Centers for Disease Control, or CDC. The CDC projects heart failure will cost the United States about $39.2 billion in 2010, including health care services, lost...
Smoking is one of the main causes of emphysema. If you are a smoker and have yet to kick the habit, now is the time. Quitting will not cure your emphysema; however, it may help prevent the lung condition from becoming worse. Continuing to smoke...
If you are overweight or obese, you may have an increased risk of health complications when traveling on an airplane. If you have a pre-existing condition such as hypertension, heart disease or breathing problems, you may want to consult with your...
Hypoxemia, or low-blood oxygen, also called hypoxia, can result from illnesses, injuries or diseases. Supplemental oxygen typically corrects the problem and medication prevents susceptibility in patients with chronic conditions. Treatments for...
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung disease in which the airways and air sacs in the lungs lose their elasticity, airways become swollen and obstructed and mucus production rises. This condition is not reversible even with...
Flying, once a rare and exciting experience, has become part of the normal workweek for many Americans and a part of many vacation experiences for others. Unfortunately, flying isn't as much fun as it used to be. Smaller airline seats, cramped...
Oxygen therapy improves the sense of well-being in a person starving for oxygen because of a disease or injury. Oxygen therapy can be long-term or short-term, depending upon the patient's needs. It has been known to decrease the workload of the...
Human divers have to use portable oxygen tanks when diving for any length of time. But the increased density pressures of diving and other environmental factors can take their toll on a diver's body that may have an impact on breathing, even with...
Oxygen tanks provide life-sustaining pure oxygen and are used in hospitals, homes and clinics all over the United States. Those who suffer advanced asthma, heart problems or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder may use oxygen tanks in their...
Asthma makes breathing hard. Wheezing, shortness of breath and coughing can strike most asthma sufferers almost anywhere, and at any time. That can mean keeping medications, portable nebulizers and even oxygen close at all times. Techniques to...
Home medical oxygen supplements the oxygen naturally breathed in from the atmosphere. Breathing supplemental oxygen increases the oxygen level in the blood, which is then transferred to the cells and ultimately into energy. Supplemental oxygen...
Oxygen prescribed by a doctor is almost 100 percent pure, as opposed to the air we normally breathe which is approximately 21 percent oxygen and 79 percent other gases. A physician prescribes home oxygen use stating the amount, such as 2 liters...
Chronic lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, prevent the lungs from effectively absorbing oxygen from normal atmospheric air. Patients with chronic lung disease may benefit from inhaling concentrated oxygen. How often a...
Cluster headaches cause sudden, severe pain on one side of the head, usually around the eye, reports the National Institutes of Health on its Medline Plus website. The affected eye may be red, swollen and produce excessive tears, and the nostril...
Pure oxygen is stored in high-pressure, alloy steel cylinders. The gas is compressed under pressures as high as 2,200 pounds per square inch (psi). Oxygen cylinders are needed for operating certain medical equipment when a centralized hospital...
Obstructive lung disease, commonly referred to as chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, or COPD, is a group of respiratory disorders which block airflow into the lungs and make breathing difficult. Disorders include emphysema, chronic bronchitis...
The vast wonders of the underwater realm were once off limits to human beings. With advances in modern technology, these areas are now more accessible than ever. Today, specialized diving gear has made it possible for you to feel almost as at home...
Without oxygen, human life cannot exist. Oxygen is vital for normal daily activity and makes up about 90 percent of your energy. Individuals diagnosed with conditions that cause shortness of breath and fatigue, sleep-related breathing disorders,...
Emphysema is a chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) that overly expands lung sacs, thereby trapping air and destroying lung tissue. Causes of emphysema include long-term smoking or genetic predisposition. People with emphysema...
