Oxygen therapy is an essential treatment method during COVID-19, so oxygen inhalation is more and more concerned. Home oxygen therapy has also become a way of daily health care, and is also accepted by more and more people.

Not only patients with COVID-19, oxygen therapy has become one of the important treatment methods for patients with hypoxemia and COPD, but also an effective means of rehabilitation for some chronic diseases. However, due to the lack of public knowledge of oxygen therapy, there are also some misunderstandings in the use process. Some people think that the more oxygen you breathe, the better. Some people think that you breathe only when you feel short of breath,.

According to statistics, a regional survey shows that 100% of patients do not understand the indications of home oxygen therapy and the duration of oxygen inhalation, 73% do not understand the safety of oxygen use, and 35.5% do not understand the concentration of oxygen inhalation.

Recently, we also received feedback from some consumers that long-term oxygen inhalation is harmful to our health. So is oxygen therapy beneficial or harmful to the body? Follow Xiao Bian to find out.

Does everyone need oxygen?

From a strict medical point of view, not everyone needs to take oxygen, only when various environmental and physiological factors lead to hypoxia. The people who need oxygen can be roughly divided into the following categories:

1. Anoxic state caused by respiratory system diseases: such as chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma, emphysema, cor pulmonale, silicosis, lung cancer, etc. Long term oxygen therapy can improve the quality of life and prolong the life of patients.

2. Anoxic state caused by cardiovascular disease: such as palpitation, chest tightness, suffocation, coronary heart disease, angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, heart failure, etc.

3. Anoxic state caused by cerebrovascular diseases: such as dizziness, headache, Meniere's disease, head swelling, cerebral arteriosclerosis, cerebral thrombosis, cerebral embolism, cerebral ischemia, cerebral hemorrhage, etc.

4. People with mental overdraft, strenuous exercise or working in an anoxic environment can receive appropriate oxygen therapy and health care.

5. Anoxic state caused by other diseases, such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, high blood viscosity, diabetes, hematopathy, cervical spondylosis, anemia, maternal health care, etc

Is long-term oxygen inhalation harmful to human body?

Everything has two sides. Reasonable oxygen inhalation has many benefits for the body. However, if the method of oxygen inhalation is incorrect, it will sometimes cause some adverse effects:

1. Respiratory inhibition: The most suitable target of home oxygen therapy is the patients with chronic pulmonary diseases. The body of such patients is in a state of relative hypoxia for a long time. PaO2 in arterial blood decreases, PaCO2 increases, and the respiratory center is less sensitive to changes in CO2 concentration. The respiratory movement of such patients is mainly to maintain respiratory movement by stimulating peripheral chemoreceptors with hypoxia. When the oxygen concentration inhaled by the patient is too high, PaO2 in the blood increases in a short time, which stimulates breathing; Anoxic” The factors disappear, resulting in respiratory inhibition and CO2 retention.

But don't worry. When patients with chronic lung diseases are taking home oxygen therapy, adjust the oxygen flow to 1-2L/min, so that the body can get extra oxygen, and the hypoxia can be relieved, while maintaining the excitement of the respiratory center. Long term adherence to low flow home oxygen therapy will have great benefits.

2. Excessive active oxygen leads to body peroxidation (oxygen poisoning): Inhaling gases with high oxygen partial pressure for a long time, such as long-term hyperbaric oxygen, long-term diving and long-term high flow inhalation of pure oxygen will lead to oxygen poisoning of different degrees. Oxygen poisoning mainly depends on the partial pressure of oxygen. When the partial pressure of inhaled gas oxygen is 80-100KPa, the visual function is impaired, and when it reaches 100-200KPa, the respiratory function is impaired. Generally, the partial pressure of oxygen inhaled through household low flow oxygen generator is less than 50KPa, which will not cause oxygen poisoning.

It is also said that long-term oxygen inhalation will lead to excessive production of reactive oxygen species and free radicals in the body, leading to peroxidation and promoting aging.

In fact, the human body has a strong antioxidant system: enzymatic system and non enzymatic system. The main antioxidant enzymes include superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase, glutathione reductase (GR) and 6-phosphate glucose dehydrogenase (G-6-PD); Non enzymatic antioxidants mainly include fat soluble substances, vitamin E, B2 carotene, coenzyme Q and flavonoids.

This defense system resists free radicals from the outside world through the following aspects:

(1) Prevent the formation of active oxygen;

(2) Accept the attack of reactive oxygen species. Reactive metabolites convert reactive oxygen species into molecules with low reactivity, or enhance the resistance of biological target structures and substances sensitive to the attack of reactive oxygen species;

(3) Avoid the conversion of less reactive reactive oxygen species into more reactive reactive oxygen species;

(4) It is beneficial to repair the damage caused by reactive oxygen species and stimulate the expression of antioxidant protein code genes;

(5) It can provide a favorable environment for other antioxidants to play an effective role, that is, as a cofactor or to maintain other antioxidants in a reduced state.

Clinical research shows that proper low flow oxygen inhalation will not cause peroxidation of the body, but help to delay aging: elderly people breathe oxygen for 2-3 hours a day, with oxygen flow of 3L per minute, and each course of treatment lasts for 2-3 weeks. After several courses of treatment, they improve the deformability of red blood cells, increase the deformability of red blood cells, reduce stiffness and aggregation, improve platelet aggregation and adhesion, and improve microcirculation, The amount of oxygen entering the arterial blood through the respiratory membrane of the lung cell is increased, so the partial pressure of arterial oxygen can still be maintained at the youth level after stopping oxygen inhalation. After the increase of arterial partial pressure of oxygen, cognitive and memory functions improved. Long term low flow oxygen inhalation is a safe and effective means to delay aging.

How to correctly carry out home oxygen therapy?

1. Reasonably control the oxygen flow and oxygen intake time: For people who perform oxygen health care or some patients who have no or only mild hypoxemia at ordinary times, it is appropriate to take oxygen for 30 to 60 minutes each time, 2 to 3 times a day, and the oxygen flow is 1 to 3 L/min. The number and duration of oxygen intake can be adjusted appropriately according to the physical conditions. For patients with severe chronic bronchitis, emphysema, obvious abnormal pulmonary function, and PaO2 continuously lower than 60 mmHg, oxygen therapy should be given for more than 15 hours every day. Do not shorten the oxygen inhalation time according to the symptoms. The oxygen inhalation flow should be 0.5 ～ 2L/min.

2. Oxygen humidification and correct use of the oxygen generator: choose the oxygen generator with its own humidification tank, and the humidified oxygen can protect the nasal mucosa. The nasal catheter should be cleaned with detergent once a day and then washed with clean water and dried. The humidification bottle should be cleaned with clean water once a day and replaced with pure water. The nasal catheter, nasal plug, humidification bottle, etc. should be disinfected with cold saline, alcohol, etc. every week.

3. Observe and record the oxygen therapy: observe the effect of oxygen use, such as the reduction or disappearance of cyanosis, slow and steady respiration, slow heart rate, increase of partial pressure of blood oxygen and oxygen saturation, and the effect is good if the related symptoms are relieved. At the beginning of home oxygen therapy, some people will feel uncomfortable, and most people will get better after observing for a period of time. Correctly record the time and flow of oxygen therapy and the changes of symptoms after oxygen therapy, so as to consult and make necessary adjustments when seeking medical advice.

4. Eat more antioxidant food with less oil and light taste: For patients who need long-term oxygen inhalation, reduce cooking smoke, try to eat less fried food, and eat more than three colors of fruit every day, so as to supplement adequate vitamins and flavonoids. Drink more green tea and ginkgo leaf tea. Green tea contains high levels of flavonoids. Ginkgo leaf extract can clear free radicals, protect vascular endothelial cells, improve gas exchange in the lung, and inhibit the release of inflammatory mediators.

Home oxygen therapy can correct hypoxemia and improve tissue hypoxia, which has many benefits. There are also many ways in life to help improve hypoxia symptoms. For example, strengthen the physique, exercise the respiratory muscles, and advocate“ Natural oxygen therapy” Open windows more for ventilation, and eat more sunflower seed oil, almonds, kiwi fruit, sweet potatoes and other foods. Adherence to aerobic exercise such as running and swimming will help“ Oxygen supplement”. Safe and effective home oxygen therapy under scientific guidance can not only improve the quality of life, but also reduce the physical and mental burden and enhance self-confidence.

reference:

[1] Ding Jianzhang, He Chunyang. Oxygen health care, a good helper for sub-health [J]. China Health Nutrition, 2008 (12): 90 - 91

[2] Ma Yongxing, Further in-depth study on the effect, mechanism and indication of oxygen therapy in anti-aging. Shanghai Institute of Gerontology, East China Hospital, Fudan University two thousand

[3] Zhang Shanjia, Research Progress of Exercise and Antioxidant System [J] Journal of Xuchang University, 2010 (29): 58-59

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