Oxygen Therapy: What Is It And What Is Its Goal?
Oxygen therapy is a prescription treatment that consists of administering oxygen in high concentrations. Its purpose is to treat hypoxia or oxygen deficiency in the blood and tissues.
Experts also indicate that this mainly concerns the treatment of chronic respiratory insufficiency. However, in recent years, people have also successfully used it for the cosmetics industry.
What is oxygen therapy?
Oxygen therapy helps to increase the oxygen supply to the tissues. It therefore maximizes the carrying capacity of hemoglobin. It also relieves certain ailments and diseases such as chronic bronchitis or COPD. It is also a good solution for hypoventilation related to obesity and severe asthma.
Today, this type of therapy is even used for beauty treatments, especially for dry, oily, tired or wrinkled skin. It also gives good results when it comes to the reduction of dark circles and skin blemishes.
In the cosmetics industry, oxygen provides the hydration that the skin needs. It also stimulates collagen production and helps skin look more youthful. However, to understand how this works, it’s important to learn a little more about oxygen therapy first.
Types
The use of oxygen therapy is essential in the treatment of chronic respiratory failure. At that time, medical experts prescribe the administration of oxygen. The most commonly used forms of this form of therapy are the following:
Normobaric oxygen therapy
Normobaric oxygen therapy provides oxygen in different concentrations. Normally this happens in a concentration between 21% and 100%. One of the most common uses is nose or face masks.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
This form of oxygen therapy consists of administering 100% oxygen. In hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the patient is in a pressure chamber. For administration, a helmet or a mask is used.
The goal of this therapy is to increase the oxygen supply to the tissues through hemoglobin. When a lot of oxygen enters the body, there is more pressure in the alveolus, which causes the hemoglobin to become saturated.
Due to this, the alveolar oxygen pressure increases and the work of the respiratory tract and heart decreases. This allows the body to keep the oxygen pressure constant.
Possible complications
As with any treatment, oxygen therapy can have complications. These are usually the result of an insufficient oxygen concentration. However, they can also be caused by too long a treatment time.
The symptoms that may occur include:
- tracheitis and bronchitis
- disturbed cleaning of the mucous membranes
- acute lung injury
- bronchopulmonary dysplasia
Furthermore, as a result of inhaling the cold and dry gas mixture, the patient may suffer from dryness and tearing of the mucous membranes. The patient may also suffer from reduced transport through the mucous membranes, retention and increased sputum density.
Routes of the administration
When patients breathe on their own, the therapy can be applied through nasal and face masks. Some of the masks include the following:
- Venturi mask. A venturi mask provides the exact oxygen concentration. During administration, the patient cannot eat or speak. The patient may also experience a feeling of warmth and may suffer from skin irritation.
- Simple face mask. A soft plastic device that covers the mouth and nose. It has lateral openings that allow the exit of exhaled air. The mask stays in place with an elastic to prevent leakage.
Another method of administration is the low-flow system. This system is suitable for people who need minimal oxygen. The high-flow system and the hyperbaric chamber can also be used. However, patients who cannot breathe on their own should be treated with mechanical ventilation.
Conclusion
Although this form of therapy is a prescription treatment, it is important to remember that it is not only used to solve health problems. Today it is even used in certain beauty treatments.
