Smokers May Need 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.
An important percentage of these smokers, including ex-smokers, will eventual suffer from chronic pulmonary disease. 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.
For most people this will mean a lot of suffering, reduced activities, general weakness and the need for a continuous use of extra oxygen and the lungs can no longer absorb the required amount (no oxygen - no life).
Your best bet is to stop smoking and even if this is not an iron clad guarantee that you won’t develop COPD (the damage has been done), it will certainly reduce the over all damage.
Oxygen therapy is being prescribed for most cases and the statistical results are that life expectancy is much greater. Thanks to this therapy patients are no longer lost in a maze of clinics, but can now keep on practicing most normal activities. Receiving oxygen and being active allows patients to breathe (simplistic but true) and also to be able to maintain a life style with a certain amount of activity. This is recognized to be really important as physical health and psychological well being do go hand in hand.
A couple of things more.
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 portable 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.
Tags: dangers of smoking, smoking, stop smoking
