Long Term Home Oxygen Therapy
Long term oxygen therapy (LTOT) may seem like a life sentence, being connected to a machine for your therapy, but use of such therapies have been clinically proven to improve the life quality and extend life expectancy for patients with chronic respiratory ailments that require supplemental oxygen. In addition, it is also known to reduce instances of hospitalization.
Long Term Oxygen Therapy Guidelines
While the benefits of long term oxygen therapy have been proven in trials and actual use, only your physician can determine the treatment that is best suited for your needs. If your physician determines that long term oxygen therapy is recommended for you, he or she will discuss the specifics of the therapy with you that can include:
- Why you are recommended to receive treatment
- When and how the treatment should be delivered
- How many hours per day the treatment should be used for
While some experts suggest that 18 hours per day is sufficient for most patients, others believe that 24 hour, around-the-clock delivery is ideal. For you, as an oxygen therapy patient, this generally means having a stationary oxygen system at home and another ‘portable’ unit for when you’re away from home.
Typical “on the go” oxygen systems are heavy and cumbersome and some refuse to use them simply because they find them embarrassing and very difficult to use. The result can mean a life spent cooped up at home, only going out when absolutely necessary.
However, there is hope. Modern technology has produced something called the Inogen Oxygen Concentrator, a small, lightweight unit that replaces both your big, in-home system and your portable. It makes its own oxygen and requires no tanks, no regulator and no worries about refills or running out of air. All you change are the rechargeable batteries. The Inogen One is a long term oxygen therapy solution for home, away, and for travel so that you can reclaim your freedom and independence.
