The best backup plan when there is a severe lack of oxygen cylinders is an oxygen concentrator. Anyone who needs oxygen immediately can easily set up an oxygen concentrator at home. It does not require refilling or replacement. But you should only use it if your doctor has prescribed it. If you are suffering from respiratory disease, then you might be prescribed home oxygen concentrators. Let’s understand how to set up an oxygen concentrator at your home.

How Does Oxygen Concentrator Work?

Oxygen concentrators take the oxygen from the environment, filter it then supplies to the patient. Basically, it is a medical gadget that pumps oxygen from the surrounding air.

Patients who are unable to obtain the necessary amount of oxygen on their own can use oxygen concentrators to meet their needs.

In order to provide patients with pure oxygen to breathe, oxygen concentrators draw air from the surrounding environment, filter out undesirable gases like nitrogen, and then concentrate oxygen. At least 5 to 10 liters of oxygen can be delivered daily via home oxygen concentrators.

How to Setup Home Oxygen Concentrators?

An instruction guide for setting up an oxygen concentrator at home is provided here-

• Because they need room to circulate air and get warm from prolonged usage, oxygen concentrators should be located at least 1-2 feet away from walls.
• If you have been given the humidification bottle by your doctor, use it. If the oxygen flow rate is larger than 2-3 liters per minute, a humidification bottle is advised.
• Connect the humidification bottle or an adaptor to the oxygen tube. If you're using an oxygen adaptor, connect the oxygen tubing to it in the same manner as you would if you were using a humidification bottle. When filling the humidification bottle, only use distilled or filtered water. Distilled water is water that has been through the distillation process, which involves boiling the water and catching the rising steam to allow the steam to condense. Reverse osmosis (RO) allows the water molecules to flow through but not the impurities.
• Make sure the air filter is in place before using the concentrator since it has an air filter that focuses on clean air. Use it when it has dried and wash it at least once a week with only warm water.
• It takes a little while for the oxygen concentrator to concentrate pure oxygen, therefore turn on your oxygen concentrator at least 10-15 minutes before using it.
• The concentrator needs a lot of power to operate and could catch fire if you connect it with an extension cord.
• Once you turn it on, you will hear the sound of processing. Always make sure to look at the light to see if the device is operating correctly.
• Find the liter control knob before using it. It may be marked with liters per minute (LPM), such as 1, 2, or 3. the knob to the desired LPM. Please ask your doctor for clarification if you are unsure.
• Please check the tubing for bends that could interfere with the oxygen flow. You should also check the edges of the breathing mask to make sure there are no holes.
• If you're using a nasal cannula, position it upward into your nostrils for maximum oxygen absorption.

How are Oxygen Concentrators different from Oxygen Cylinders?

The best substitutes for cylinders and liquid medical oxygen, which are tough to store and transport, are home oxygen concentrators. While concentrators cost more than cylinders, the investment is generally one-time, and they have low ongoing expenditures.

Concentrators, as opposed to cylinders, don't need to be filled up and can continue creating oxygen around-the-clock with just ambient air and an electrical source.

Concentrators' main flaw, though, is that they can only deliver 5 to 10 liters of oxygen per minute. Because of this, they are inappropriate for critically ill patients, who might need 40 to 45 liters of pure oxygen every minute. Therefore, it is important to only use them with a doctor's prescription.

Conclusion

If you are a patient with oxygen deficiency, then these concentrators are perfect for you. You can live a healthier, more active lifestyle at home with the aid of a home oxygen concentrator. A portable oxygen concentrator or oxygen in a metal tank for use outside the home may also be recommended by your doctor. Starting off with a new oxygen device may seem intimidating at first, but with experience, you will become more comfortable and accustomed to life with oxygen therapy.