Oxygen therapy

Need to know

• What happens icon plus

  Oxygen therapy involves breathing in air that contains more oxygen than normal from a cylinder or machine installed in your home. It may be prescribed if you have a heart or lung condition that causes low oxygen levels in your blood. You can take oxygen in a number of ways using a:

  • tube positioned under your nose (nasal cannula)
  • face mask placed over your nose and mouth
  • tube placed into your mouth and down your windpipe

  The tube or mask is attached to a ventilator machine.

• How to prepare icon plus

  All the equipment you need will be delivered to your home after consultation with your HCA UK oxygen therapist. An engineer will visit your home to install the equipment, check that it's working properly, and explain how to use it. They'll also carry out a risk assessment and provide you with other important information, such as how to order oxygen refills.

• Afterwards icon plus

  You should never smoke, including e-cigarettes, when using oxygen. The carbon monoxide in the smoke reduces the amount of oxygen that your blood can carry around your body. Oxygen also helps combustion, so it is vital that there is no smoking around oxygen. There is a risk of facial burns and house fires if you or someone else smokes in your home when the oxygen supply is turned on. Remember that oxygen is a medicine – too much oxygen can be dangerous. It is dangerous for you to alter the oxygen flow rate your equipment provides or change the type of mask you use, unless instructed to do so by your health care professional.