Oxygenation is a method of treatment with oxygen to treat certain conditions. Oxygen can be given using a tube placed in front of the nose, a mask over the nose and mouth, or a room with high oxygen pressure.
Oxygenation therapy is generally given when the oxygen content in the body is below normal limits. Normal oxygen levels in the blood so that the body can function optimally is 95-100 percent. This level can be calculated using the tool pulse oximeter.
If the oxygen level in the blood decreases to below 90 percent, the function of the organs and tissues of the body will also decrease so that it can cause health problems.
Conditions Requiring Oxygen
Some medical conditions require oxygenation through a tube (cannula) placed in front of the nose or an intermittent mask covering the nose and mouth. The conditions in question include:
1. Hypoxemia
Oxygen saturation in the blood below 90 percent can be expressed as hypoxemia. This lack of oxygen in the blood often occurs when a person has a severe medical condition.
Some signs of a person experiencing hypoxemia are shortness of breath, fast heartbeat, bluish skin and lips (cyanosis), headache, and even fainting.
2. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease causes a gradual and prolonged obstruction of airflow in the airways.
Severe COPD requires oxygenation through a nasal tube (nasal cannula), oxygen masks, or even tracheostomy surgery and the installation of breathing apparatus to increase oxygen levels in the body.
In patients with COPD who are already severe and have low blood oxygen levels, long-term treatment is necessary.
3. Asthma attack
Asthma is caused by inflammation that causes narrowing of the airways. People with asthma can generally adapt to their disease, even children.
However, in the event of an asthma attack, medications are needed to manage asthma symptoms and oxygenation. Oxygen can be given through an oxygen mask or intubated to put on a breathing apparatus.
4. Severe pneumonia
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs that causes inflammation and severe lung damage. In this condition, oxygenation therapy is needed, because the supply of oxygen to the bloodstream is disrupted.
5. Premature babies
Babies born prematurely may have respiratory distress syndrome (respiratory distress syndrome/RDS) or a lung disorder called bronchopulmonary dysplasia (bronchopulmonary dysplasia/BPD).
This condition is at risk of making the lungs of premature babies impaired. To overcome this, administration of drugs and oxygenation can be a solution.
6. Sleep apnea
If the supply of oxygen in the blood during sleep is below normal, oxygenation therapy may be necessary. Sleep disorders that can cause low oxygen distribution to organs and body tissues are: sleep apnea. This disorder causes sufferers to have difficulty breathing during sleep.
7. End stage heart failure
If the heart has trouble pumping blood, it will automatically affect the supply of oxygen in the blood vessels. In addition to drugs, oxygenation therapy can be considered to treat these conditions.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Hyperbaric oxygenation therapy is the process of curing a medical condition using a chamber or tube filled with pure oxygen under strong pressure.
The air pressure setting itself is generally three times higher than normal air pressure. This allows the lungs to inhale more pure oxygen than when in a normal room.
Some of the conditions that hyperbaric oxygenation therapy can treat include:
Serious infections and stubborn wounds
Some health problems, such as infections that cause tissue death, radiation wounds, and wounds that don't heal due to diabetes, can be treated with hyperbaric oxygenation therapy.
The high level of oxygen that enters the bloodstream allows the body to be stronger in fighting bacteria. In addition, oxygen in the blood will stimulate the growth and formation of new cells, thereby accelerating the healing process.
decompression sickness
Decompression sickness is characterized by the appearance of nitrogen gas bubbles in the bloodstream or body tissues. This condition is usually experienced by divers.
Divers move from a location of high air pressure to a location with low air pressure quickly is the cause of this disturbance. Decompression sickness is at risk of causing the sufferer to lose consciousness, even death.
A person with decompression sickness should be given pure oxygen immediately and continued on hyperbaric oxygenation therapy, if possible.
Other conditions
Other conditions that can be cured by the hyperbaric oxygenation method are severe anemia, brain abscess, carbon dioxide poisoning, sudden deafness, or sudden blindness. This therapy is also good for the treatment of death of bone tissue or skin due to infection.
In certain diseases or conditions, the body experiences a lack of oxygen. Therefore, oxygenation therapy is given to increase oxygen levels in the body. You can consult a doctor to find out the type of oxygenation and other treatments that suit your condition.