Oxygen deficiency in the human body has been linked to every major illness category; including respiratory disease, cancer, and heart disease.

The American Heart Association reports that over 1.5 million people die each year from heart conditions.  All heart attacks result from the failure of the heart muscle to receive adequate supplies of oxygen.  Severe oxygen deficiency is called hypoxia, often referred to as oxygen starvation.  This affliction invites cardiac trouble by over-stimulating the sympathetic nervous system, raising the heart rate.  A common factor in asthma, bronchitis, emphysema and various forms of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is oxygen deficiency to the blood.

Symptoms of Oxygen Deficiency:
Fatigue Dizziness Depression Irritability Circulation problems Memory loss	Overall body weakness Acid stomach Muscle aches Poor digestion Increased infections Tumors

The human body responds in many adverse ways to oxygen deficiency.  Increased levels of hemoglobin are a frequent result of oxygen poor blood.  To compensate for a chronically low supply of oxygen, hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood, may increase.  This can thicken the blood and impair its ability to flow easily.

Another serious affect of oxygen deficiency is pressure in the lungs and heart.  The arteries that carry blood from the heart into the lungs sense low oxygen levels and constrict to direct blood to more normal areas of the lung.  This causes pressure in the pulmonary arteries to rise.  The heart responds by dilating and contracting ineffectively, eventually causing the heart to fail.  A common warning sign of this condition is edema or swelling of the legs.

Factors That Can Worsen Development of Oxygen Deficiency:
Infections and physical trauma Toxic stress Emotional stress Lack of exercise Improper diet

What should I do if I have symptoms of oxygen deficiency? 
See your doctor immediately!  If you do have an oxygen deficiency, the longer you wait for treatment, the more risk you are taking with your health.  Depending on the severity of your affliction, you could be putting tremendous strain on your heart and other vital organs.

Relief from oxygen deficiency can be found in oxygen therapy.

It is important to see your doctor because you will need a prescription to receive oxygen therapy.  Once you have your prescription, you can begin to shop for the right oxygen delivery system for you.  Maybe you would like standard oxygen tanks or you may prefer the mobility offered by today’s innovative portable oxygen concentrators.  You can even enjoy the convenience of purchasing your oxygen concentrator online.  Many websites make it easy for you; they allow you to fax your prescription to them and will help you jump through all of the insurance hoops.

If you are suffering from oxygen deficiency, you don’t have to keep feeling bad.  There is a wide assortment of home oxygen equipment available that can get you on the road to feeling better immediately.  Consult your physician and see if oxygen therapy is the right solution to improve your health.  If you already have a prescription and want to know how you can receive the latest oxygen concentrator technology, fill out the questionnaire on our FREE CONSULTATION page or go to our Oxygen Concentrators Website Homepage.

Keep reading to find out how an oxgen concentrator can be used to treat COPD.

COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States according to the American Lung Association.  Smoking is the primary risk factor for COPD with approximately 80 to 90 percent of COPD deaths caused by smoking.  Typically, COPD is not diagnosed until the fifth decade in life.

In 2004, over 11 million adults aged 18 and over were estimated to have COPD.  A major cause of hospitalization for our increasingly aged population is COPD.  In 2004, the cost of healthcare expenditures for COPD was over $37 billion dollars. 

There are four stages of COPD.  Each stage of COPD is based on symptoms and measured loss of pulmonary function, or the lungs ability to breathe.  Pulmonary Function Testing, or PFT measures the restriction of airflow during exhale.  The forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) is the amount of air that can be forcefully expelled in the first second of exhalation.  This is an indicator of airway obstruction and disease progression.  The predicted value for an individual is based on age, gender and height.  Normal is 80% or greater of the predicted value.

Latest Advancements in Oxygen Concentrators

Receiving oxygen therapy today is nothing like it was years ago.  Inventive products allow you to travel freely and not have to lug around embarrassing tanks of oxygen.

A constant healthcare issue for most people, over the years has been knowing that treatment is available only to those who can afford it.  But as product develpment progresses, solutions become more available.  Today there are oxygen concentrators affordable to most people, that can plug into your car, run on batteries, even go on airplanes.  Many of these new concentrators are even smaller and lighter than the dangerous oxygen therapy cylinders or tanks that have been seen rolling around behind COPD patients for the last several years.  With the help of insurance or medicare, these new portable oxygen concentrators are becoming affordable to greater numbers of people suffering from COPD.

Where Can You Find Affordable Oxygen Concentrators?

On this website, we present our findings for the most advanced and valuable investments for people experiencing COPD.  Check out our preferred selection of portable oxygen concentrator systems and see how they can improve your health and still allow you to lead an active lifestyle.  If you would like to find out if you qualify for a portable oxygen concentrator for little or no out of pocket cost, click Free Consultation on the top menu and answer a few questions.  The information you provide will allow our staff to find out answers you may not be able to get anywhere else.