We all need oxygen to survive. The air we breathe has oxygen which reaches our lungs and then travels throughout the body, entering every cell.
Oxygen is vital for oxidising food and releasing energy and heat which are required for performing daily tasks. Sometimes the amount of oxygen in our blood can fall below normal levels.
Asthma, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and the flu are common causes.
These days COVID-19 is at the forefront. It is a respiratory disease that is known to affect the lungs.
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can cause a range of breathing problems, from mild to critical. Older adults and people who have other health conditions like heart disease, cancer and diabetes may have more serious symptoms.
When SARS-CoV-2 enters the lungs, they become inflamed, making it tough for you to breathe. This can lead to pneumonia, an infection of the tiny air sacs (called alveoli) inside your lungs where your blood exchanges oxygen and carbon dioxide.
The infection can damage the walls and linings of the air sacs in your lungs. As your body tries to fight it, your lungs become more inflamed and fill with fluid. This can make it harder for them to swap oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Subsequently, the oxygen levels drop. Not getting enough oxygen into the blood, a condition called hypoxia, could damage the heart, brain and other organs. When the oxygen levels are too low, you need to take extra oxygen, known as oxygen therapy.
One way to get extra oxygen into the body is by using an oxygen concentrator especially when the lungs are constricted by COVID-19.
With a surge in the number of severe COVID-19 patients in Singapore, the demand for oxygen supplies has only increased.
While most of those who are affected get treated at the hospital, there are also a significant number of infected individuals who are getting themselves treated at home under medical supervision. For them breathing becomes much easier with the help of an oxygen concentrator.
COVID-19 is a respiratory illness. It not only infects the respiratory tract, but in severe COVID patients, it also takes a heavy toll on their oxygen saturation levels.
With oxygen deprivation and increasing lung infections in COVID patients, oxygen concentrators are highly valuable.
The air around us consists of about 78% of nitrogen and 21% of oxygen, with other gases making up the remaining 1%.
Oxygen concentrators help concentrate oxygen from the ambient air by removing nitrogen and delivering pure oxygen to individuals, whose blood oxygen levels (SpO2) readings drop below 93%. Ideal oxygen levels should be between 94% and 99%.
Singapore brand Buzud, a patented Oxygen Concentrator which is approved by Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority (HSA), has an oxygen purity level of 93% to 96% when the flow rate is between 0.5 to 5L per minute.
It comes in handy when a patient suffering from COVID-19 requires oxygen therapy when his shortness of breath progresses to a more severe stage. Supplementary oxygen therapy will provide him with additional days to alleviate and deal with the symptoms.
The Buzud oxygen concentrator also helps the elderly and people suffering from asthma and other breathing problems.
With new variants of the coronavirus, like Omicron, being discovered almost every other week, it has become important for people in Singapore to safeguard their health.
Omicron is said to be a silent killer. It deposits in the lungs and weakens the body. Soon vital organs are affected and the lungs shrink. It becomes difficult for the person to breathe on his own.
The Buzud Oxygen Concentrator helps a patient breathe in pure oxygen and it helps the person recover and survive along with other medication.
In the current COVID-19 conditions, having a Buzud Oxygen Concentrator at home serves several purposes:
- Supplies non-stop oxygen to people suffering from COVID-19 and whose lung function is severely damaged.
- Helps those who are discharged from hospital to recover.
- Provides supplemental oxygen to the elderly whose heart and lung functions become weaker with age.
The Buzud oxygen concentrator can be purchased at Buzud’s showroom, or visit the Buzud website for enquiries.
