I’m Short of Breath All The Time. Don’t I Need Oxygen?

In my last post, I talked about oxygen safety. One of the things I do as a Pulmonary Rehab therapist is optimize patients’ medication regimes and oxygen usage.
Some people need oxygen only at night, while others need it only during the day when they are active. I get asked all the time, “If I need oxygen, then don’t I need it 24 hours a day”?
As a unique individual, one size does not fit all when it comes to oxygen.
I have had patients come to see me who say they are severely short of breath, and they want oxygen. Yet, when I walk them with a pulse oximeter, they maintain their oxygen levels. How can this be?
One reason could be that they have instinctively learned how to pursed-lip breathe. Pursed-lip breathing slows down the exhalation and puts a tiny bit of back-pressure to the small airways, stenting them open and allowing a buildup of C02 to be exhaled. This in turn allows fresh oxygen- rich air to be inhaled. If you’ve never been taught pursed-lip breathing, it takes a while to master… but don’t let that stop you from getting into the habit now.

Simply breathe in through your nose, and exhale through pursed lips, as if you are whistling or slowly blowing out candles. This will also cause you to slow down your breathing, so it is a good technique for when you feel short of breath.
The only way to tell if you need oxygen, and when, is to do the proper tests. A 6 minute walking test, done by your R.T., will tell you if you need oxygen with exercise, or at rest. On overnight sleep study will tell you if you need oxygen, or possibly a CPAP device, during the night while you sleep.
Using more oxygen than you really need is not a good idea, especially if you have never been tested for Carbon Dioxide retention.
If you really feel like oxygen might help you, ask your doctor to order an Arterial Blood Gas, and a 6 minute walk test.