When using oxygen therapy, there will be other things you’ll find yourself needing besides just your oxygen concentrator. The miscellaneous accessories you need with the use of an oxygen concentrator will make your life easier and generally give you more peace of mind. These things contribute to your safety, first and foremost.
Pulse oximeter: It’s helpful to be able to check your blood oxygen level at any point during the day, without having to visit your doctor or an emergency clinic. If you have been having trouble and you suspect a exacerbation is coming on, you can tell if you need to seek medical attention right away if your blood oxygen level has dropped. By keeping an eye on this, an exacerbation can be quickly treated before it worsens, or your doctor might be able to up your dosage of oxygen.
Back-up power: You don’t want to lose power and not be able to use your oxygen concentrator when you need it. It’s a good idea to have a home generator as back-up in case of a power outage. If you have a concentrator that runs on a battery and you can’t charge it directly from an outlet, you can use an external battery charger, depending on the model. These will ensure that you always have another fully charged battery to power your concentrator.
Room humidifier: Many people who use oxygen therapy for many hours out of the day or during the night suffer from a dry throat or dry nasal passages, even with the built in humidifier on the oxygen concentrator. Room humidifiers are often inexpensive, and all you will have to do is refill it each day with fresh distilled water and rinse it out with hot water and vinegar to prevent the breeding of bacteria while the humidifier isn’t running. Run the humidifier in the room with you while you are using your oxygen therapy.
Lint-free cleaning cloths: These might seem trivial, but they are necessary for keeping your oxygen concentrator clean. You need to be able to wipe off the vents on the oxygen concentrator, which is where the air is brought into the machine, so it can filter the oxygen that you breathe in. The vent needs to be free of dust and dirt, which can clog up the machine over time, and you definitely don’t want to be breathing dirt or dust. A lint-free cloth will get rid of these things, without leaving any lint or fibers behind, which can also be sucked in through the vent.
Automobile input cable: You will likely be traveling by car, or you might be planning on going on a road trip, during which time you will be using your portable oxygen concentrator. The automobile input cable plugs into the power outlet in your car, and will keep your machine powered without worrying about draining the batteries.
Cell phone: You should always have a fully-charged cell phone on you, in case you need help. Your car can break down, or your power can go out and you won’t be able to use the house phone. Most of the time, a prepaid plan is more cost effective than a service contract.
Scott joined American Medical Sales and Rentals in 2008 as a Web Manager and Content Writer. He is a writer and designer. He is extensively trained on oxygen therapy products from leading manufacturers such as Inogen, Respironics, Chart, Invacare, ResMed and more.
Scott works closely with respiratory therapists and oxygen specialists to educate the community about oxygen therapy products, COPD, asthma and lung diseases. He writes weekly columns and is passionate about educating the community on oxygen therapy and respiratory issues.
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Scott Ridlhttps://www.oxygenconcentratorstore.com/blog/author/scott/
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Scott Ridlhttps://www.oxygenconcentratorstore.com/blog/author/scott/
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Scott Ridlhttps://www.oxygenconcentratorstore.com/blog/author/scott/
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Scott Ridlhttps://www.oxygenconcentratorstore.com/blog/author/scott/
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I have been on oxygen therapy 24X7 for over 6 years. Over these years there have been numerous technicians from AeroCare respond to request about rainout, all with different solutions and none have worked.
At present, I have three sources of Oxygen available; INVACAREV II, Oxlife Indepenpendce O2 & an Inogen One.
The Invacare is my primary source of oxygen and major problem! There is a short air line going from the concentrator, connected to the water bottle down the tube which bubbles the the water, creating moisture to the discharge line on the bottle via a 10’ oxygen line through the water trap, then to another 25’ oxygen line connect to the 7’ cannula or ResMed 10. The oxygen line on both sides of the trap routinely has moisture and water droplets in it while the trap has just a small amount.
Every other week I clean the filters, and ever other day I blow the oxygen lines clear. AeroCare has sent technicians on a number of occasions and the problem continues. They have changed traps, advised I only have a small amount of water in the bottle and PLACE THE ResMed 10 on the floor at night. All of these I have done,
Our Oxygen Specialists would be happy to understand your requirements and advise the way forward. Please give us a call at (877) 644-4581.
Is it safe to use a separate humidifier while using a oxygen concentrator? I keep hearing warnings about the safety of using both.
If you don’t require a humidifier you may disconnect it and connect the tubing directly to the output nozzle on the concentrator. However, it’s suggested to a humidifier bottle oxygen supply higher than 5 LPM.
We can quickly answer all your questions over a phone call. Please reach us out at (877) 644-4581. We are open seven days a week.
I had the same problem, so I clean my bottle every day and only fill it a little over the minimum line wa/la no more moisture in the tubing hope this helps you out
I had the same problem, so I clean my bottle every day and only fill it a little over the minimum line wa/la no more moisture in the tubing hope this helps you out & use distilled water