Respiratory Therapy

Recently Answered

• QWill Medicare pay for the cost of electricity my oxygen equipment uses?

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  A COPD Foundation answered

  Medicare will not pay for any utility bills as a result of the use of your oxygen equipment if you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and require supplemental oxygen. In some cases, the direct costs of operating your oxygen equipment are deductible as a medical expense. Some utilities have programs to help lessen this cost. Check with your electricity provider. The COPD Foundation Disaster Preparedness Plan also includes these forms. 
• QIs my oxygen supplier required to provide an oxygen concentrator if I fly?

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  A COPD Foundation answered

  No. If you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and require oxygen therapy, your oxygen supplier is not required to furnish you with an airline-approved portable oxygen concentrator. In addition, Medicare will not pay for any oxygen related to air travel. Your oxygen supplier is, however, required to provide you with oxygen at your destination. You might be able to rent a portable oxygen concentrator from your oxygen supplier to use during air travel. Airline-approved rentals are also available through online companies where they work with most airlines and provide the documentation required for your travel. 
• QHow does hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HbOT) work?

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  A Multiple Sclerosis Foundation answered

  Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HbOT) entails reclining within a pressurized chamber with varying degrees of increasing atmospheric pressure. It is believed that as the oxygen level increases throughout the body, circulation is enhanced, inflammation is reduced, and white blood cells are stimulated to remove toxins. This pure oxygen is also said to destroy harmful bacteria. HbOT is not new. It has long been used to treat deep-sea divers with decompression sickness or "the bends."

• QHow will I feel during hyperbaric oxygen therapy?

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  A NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital answered

  The treatment is generally painless. Patients sit comfortably or recline during the treatment, while resting or watching television. You will experience a sense of fullness in the ears at the beginning and end of treatment as the pressure is adjusted. The sensation is similar to that which is felt when flying in an airplane or diving under water.

  You will be taught a simple maneuver to avoid ear discomfort. Some patients will hear a crackling noise in their ears between treatments, which is relieved using the same pressure maneuvers. If the crackling continues it should be reported to the staff.

  Some patients feel light-headed for a few moments following the treatment, but this is generally very brief.

• QWhy doesn't supplemental oxygen prevent me from getting short of breath?

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  A COPD Foundation answered

  When you have chronic obstructive pulmonary (COPD), low oxygen levels are actually caused by the failure of blood vessels in your lungs to connect with the air sacs that contain oxygen. Your lungs may still be able to support that connection, but you may be short of breath due to other factors, such as hyperinflation, retained carbon dioxide and a flattened diaphragm, increasing your work of breathing. 
• QWhat types of wounds can and can't be treated with hyperbaric oxygen?

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  A Dr. Brian N. Evans, MD , Plastic Surgery, answered on behalf of West Hills Hospital & Medical Center

  

  Patients with low blood flow benefit from hyperbaric oxygen; infected or unclean wounds cannot be treated with hyperbaric oxygen, says Brian Evans, MD, from West Hills Hospital & Medical Center. Learn more in this video. 

  

  Find out more about this DVD:

  What Types of Wounds Can and Can't Be Treated with Hyperbaric Treatment?
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• QDo I have a say on what brand of equipment I receive for oxygen therapy?

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  A COPD Foundation answered

  Some brands of concentrators run quieter, produce less heat or use less electricity than others. This is important to know if you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and your doctor has prescribed oxygen therapy. Oxygen concentrators can be very expensive to run and the cost of electricity is not covered under Medicare reimbursement. Your oxygen supplier may have a purchase agreement with a certain company in order to get lower pricing. That does not mean you have to accept that particular equipment. This is when it pays to do your homework. Ask other oxygen users about their equipment. Ask about reliability, noise level, cost of running it and if it produces a lot of heat. However, they are also not obligated to go out and buy a brand of equipment that you request. Your choice is still dependent on the oxygen suppliers current inventory.
• QHow can I prepare for hyperbaric oxygen therapy?

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  A Medical City Plano answered

  If you are getting hyperbaric oxygen therapy you should tell your medical provider about any heart or lung problems that you have. You should also tell your healthcare provider if you have a pacemaker or pump in your body, and any medications that you take. Some of these things may be contraindicated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
• QWhat is hyperbaric oxygen therapy?

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  A Medical City Plano answered

  Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is a type of oxygen treatment where you are put in a chamber with high pressure of oxygen. It helps in smoke poisoning and some serious infections.

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