Helpful Tips To Choose The Right Portable Oxygen Solution
After learning of a condition that requires oxygen therapy, you will find yourself with many unanswered questions. Not only do you have concerns regarding the ailment, but you likely have many worries about your treatment. If your doctor prescribes oxygen therapy but does not prescribe a particular type of oxygen therapy device for you, you may depend on your oxygen company to help select a machine for you.
Below are a few simple questions that can be used to help determine the best portable oxygen solution for you and your individual lifestyle.
How active are you?
Think back six months to a year before your diagnosis. If your condition has caused you to slow down over time, you will want to discuss and consider your recent activity levels.
If you are moderately active and independent, you will most certainly want to consider a portable oxygen solution. Consider a portable oxygen concentrator (POC) which will allow you to be completely in charge of your life and accommodate for irregular schedules.
How often do you leave your home?
If it’s a standard for you to frequently leave your home, you may want to consider a solution that’s as flexible as your lifestyle. If you travel regularly, a portable concentrator may be the most viable option for you. With POC’s, oxygen is produced as long as the battery has a charge or if it is plugged into an AC or DC outlet. Simply put…You have an unlimited supply of oxygen right at your fingertips.
Are you still working?
If you’re like the majority of people, you may still be working. A portable oxygen concentrator can provide the flexibility you need to continue working away from the home. Batteries of certain portable oxygen concentrators will last up to 12.5 hours and additional batteries are available. It’s also possible to plug your POC into an AC outlet if you’ll be working extended hours or you can power your oxygen concentrator by plugging into your DC charging port in your vehicle if work requires you to travel from place to place.
Do you require continuous flow?
Your doctor will determine whether you need continuous flow of oxygen or a pulse-only device. There are many questions about the differences between a portable oxygen concentrator that is a pulse system versus one that offers a continuous flow. What this refers to is how the oxygen is delivered to you from the portable oxygen machine. With pulse systems, oxygen is delivered to you on demand when you take a breath. By contrast, a continuous flow concentrator provides a steady stream of oxygen to you and sometimes this type of oxygen delivery method is required in order for you to receive enough oxygen.
At Portable Oxygen Solutions, we will always ask for a copy of your oxygen prescription from your doctor to make sure we get you the right product that meets or exceeds doctor’s orders. This allows us to help you find the most appropriate product that fully meets both your medical needs and your lifestyle needs.
Depending on your needs, there are now portable oxygen concentrators for sale that offer a continuous flow of up to 3 Liters per minute and can easily be transported with you no matter where you go. Examples of one of our most popular continuous flow oxygen concentrators is from the manufacturer SeQual called the Sequal Eclipse 5 portable oxygen concentrator.
The starting point for those of you looking to purchase a portable Oxygen concentrator should be to check with your doctor to understand your oxygen needs and to get a copy of your prescription.
If you have any questions about the features of our line of portable oxygen concentrator models and wish to discuss your options with one of our friendly and helpful Portable Oxygen Concentrator Experts, please call 1-800-958-0192. We hope to hear from you soon!