Beware of poisoning due to excessive oxygen supplementation

The usual joke "Hurry up and get my oxygen tank" has unexpectedly become popular in real life. Recently, the topic "oxygen inhalation is more refreshing than drinking coffee" has aroused heated discussion among netizens. Various products such as household oxygen concentrators and portable oxygen inhalation bottles are also favored by many citizens.

However, the refreshing effect of oxygen seems to vary from person to person. Some netizens posted, "Oxygen bottles are a must-have item in the office. I feel dizzy at work every day. Taking a breath of oxygen can greatly refresh me." Some netizens believed that "not only is it ineffective, but the oxygen machine is also very cumbersome to carry."

The reporter found out that excessive oxygen supplementation in the general population may lead to oxygen poisoning. A related patient recently appeared in Wuhan.

Who needs oxygen? What are the medical health risks for ordinary people who rely on oxygen to stay awake? We spoke to experts in respiratory and critical care medicine.

Medical device manufacturers release content on "Oxygen Refreshment"

Recently, the topic of "oxygen inhalation and refreshing" has become popular. On a certain social platform, many netizens shared their experiences of breathing oxygen while studying and working. Some netizens said that "oxygen inhalation does have a refreshing effect", but others said that they bought it after being recommended by others or following the trend, and "the effect of using it is not obvious."

Ms. Bao is an advertising person working in Shanghai. In her spare time, she works as a beauty blogger and shares her makeup experience on the Internet. Because her work often requires a lot of inspiration, Ms. Bao often feels like she is "suffocating." "On the advice of a friend, I started taking oxygen after just two months of work." Ms. Bao said that every time she was angry or had a headache, she would soon get relief by taking a breath of oxygen.

Classmate Jiang was once a member of the oxygen inhalation army. Last year, Jiang started to take the postgraduate entrance examination for World War II. When the exam was approaching, he felt that he had entered a bottleneck period. If he memorized for a long time, he would feel dizzy and vomiting. "Later I found out that some netizens shared that oxygen inhalation can improve efficiency and relieve headaches, so I ordered two bottles of portable oxygen inhalation machines online." Unexpectedly, until the end of the exam, Jiang had only used 2 bottles of the oxygen inhalation machine. Second-rate. Jiang told reporters that oxygen inhalation had little help for him. Not only did he not relieve his discomfort, but he also had to carry a bottle of oxygen inhalation machine to the library every day, which was "too cumbersome."

During the search process, the reporter found that in addition to netizens spontaneously sharing their oxygen inhalation experiences, there were also official accounts of medical device merchants including "Kangfude", "Fuhengsheng Medical Equipment", and "Jumao" where they posted "oxygen inhalation at work" It’s easy to relieve stress,” “Take a sip of oxygen when writing copywriting is deprived of oxygen,” “Know the password for promotion and salary increase,” and other content that recommends office workers to take oxygen while working.

According to Tianyancha, the business carried out by the Kangfu brand includes medical oxygen inhalers, medical oxygen concentrators, medical oxygen masks and other medical devices; Jiangsu Jumao Medical Equipment Co., Ltd. also owns 6 patents related to oxygen concentrators. In addition, Fuhengsheng Medical Equipment’s account profile on the platform also clearly states that it operates ventilators, oxygen concentrators, nebulizers and other medical equipment products.

Expert: "Oxygen inhalation to refresh" does not rule out psychological effects

Portable oxygen bottles, home oxygen concentrators and other products spread rapidly on social media, attracting many white-collar workers and those preparing for exams to follow suit. However, is self-inhaled oxygen really that good?

After checking relevant reports, the reporter found that in September this year, a 32-year-old woman in Wuhan suffered from excessive oxygen inhalation, resulting in dry cough and even symptoms of oxygen poisoning such as bronchial edema and erosion. After going to the hospital for examination, she was diagnosed with pulmonary oxygen poisoning. .

Rao Wenjiao, an expert in respiratory and critical care medicine at Changsha Fourth Hospital, said that for patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, sleep apnea syndrome, and severe anemia, oxygen inhalation can indeed play a certain role. People who suffer from hypoxia due to physiological factors, such as strenuous exercise and ultra-high-intensity mental work, may experience symptoms of hypoxia, and oxygen inhalation can also relieve the symptoms. But for healthy ordinary people, oxygen inhalation may not have a big effect. Because under standard atmospheric pressure, the oxygen concentration in the atmosphere is sufficient to meet the needs of the human body. "Some normal people feel 'instantly clear-headed' after using oxygen bottles or oxygen inhalers. On the one hand, this does not rule out the psychological suggestion effect, and on the other hand, it is also because of deep breathing, especially abdominal Even if you breathe in normal air, you will feel refreshed."

"Normally, the human body's blood oxygen saturation is generally 97%, 98%, or even 99%, 100%, but for patients with pulmonary ventilation dysfunction, they cannot blindly chase higher, especially in the arterial blood The partial pressure of oxygen indicates that the carbon dioxide value is on the high side." Rao Wenjiao emphasized that the finger pulse oxygen saturation of ordinary people is around 97%, which is higher than the critical value of 93% for oxygen inhalation. In most cases, there is no lack of oxygen. If you blindly supplement Oxygen, symptoms of oxygen toxicity may occur.

Generally speaking, oxygen poisoning may first manifest as eye discomfort, such as blurred vision or eye pain; then brain discomfort, such as nausea, vomiting, or even coma; at the same time, the respiratory system will also suffer from oxygen inhalation Later, it will lead to pulmonary edema, cough, chest tightness, chest pain, etc.

"Special attention should be paid to the fact that pregnant women cannot inhale oxygen without authorization." Rao Wenjiao reminded that if pregnant women do not have asthma or other diseases, it is not recommended to inhale oxygen without hypoxia. Because pregnant women absorb high concentrations of oxygen, it can cause vision problems in the fetus.