How oxygen products can support your health

If you’re checking your oxygen using an oximeter, you’ll need to be familiar with what a healthy oxygen level is. 

According to the NHS:

Find out more by consulting this page from the NHS: How to look after yourself at home if you have coronavirus.

A nebuliser converts certain liquid medicine into a mist, allowing you to breathe it in through a mask or mouthpiece. It’s a good way of getting a large dose of medicine quickly.

You might need a nebuliser at home if you have a condition like cystic fibrosis or bronchiectasis. Nebulisers can also be used by people with severe asthma or COPD, but this is less common.

Lots of different types of medicines can be used with nebulisers, including bronchodilators (which open your airways) and antibiotics. These medicines are usually available on the NHS, but you may have to buy your nebuliser yourself.

According to the British Lung Foundation, you should only use a nebuliser at home if it’s been recommended by a healthcare professional. You’ll need to be trained how to use it and keep it clean to avoid infection. Browse nebulisers available at LloydsPharmacy.

You should only have a nebuliser at home if you’ve been recommended one by a doctor.

A breathing trainer, like the REVITIVE Aerosure respiratory device helps people with lung conditions strengthen their lung muscles. It can help to relieve breathlessness and the symptoms of asthma.

Your doctor might prescribe a breathing trainer like POWERbreathe if your diaphragm has become weak due to surgery or an ongoing condition like asthma or COPD. According to this NHS guide to POWERbreathe devices, you shouldn’t try to use one until you’ve had training, so it’s important to talk to your doctor first. 

An oxygen concentrator is a machine that extracts oxygen from the air and delivers it to your lungs using a face mask or nasal cannula (tubes that go into the nose).

You might need one if you don’t have enough oxygen in your blood and have a serious condition like COPD, cystic fibrosis, severe asthma or heart failure. If you do need one it will be supplied on the NHS and fitted by an engineer who can teach you how to use it safely.

It’s also possible to buy a portable oxygen concentrator. The BLF recommends that you consult your respiratory team before you buy one. You should also buy one from a reputable provider and make sure you trial the device first.

An oxygen canister is a small, portable can with a mouthpiece that contains pure oxygen. It’s largely designed for use after strenuous exercise, to give you a boost of oxygen and energy.

Oxygen canisters are different from oxygen cylinders, which are designed for use by people with serious conditions affecting their ability to breathe.

Browse our range of Boost oxygen canisters.

Oxygen canisters aren’t listed as a treatment for COVID-19 by the NHS, but you might find that you get some benefit from using one. They shouldn’t be used as a substitute for any other treatments or breathing techniques recommended by your doctor. Please speak to your doctor before you buy an oxygen canister.