3 Tips For Staying Safe When Using Medical Oxygen At Home

Whether you’re dealing with breathing problems as a result of a disease that you’re fighting or you’re just needing to use supplemental oxygen at-home for a short period of time, it’s vital that you know and understand what limitation you should follow in order to keep yourself and your family members safe while this equipment is in your home.

To help you see how this can be done, here are three tips for staying safe when using medical oxygen at home. 

Keep Your Oxygen Tank Away From Heat And Fire

While you’re not going to have an industrial-size oxygen generator at your house, you can have multiple oxygen tanks that you need to know how to care for. One of the most important things to remember for safety, according to Debroah Leader, a contributor to Very Well Health, is that you should keep your oxygen tank away from any heat or fire.

Oxygen is very flammable, especially when it’s in an oxygen tank. Because of this, anything like smoking, candles, fireplaces, stoves, or even other pieces of equipment that heat up when you’re using them could create a huge explosion and fire if they get close enough to your oxygen. So to avoid this, it’s best to keep your oxygen tank as far away from any heat or fire source that may be within your home or on any other property that you’re on. 

Store Your Tank Properly

If you’re using supplemental oxygen on a very regular basis, you’ll likely always have your oxygen tank right near you. But when you’re not using it, or you’re storing additional tanks for future use, you’ll need to ensure that you store them safely and properly. 

To do this, MedlinePlus.gov recommends that you don’t store your oxygen in an enclosed space like a trunk, box, or small closet. Rather, you should store your oxygen in a space where there’s free air movement around it. Somewhere like under your bed would be a good alternative. 

Practice Cleanliness and Hygiene

The last thing you want while using your oxygen is having to deal with an infection that you got as a result of not properly caring for or cleaning your equipment.

To keep this from happening to you, Eileen M. Mumm, a contributor to Temple Health, advises that you keep a schedule for replacing the tubing and cannulas that you use with your oxygen tank. Also, if your tank uses a humidifier, be sure you clean this regularly as well. 

If you’re going to be having supplemental oxygen or oxygen tanks stored at your house, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you stay safe and healthy while using this medicine.