Keeping a portable bottled Oxygen at home can be as important as a band-aid in the first aid kit. ALANKAR SAXENA tells you how they can also be very helpful in our day-to-day life situations
That first-aid kit lying in your bathroom vanity, how often is it being used beyond the thermometer, antiseptic liquid/creams, OTC medicines and band aids? For a majority of households and even workplaces, first-aid kits comprise these few things with the sole purpose of using them to treat injuries and ailments and reduce their severity and chances of infection. However, to be precise, first aid is basically the immediate care given to a sick or injured person while waiting for medical care. So, why no immediate action is being taken for life-threatening emergencies that are accompanied by low tissue oxygen?
The most significant aspect of a first aid practice is ‘Preservation of life’, which is possible if there is a consistent circulation of air in the body, without any blocked airways. Blocked airways can lead to brain damage occurring in a matter of just a few minutes. Dangerous isn’t it? Of late, India has been in the news for its severely polluted cities. In fact, as per the ‘World Air Quality Report, 2020’ prepared by Swiss organisation, IQAir, 22 of the world’s 30 most polluted cities are in India, with Delhi being ranked as the most polluted capital city globally, While numerous policies and alternate ways of transport and living are being introduced to curb pollution. But there’s still an urgent need for people to take serious precautions on a household level.
A polluted environment is a red flag for any city as it can impact its weather. It clearly indicates that the oxygen in that air is not fit for breathing and can substantially disturb your well-being. Simply recall the horrors of waking up to a thick layer of smog covering the sky, travelling in the same atmosphere for work or running errands and even letting the children and the elderly citizens breathe that air. No sooner, breathing issues are bound to attack almost every member of a family. In such scenarios, a first aid kit equipped with portable bottled oxygen can be a saviour for every household. During an emergency, while waiting for medical assistance, a puff from the portable bottled oxygen can help in maintaining the oxygen outputs to the body and organs. Considering the absence of pure oxygen is becoming a new normal in our daily lives, the old adage of “Prevention is better than cure” makes complete sense. Thus, keeping a portable bottled Oxygen at home can also be very helpful in our day-to-day life situations like shortness of breath, post-sickness recovery, recovery after any physically exhaustive activity like gymming, running etc. Not just that, portable bottled oxygen is also a very commonly used performance enhancer that professional athletes use during games. The World Health Organization (WHO) has already recommended oxygen therapy for adults with compromised breathing. The recommendation has acquired greater significance amid the pandemic with the COVID 19 virus causing life-threatening breathlessness in some cases due to depleting levels of oxygen in the blood flow.
The writer is Co-Founder and CEO, UCS Wellness Pvt Ltd