The Dudeism Forum

No beer, just oxygen.

It was suggested to me that since I've always had some sinus trouble (less the past few years since I discovered neti pots) I should try a home oxygen bar machine during the winter when the air quality isn't so good.  I know the one time I was in the hospital since I was a kid it was nice having O2 at a low flow, cleared my breathing right up.

So, anyone have any experience with these low concentration machines?  I can have use of one that puts out 30% O2 at 5 l/m for up to 60 minutes at a time which I think is about as high & long as you can go without a prescription.

Any thoughts?  I know, don't work on my fireworks with this machine running, O2 and explosives stay well separated. 

Don't eat cheese sandwiches either...they tend to explode....

Just make sure that if you use a Neti pot, please use either distilled water, or boil the water well first.  Organisms, chemicals, molds and fungus in the sinuses would be a very un-dude like experience.

No such worries with pure oxygen.  However use with moderation.   Too much pure oxygen can be toxic!

On too much O2, as I said this only puts out 30% and won't run more than an hour (timed in the controller's firmware, can't bypass) so it should be super-hard to overdose even if I fall asleep with it on.

I've been checking the web and I see statements from medical authorities that say they've run tests on people with normal breathing and have determined they don't need extra O2 (duh!).  Everyone else needs medical attention.  Message brought to you by the pharmaceutical industry.  The FDA also says anyone supplying ANY gas for a person to breath or the equipment for it is providing a medical service and you need a doctor involved.  I'm sure there are a LOT of SCUBA divers and painters using air masks that would be surprised at this.

Hmmm...never thought about it in the context of SCUBA diving. I'm not sure what use a doctor would be though... unless of course there were an accident, but luckily I haven't had one of those (knock on wood).

The doctor would give you a prescription so you could use the SCUBA gear if the FDA followed through.  You could probably extend that to HVAC guys, after all, they're providing breathing air to the interior of the building through mechanized means.

Just think how much an air conditioner would cost if you had to buy it from a medical company!

I've been using the oxygen concentrator (only to 30%) for 20 minutes a day and my wife says I snore a LOT less, so this sounds like something I might keep up.  Nice getting to sleep sounder now with less sound.