OXYGEN bars are sprouting all over, especially at airports and some shopping malls, duping people into believing that extra oxygen is healthier for them. Of course, as you inhale their “colored oxygen,” they inhale your money. Medically speaking, extra oxygen is harmful to our lungs, unless we have pulmonary insufficiency where our breathing system is not producing enough oxygen for our need. In this instance, we would need external oxygen supply, as we see in hospitals, etc.
Nature is so wonderful that it provides just the right amount of oxygen for healthy persons. And it is free. Anything in excess is not needed and could be dangerous. When we are not short of breath and our heart (pulse) rate is normal, it means we are getting enough oxygen from our environment.
Where does oxygen come from?
Oxygen, which makes up about 20 percent of the air we breathe in, is an odorless, colorless, tasteless gas, that is essential for the production of energy and, therefore, to life. Its main source is from living green plants. The ambient air we inhale is absorbed by the lungs which “extracts” and filters oxygen, which then combines with hemoglobin (red pigment in blood cells). The resultant oxyhemoglobin is circulated throughout the body by the pumping action of the heart to supply oxygen to the entire body. Some tissues in our body are more sensitive than others to oxygen deprivation. The brain is super-sensitive to lack of oxygen. It “dies” in about 3-4 minutes after oxygen delivery ceases (as in suffocation, drowning or cardiac arrest).
What are the dangers of extra oxygen?
When a healthy person with normal lungs inhales extra oxygen, the lining of the alveoli (air-sacks which absorb oxygen and expel carbon dioxide) are damaged and become less efficient. These alveoli work best with just the right amount/concentration of oxygen. Only those with lung and/or heart disease would need extra oxygen.
Why are the oxygen bottles in those bars colored?
The water used by oxygen bars or stands are colored to make them more attractive and enticing, but coloring the water also increases the risk for allergies to dyes, and bacterial/fungal/viral contamination. Besides, different persons inhale through them as they are not changed after each customer uses the system. Only the nose pieces are changed. How they are sterilized is also a big question.
So, don’t throw away your money and pay for something that could harm you. Be smart. Listen to your body. It will tell you when you need extra oxygen.
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Other medical pearls
What causes dandruff?
The cause of dandruff is not known in majority of cases. Excessive greasiness of the skin and hair among adolescents has been found to initiate dandruff. The contributory factors implicated include heredity, diet, hormonal imbalance. The existing dandruff can be aggravated by stress and emotional turmoil. A vacation or rest may totally eliminate dandruff. Anti-dandruff shampoos (coal-tar based or those containing selenium suplphide or zinc pyrithione) have been prescribed by physicians to arrest dandruff. Overzealous use of these shampoos could damage hair.
Is text messaging bad for our health?
Anything in excess, even water, oxygen, talking, food, rest, etc, is bad for us. Wise and appropriate use of cellphones and their nice features, like text messaging, (in moderation) does not pose any health hazard to the user. Cell phones and text-messaging are technological wonders of our times, which, when utilized properly, provide great convenience, advantage, and security for the users and their family and friends. Exceptions to this is the use of cellphone while driving or doing activities that require full attention. Accidental deaths have been reported form improper use of cellphones. While on a night out, 100 percent attention on your date is a must. In this situation, the repeated use of a cell phone for calls, or frequent text-messaging, could hazardous not only to user’s physical health but to the relationship. Besides, this unwelcome practice is rude and anti-social, vehemently frowned upon in polite society.
What is dyslexia?
“Word blindness” is a term commonly used to describe this condition where the person, starting from childhood, ad extreme difficulty with reading and writing. About 10 percent of children are dyslexic, and more common among boys. Dyslexia, which may be inherited, is caused by a localized brain lesion, where there is a certain number of brain cells being faulty, or there is delayed or incomplete development of the brain. These children are not brain damaged. Usually these youngsters are not recognized as dyslexic and may be thought of as lazy, disobedient, bored, problem kids and be relegated to the background as dumb. With early and proper training, many of them can grow up to be very successful individuals.
Are tampons safe?
If used properly, yes, the new tampons are fairly safe. In 1978, a worldwide phenomenon called Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) was first described, with symptoms ranging from high fever, skin rash, fall in blood pressure, severe eye infection, headaches, disorientation, joint and muscle pains, diarrhea and kidney failure. The victims were females (average age 23) having their normal menstrual period. A number of deaths from TSS has been reported. Implicated was the use of super-absorbency tampons, which acted as a culture medium for the staphylococcal infection in the vagina. The longer the tampon was left in the vagina, the greater the risk. The toxin or poison produced by the staphylococci caused the serious illness described above. Mortality rate for TSS is about 2 or 3 percent. Tampons should be changed 3 to 4 times a day, even if not fully stained to prevent TSS. This makes it a bit too expensive. A time-proven safer alternative is the use of sanitary pads.
Does owning a pet help pre-menopausal women?
Yes, this is no fable. It has been shown that pre-menopausal women who owned a pet they could communicate with (like a dog or a cat), and who kept them company, went through this change in their life and physiology with much less pain and agony. The constant companionship and love the pets gave these suffering women provided the much needed love, sense of loyalty and security during this formidable stage in their life. For one thing, these pets do not complain and do not answer back. They give their love totally, genuinely, and unconditionally. Because of these attributes, pets are generally considered as “better than some friends and family members.”
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Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: [email protected]
