Have you seen the movie trailer for Marvel’s new film, Doctor Strange? We were excited to see actor Benedict Cumberbatch wearing an OxyMask! The movie comes out fall 2016. Use this link to watch the trailor: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/7073707/Benedict-Cumberbatch-reveals-scruffy-beard-in-new-Marvel-film-trailer.html  

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a gas the body naturally produces as waste. We breathe in oxygen (O2) to fuel organs and tissues and the end product is CO2. The balance between these two gases is required for a healthy body. However, when we rebreathe CO2 it can have harmful and sometimes dangerous effects on the body. When CO2 levels are elevated in the body it is known as hypercapnia. Hypercapnia can occur for a number of reasons, one of which is rebreathing our own exhaled CO2. Rebreathing CO2 can lead to increased blood pressure, headaches, muscle twitches, rapid heart rate, chest pain, confusion, and fatigue. In extreme cases, if left untreated, hypercapnia can lead to organ damage and even have long standing effects on the brain.

Oxygen is a drug. This seems like a strange statement to most people as we breathe in oxygen with every breath we take. However, the amount of oxygen we breathe in through room air is only 21%, the rest is made up mostly of nitrogen. When people are critically ill or have chronic lung disease, they often require additional oxygen to properly oxygenate the blood and tissues. In extreme cases a patient may require 100% oxygen. That is to say that they are breathing in pure oxygen. Like all drugs, too much can be harmful and dangerous.  There is still debate as to how much oxygen is too much oxygen. We do know however, high concentrations of oxygen over a period of time cause an overproduction of free radicals in the lungs. If unchecked, these radicals can severely damage or kill lung tissue. If left for a prolonged period of time the patient can suffer permanent lung damage. The general rule is that a patient should be on the least amount of oxygen necessary to keep their blood-oxygen levels high enough to properly supply the tissues and organs.