Christina,

You are most welcome! A number of patients may need oxygen at some point, but not all patients will need oxygen.

The words “You may need oxygen” can be frightening. These words were certainly frightening for me in my early days of diagnosis. 

Oxygen is a treatment that helps your body get the oxygen it needs when your lungs aren’t able to provide enough on their own.

It is considered when testing shows that oxygen levels are persistently too low—especially at rest, during activity, or sometimes while sleeping. Your healthcare team may use pulse oximetry, walking tests, overnight monitoring, pulmonary function testing, and other evaluations to determine what is happening.

We can take steps to protect our lungs:

✔️ Follow your prescribed airway-clearance routine
✔️ Treat respiratory infections promptly
✔️ Take prescribed medications consistently
✔️ Keep vaccinations up to date
✔️ Avoid lung irritants
✔️ Stay physically active within your individual limits
✔️ Maintain good nutrition and hydration
✔️ Monitor changes in breathlessness, coughing, sputum, fatigue or exercise tolerance
✔️ Ask about pulmonary rehabilitation when appropriate
✔️ Keep track of regular lung-function and oxygen assessments

One low oxygen reading does not automatically mean you need oxygen. Your healthcare team looks at the whole picture. Most importantly, don’t wait until you’re struggling to breathe before talking about changes in your breathing.

Fear shouldn’t keep us from asking questions. Let’s replace “I never want to need oxygen” with: “What preventative measures can I do today to give my lungs the best chance tomorrow?” 🫁💙