is oxygen always needed

[IJ03]

with COPD and low oxygenation are inhalers helpful or is oxygen the only treatment?

[michaelgc]

You need to provide more information to get a totally accurate answer, but I'll do my best.

Whether or not oxygen is prescribed depends on your blood O2 saturation level. If your O2 level tests below 90 at rest, then supplemental oxygen will probably be prescribed. You may only need supplemental oxygen at home, for specific times of the day, or both at home and portable for when you go out. I only needed O2 at night, but now it's pretty much all the time, and the doctor wants me to start on portable O2 when out of the house.

Portable rescue inhalers such as albuterol are used in conjunction with supplemental oxygen to keep the lungs working as well as possible, and normally a longer acting steroid and bronchodilator combination, such as Advair is prescribed. There are other brands also prescribed, but Advair is safest (according to studies I have seen).

Advair is the brand name for Fluticasone Salmeterol, from Glaxo Smith Kline. Fluticasone is a steroid. It prevents the release of substances in the body that cause inflammation. Salmeterol is a bronchodilator. It works by relaxing muscles in the airways to improve breathing.

Fluticasone and salmeterol inhalation is used to prevent asthma attacks. It is also used prevent flare-ups or worsening of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) associated with chronic bronchitis and/or emphysema.

And finally, COPD is used to describe two different conditions: emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Someone with COPD may have one or both of these conditions.

So the general answer for your question would depend on whether you have bronchitis or emphysema, and what degree of damge has occured to your lungs. If you have emphysema, even though oxygen therapy may not be necessary at this time, emphysema is an incurable, degenerative disease, so yes, at some point supplemental oxygen will be involved. in addition to supplemental medication to maintain as comfortable a lung functioning as possible.

Hope this helps.