When we were young we imagined breathing in and out was all there was to life. We thought as long as our chests were cycling air all was good. However, COVID made us aware life-saving oxygen feeds our entire body and literally keeps us alive. This Sunday we thought to remind ourselves of this reality, especially as severe COVID-19 affects our ability to breathe.
Our Blood Conveys Oxygen Throughout Our Body
We googled and we discovered a great deal. Kids Health from Nemours reminded us how blood carries oxygen from our lungs to all parts of our body. And that these parts would cease functioning without this service.
Blood also takes waste materials including carbon dioxide to our lungs, kidneys, and digestive system so they can expel them from our bodies. Then we wondered how life-saving oxygen enters our blood stream in the first place.
CK-12 Life Science for Middle School explains the oxygen we breathe enters our blood via tiny sacs in our lungs. This oxygenated blood travels to our hearts, which pump it to every corner of our bodies. If this process stops working, then our life cannot continue without assistance and we could even die.
Supplementing Life-Saving Oxygen During Severe Covid
Oxygen therapy is common in our hospitals, when patients’ metabolism slows after surgery or medical trauma. A COVID lung infection adds an extra complication by flooding our lungs with fluid, fighting the virus. When this happens, we are no longer able to breathe in and out as usual, or process sufficient oxygen to sustain our bodies adequately.
Oxygen therapy provides the boost we need at these times, to keep us going until we recover. We count our blessings when we acknowledge this wonderful technology, that is saving so many lives during the pandemic.
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Preview Image: Basic Oxygen Therapy with Mask
