Oxygen Face Mask

An oxygen face mask is a simple apparatus that provides oxygen to an individual from an external oxygen tank. This mask comes in handy in a lot of different situations when the oxygen supply in the air is low, or when the individual is having trouble breathing normally. By attaching the mask to one's face, a constant supply of oxygen is guaranteed, and this can make a difference between life and death in some situations.

The material used for these masks can differ as well, and you will find different kinds of face masks made of plastic, rubber and even silicone. While the most common places to see these oxygen face masks are in hospitals, airplanes and with paramedic teams, there are many other people who own one as well, for the purposes of oxygen therapy. The face mask will either be a mask that covers the entire face, or it will cover only the mouth and the nose of the individual.

Types of Oxygen Face Masks

There are many different types of oxygen facial masks, and they differ in their design based on the purpose for which they are to be used. The easiest to dispose face masks are the ones that are made of plastic, and this is why they are commonly used in hospitals and by other paramedic teams around the world. Once they have used, these masks can be discarded, and moreover, they are easy and light to carry around. The plastic also enables the doctor or the paramedic to see the patients face while they are breathing through the mask, and this is easily the most popular and widely seen oxygen facial mask in the world.

Rubber and silicone oxygen face masks are for completely different purposes altogether. These cover the entire face, and are used in medical emergencies. If an individual has been poisoned by some harmful gas, then he will need a pure and unadulterated supply of oxygen. These masks achieve just that. They are also used by pilots while flying an airplane, especially a fighter aircraft. The tubes on the mask enable the recycling of air, and there is no risk of breathing in the exhaled air by the pilot. These masks are heavier, opaque and can stay on the face for longer periods of time.

The oxygen masks on airplanes and commercial aircraft are the most simple oxygen face masks possible. These are light, and so they are easy to store in the plane. When the plane experiences some turbulence, or when the air pressure levels inside the aircraft fall, the masks are made accessible to the passengers of the plane by the pilot. This enables them to breathe normally under such conditions.

Further Differentiation

Here is another classification of the different types of oxygen masks. This is based on the way in which the user has to inhale and exhale while wearing the mask.

• Diluter-Demand mask: In this mask, the oxygen reaches the user only when he inhales. These are designed for extremely high altitudes (up to 40,000 feet), and it helps in the way the oxygen and the pressure in the atmosphere is manipulated.
• Pressure-Demand mask: These can be used up to 34,000 feet, but exhalation is very difficult with these masks due to the combination of the pressure inside the mask and outside the mask. These are the kinds of masks that are most commonly used by fighter pilots, and they need to be trained in the usage of these oxygen face masks.
• Continuous Flow mask: These are the most common plastic masks that you read about earlier. The user does not need to inhale in order to receive the oxygen here, as it is continuously flowing in and out.

There are some special kinds of oxygen face masks made for astronauts as well, because of the vastly different condition, they face, in space. There are also some medical tests and treatments that require the patient to wear an oxygen mask, and these masks are also uniquely designed for those purposes only.

The most commonly used and commercially sold oxygen face masks have already been discussed here, and they have saved the lives of millions of people over the years. This has been a very useful invention indeed, and has made life simpler for some people, whether they realize it or not.