How Does a Ventilator Work?

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Due to advanced technologies, there has been a vast improvement in modes to save human life. Ventilator machine is one of them. Hence, you must know how a ventilator works and what does it mean. Ventilator machine is the equipment that helps the patients to breathe when he/she fails to breathe on his/her own. The machine is usually operated by an expert or person compressing the set of bellows. Earlier the machine was classified into negative pressure ventilation where air gets sucked in the lungs and positive pressure ventilation where air is pushed in the trachea.

Use of Ventilator: It is a machine that helps people to breathe. It is found mainly in hospitals or nursing homes and is used to:

• Help people breathe easily
• Get oxygen into the lungs
• Help people to breathe who have lost all ability to breathe on their own
• Remove carbon dioxide (a toxic) from the body

This equipment can be used for short periods like during surgery or long periods where a patient is suffering from chronic illness like coma.

During surgery, some medicine like anesthesia is given to the patient that makes him unable to breathe on his own. At this point of time, ventilator plays a very important role. It is also used when serious lung diseases are treated. This equipment makes sure that the patient breathes during surgery.

How Does a Ventilator Work?

• The ventilator helps to blow up the oxygenated air in to the airways through a breathing tube. One end is inserted to the lungs windpipe and the other end is attached to the ventilator. This breathing tube is like the airway that lets the oxygen and air flow in the lungs with the help of a ventilator.
• The procedure to insert the tube in the wind pipe is called intubation. Generally, this tube is put in your windpipe through the mouth or nose. It is then moved to the throat. When the breathing tube is put in such a way, then it is known as endotracheal tube.
• If you are given anesthesia during surgery, then the doctor places a ventilator for you to breathe. The medicines that are used to induce anesthesia have the side effects of affecting normal breathing. That is why ventilator becomes useful at that time.
• Once the surgery is over, you will not even recognize if the ventilator was placed. The only sign will be that you will have the feeling of soreness in the throat which is caused due to the tube connected to your airways and ventilator.
• Once the effect of anesthesia gets over, then you can definitely start breathing on your own. Ventilator uses the pressure to blow up the air directly in the lungs. The patient breathes out the air, but sometimes this process of breathing is done by the ventilator. This device is usually set manually to breathe certain number of times per minute. It can be also set in a way that the patient can activate it to blow air into their lungs.

Ventilator Names

• Respirator
• Mechanical ventilator
• Breathing machine

Who Needs a Ventilator?

Ventilator is needed by the patients who are unable to breathe on their own due to certain illness or medical condition. It is needed:

• When there is a surgery and you are under anesthesia because of which you are temporarily put to sleep.
• Due to illness like severe fatigue, coma or improper lung functioning

This equipment is the mechanical device that acts a replacement over normal breathing of the person. However, it cannot cure breathing problem or anything related to respiratory disorder. It can only supply the oxygenated air when needed by the patient. Usually, it does not cause any kind of pain, but results to the airways� discomfort and can affect your talking and eating habits.

Due to this, you will have to take nutrients through the body vein. In case you were on the ventilator for a long time, then you will be getting your food through a feeding tube. This equipment helps you to breathe till you get complete recovery. There are some types which can be used at home even. Hence, you must know what and how does a ventilator work, if you might need it for the rest of your life.