Medical Ventilators
A medical ventilator is a machine that helps your lungs work. It can be a lifesaving machine if you have a condition that makes it hard for you to breathe properly or when you can’t breathe on your own at all. A ventilator helps to push air in and out of your lungs so your body can get the oxygen it needs. You may wear a fitted mask to help get oxygen from the ventilator into your lungs. Or, if your condition is more serious, a breathing tube may be inserted down your throat to supply your lungs with oxygen. Ventilators are most often used in hospital settings. A doctor or a respiratory therapist will control how much oxygen is pushed into your lungs by the ventilator. Other names that a ventilator is known by include: respirator breathing machine mechanical ventilation Why would you need a ventilator? Not being able to breathe properly on your own is known as respiratory failure and is a life-threatening emergency. If your brain, heart, liver, kidneys, and other organs don’...