Hey everyone! I'm xcarrotx, reporting on a bizarre fad sweeping malls and nightclubs around the world! This crazy trend originated in Japan some ten years ago and has been popular ever since, although I haven't had knowledge of this until recently. Called an "oxygen bar", each bar consists of canisters of filtered oxygen and nasal hoses called cannulas.
What does one do at an oxygen bar? For roughly a US dollar a minute, the nasal tube will be inserted into your nose allowing you to breathe pure oxygen. If you prefer, you can pick out a "flavor" of oxygen in addition. With scents including peppermint, wintergreen, and even berry, you can have a more pleasurable time as you breathe in this oxygen.
Why would you go to an oxygen bar? The owners of said establishments claim that taking in pure oxygen is safe, healthy, and also increases the ability of your immune system. Owners also claim this oxygen can relieve hangovers, headaches, and migraines. The catch - there's no science behind this. No studies have been conducted to prove whether or not taking in pure oxygen is healthier.
Luckily, that's where the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) comes in. Certified professionals say that it's no matter what oxygen is labeled - the oxygen for sale is, in fact, a prescription drug. In addition, it's been stated that healthy lungs don't need an extra boost of oxygen; we have adapted to air with levels of 21 percent oxygen anyway.
People with certain medical conditions should stay away from oxygen bars. Asthmatics and people with emphysema run a risk of their lungs shutting down from high levels of oxygen. Perhaps the most risky of the dangers of using oxygen bars is purchasing oxygen with the "flavor", or scent. Many, but not all oxygen bars use scented oils to produce the aroma. It is a known fact that breathing in oily substances is a major cause of a serious condition called lipoid pneumonia. The same hoses are used for the hundreds of visitors to these bars. Would you want to inhale oxygen through a tube that tons of people have used? I wouldn't, and all that bacteria leads to infection.
On top of all these negative factors, the FDA also states that extra oxygen doesn't show any benefits. "People have nothing to gain by frequenting oxygen bars, and subject themselves to unnecessary risk," quoted from Mary Purucker, a specialist at FDA who deals with lung and respiratory diseases. The fancy term for this kind of specialist is a pulmonologist, and I'm sure she would know much more of the medical and scientific effects of pure oxygen on the lungs rather than the people who simply sell it!
You've seen the facts on oxygen bars. It's your decision whether or not you want to try this unique experience. Please, please, please see your doctor before trying such a thing. Know that there are certain risks, and remember to consult your doctor before making any changes in your respiratory "diet".
Breathing out,
xcarrotx
Author's Note: Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulmonology, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen_bar, http://www.fda.gov/Fdac/features/2002/602_air.html
