Same tube, different gas
A nasal tube looks the same whatever the gas. The difference is what comes out of it: almost pure oxygen, or air with a few per cent hydrogen.
Comparison
Hydrogen inhaler or oxygen concentrator?
They are two different products for two different gases. An oxygen concentrator gives almost pure oxygen to people with too little oxygen in their blood, and it is prescribed by a doctor. A hydrogen inhaler gives a low share of hydrogen mixed with air, as a wellness routine. One can never replace the other.
Side by side
Oxygen concentrator and hydrogen inhaler compared
QuestionHydrogen inhaler (Lita Air)Oxygen concentrator
Which gas?Hydrogen, H2Oxygen, O2
How much?Approx. 3-4% hydrogen in airUsually 90% oxygen or more
How does it work?Splits distilled water by electrolysis in a titanium PEM cellTakes in room air and filters out the nitrogen
Who uses it?Adults who want a wellness routine at homePatients prescribed oxygen by their care team
What is it?A product for general wellnessA medical device for treatment
SafetyNo open flame or smoking nearby, a ventilated roomOxygen makes everything burn more easily: no smoking or open flame
Where do you get it?From a retailer, such as usThrough your care team, after assessment
The mix-up
Why hydrogen inhalers and oxygen concentrators get confused
Both stand on the floor or a table, both have a tube to the nose and both are named after a gas. So people searching for an oxygen concentrator sometimes land on our pages, and the other way round. That is where the similarities end.
Hydrogen and oxygen mixed
Splitting water produces both hydrogen and oxygen. Some inhalers release both. That adds a little oxygen, but does not make them oxygen concentrators, and the mix calls for extra care.
Different purposes
Oxygen is given to raise blood oxygen in people who have too little. Hydrogen is studied for quite different questions, such as the body's oxidative balance. Read about molecular hydrogen.
Different rules
Oxygen concentrators are medical devices, and home oxygen is followed up by your care team. Hydrogen is not approved as a medicine or treatment in the EU.
The hydrogen inhaler
What a hydrogen inhaler is
A hydrogen inhaler makes hydrogen from water by electrolysis and mixes it with air, which you breathe in through a nasal tube. Lita Air uses a titanium PEM cell and distilled water, and gives approx. 100 ml/min gas output with approx. 3-4% hydrogen. A session lasts 15-60 minutes, sitting or lying down.
Hydrogen is flammable in air from about 4%. Lita Air's approx. 3-4% is at or below that lower limit, so you use it in a ventilated room, with no open flame or smoking nearby, and as the manual describes. More on that in hydrogen inhalation safety and what hydrogen inhalation is.
Questions and answers
Questions about hydrogen inhalers and oxygen concentrators
Is an oxygen generator the same as an oxygen concentrator?
In everyday use, yes. People searching for an oxygen generator usually mean an oxygen concentrator: a product that takes in room air, filters out the nitrogen and delivers almost pure oxygen. It has nothing to do with hydrogen.
Can a hydrogen inhaler replace oxygen therapy?
No. A hydrogen inhaler gives no extra oxygen and can never replace oxygen prescribed by your doctor. If you have been prescribed oxygen, use it exactly as your care team has told you.
Does a hydrogen inhaler give you oxygen?
Lita Air mixes approx. 3-4% hydrogen with ordinary air, so you breathe in roughly the oxygen level in the room. Some other inhalers release a mix of hydrogen and oxygen from electrolysis. That does not make them oxygen concentrators.
Can you buy an oxygen concentrator without a prescription?
Oxygen concentrators are sold online, but home oxygen should be prescribed and followed up by your care team. The wrong amount of oxygen can be harmful for some people, so the dose is set after measurements.
Can I use a hydrogen inhaler if I have oxygen at home?
Talk to your doctor first. Oxygen makes things burn more easily and hydrogen is flammable, so they should not be used together unless your care team has approved it. Your oxygen always comes first.
Next step
Try Lita Air at home for 30 days
Order Lita Air and pay by invoice. You have a 30-day return right from delivery, on top of the statutory right of withdrawal. If you would rather try it with us first, join the list for a trial session in Kungsholmen, Stockholm.