Personal hygiene is one of those things that everyone knows is important, but few actually take seriously enough. For most people, hygiene is simply a routine part of life, not something they go out of their way to think about pay attention to.

But if you suffer from COPD, it's important to make good personal hygiene a top priority in your daily routine. Proper hygiene is your very first line of defense against illnesses and dangerous COPD exacerbations that can make your disease even worse.

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However, practicing good personal hygiene takes more effort than most people think. Doing it right takes extra time out of the busy day, and it's very tempting to cut corners to save time.

That's why everyone should take the time to review the important components of good personal hygiene now and then. If you have COPD, then you have even more at stake, and you should take extra care to learn all the proper techniques.

In this post, we're going to show you what good personal hygiene looks like and how it can help you protect your lungs and manage your COPD. This guide will discuss a variety of important hygiene issues, both general and COPD-specific, and help you learn the skills you need implement good hygiene practices in your everyday life.

Why Hygiene is So Important for People with COPD

Most people understand the basics of good hygiene, but not everyone is great at practicing it consistently. Even so, imperfect hygiene is not usually a problem for most healthy adults.

However, good personal hygiene is much more important for people who suffer from COPD. The disease suppresses patients' immune systems, which makes them particularly vulnerable to disease-causing germs like viruses and bacteria.

Even worse, it can be very dangerous to get even a little bit sick if you have COPD. Respiratory illnesses, in particular, can wreak havoc on your lungs and immune system, making it much more difficult to breathe and control other COPD symptoms.

That's why practicing good hygiene is so vital; it protects you from the germs, bacteria, funguses, and respiratory irritants that cause you to get ill. You can't always control whether or not you get sick, but practicing good personal hygiene is one of the few effective things you can do to reduce your risk.

Even minor viruses like the common cold can worsen breathing problems significantly and permanently damage your lungs. Because of blockages and narrowing in your airways, COPD also makes it harder to flush viruses and bacteria out of your respiratory tract.

This significantly raises your risk for secondary lung infections like pneumonia if you get sick. COPD also makes it more difficult to recover from illnesses and infections.

In this way, COPD not only causes you to get sick more often, but also causes you to stay sick for a longer period of time. Unfortunately, one of the consequences of staying sick longer is an increased probability of minor illnesses causing serious infections and permanent damage to your lungs.

In the most serious cases, getting sick when you have COPD can lead to respiratory failure, hospitalization, and even death. That is why it is so important to practice impeccable hygiene if you suffer from COPD.

The Benefits of Good Hygiene

The main benefit of good hygiene is a significantly reduced chance of getting sick. That's because, when you practice good hygiene, you prevent a myriad of disease-causing pathogens like viruses, bacteria, and parasites from making it into your body.

Good personal hygiene is also good for those around you because it prevents you from spreading germs and sicknesses to other people. By practicing good hygiene, you can help protect other people with immune-suppressing diseases like COPD and prevent them from getting illnesses that could potentially threaten their lives.

Along with these physical benefits of good hygiene, there are social and psychological benefits as well. When you keep yourself clean, healthy, and groomed, you are likely to feel more confident and capable in other ways, as well.

Here are some of the main benefits of healthy hygiene habits:

• Improved overall health
• Reduced risk of disease and infections
• Reduced exposure to allergens and other respiratory irritants
• Reduced risk of COPD exacerbations
• Reduced risk of hospitalization
• Reduced risk of spreading germs and illnesses to others
• A cleaner, healthier living environment
• Improved confidence, self-image, and self-esteem
• Other people see you as more healthy, desirable, and attractive when you have good hygiene

What Does Good Personal Hygiene Look Like?

You probably already know the basics of good hygiene like bathing and washing your hands. But there's also a good chance you don't know, or have forgotten, the details of what good hygiene entails.

Still, knowing the basics works well enough for most people most of the time. At worst, most healthy adults will only get a mild illness every so often if they expose themselves to germs.

However, living with COPD means you can't cut any corners without putting your health in serious risk. That means you need to go out of your way to practice impeccable hygiene, even if you've gotten away with an average amount of effort so far in your life.

But to do that, you need to understand what good hygiene is and exactly what you have to do to practice it. Fortunately, practicing good hygiene is relatively easy to do and even simpler to learn.

The basics of good personal hygiene include:

• Knowing when to wash your hands
• Knowing how to wash your hands properly
• Knowing how to prevent yourself from spreading germs to others when you are sick
• Knowing how to avoid transferring germs to your body in public places
• Knowing how to practice good dental hygiene
• Knowing how to clean your body and your clothes to prevent germ buildup

How to Practice Good Hygiene to Improve Your COPD

In this guide, we're going to give you a refresher course on how to practice good personal hygiene. We'll also address a variety of personal hygiene issues and challenges that affect people with COPD specifically.

In these next sections, we will go through each important hygiene issue step by step so you can learn the proper techniques. We'll also give you tips for how to practice good hygiene every day and fit important hygiene practices into your daily routine.

Learning the tips and techniques we explain in this guide will help you ensure that you are doing everything you can to protect yourself from sickness and disease. That way, you can live your life more safely, more confidently, and with a reduced risk of serious COPD complications.

Wash Your Hands Often

Even though washing your hands might seem like obvious advice, it is so essential to personal hygiene that it's still important to review. It is the first step to practicing good hygiene and one of the most effective ways you can protect yourself from disease.

Unfortunately, most people are not as diligent about hand-washing as they should be, even knowing how important it is. Many people remember to wash their hands before eating or going to the bathroom, but get lazy or forget to do it in other situations.

Another problem is that most people don't take enough time to wash their hands thoroughly enough, which makes their hand-washing less effective. As a result, their hands may still harbor harmful bacteria even after washing up.

How to Wash Your Hands the Right Way

If all you do is rub your hands together with soap while giving them a quick rinse under the faucet, then you're not washing them well enough. In fact, if it takes you less than a full twenty to thirty seconds (count it!), then you probably need to correct your technique.

Here is a quick overview of proper hand-washing technique, as recommended by the CDC:

• Use clean, running water to rinse and wet your hands before applying soap.
• Rub the soap between your hands until it forms a lather.
• Scrub your hands for at least twenty seconds, getting your nails, wrists, and between your fingers.
• Rinse off all the soap under clean, running water.
• Dry your hands off on a clean towel.

To wash your hands properly, you need to make sure you scrub every part of your hands thoroughly with soap, including your fingers, fingernails, palms, wrists, between your fingers, and the backs of your hands. Any kind of regular, non-antibacterial soap will do the trick, including bar soap, liquid soap, and foaming soaps.

You may need to wash the skin above your wrists and further up your forearms after cleaning, washing dishes, or doing anything else that is likely to fling bacteria around. If your hands are especially dirty, you should also use a nail brush to scrub around and underneath your fingernails to remove excess dirt and grime.

Here are some more tips for more effective and hygienic hand washing:

• Avoid antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizers: Using antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizer is almost never necessary because regular soaps and sanitizers are effective. Additionally, anti-bacterial soaps are bad for the environment, and may even be bad for your health.
• Keep your hand towels clean and dry: If your hand towel stays moist for too long, it creates a perfect environment for mold and bacteria to grow. Let your hand towels dry thoroughly between uses and wash them regularly, especially if you notice a bad or musty smell.
• Don't re-contaminate your hands: After you get your hands all clean, you don't want to have to start over again. That's why you should be careful not re-contaminate them right away by touching a dirty faucet or door handle on your way out of the bathroom. When using a public bathroom, cover your hand with a tissue if necessary to avoid touching dirty public surfaces.

To see proper hand-washing technique in action, check out this video from the CDC.

When to Wash Your Hands

You probably already know that you should wash your hands before and after eating and after you use the bathroom. However, there are many other situations that call for thorough hand-washing, and some are less obvious than others.

In general, you should wash your hands after completing any activity that puts you in contact with germs. That includes anything that involves handling dirty items, touching public surfaces, or coming into contact with someone who is sick or injured.

Here is a more complete list of situations in which you should wash your hands:

• Before and after handling food
• Before and after eating
• Before and after treating a wound
• Before and after touching your face, especially your eyes, nose, and mouth
• Before and after caring for a sick person
• After sneezing, coughing, or blowing your nose
• After using the bathroom
• After changing a diaper or handling pet waste
• After touching a pet or other animal
• After touching another person
• After handling garbage or waste
• After touching a public item or surface (like a public pen or ATM)
• After smoking

Use Hand Sanitizer

Sometimes, you won't have access to a sink when you need to wash your hands. In case this happens, it's a good idea to keep hand sanitizer with you whenever you leave the house.

For the best protection, you should always use alcohol-based hand sanitizers instead of antibacterial ones. To be effective, your hand sanitizer should contain no less than 60 percent alcohol.

These hand sanitizers can kill the majority of bacteria and fungi on your hands as well as many viruses. The higher percentage of alcohol the sanitizer contains, the more effective it will be against all kinds of microbes.

However, hand sanitizer only works effectively if you use it right. If your hands are greasy or grimy when you apply hand sanitizer or you wipe the solution off too soon, then you won't get its full protection.

But even though it can be good in a pinch, hand sanitizer is not a good substitute for hand-washing in all cases. Using hand sanitizer is not nearly as effective as washing your hands, and you should only use it as a backup for times when hand-washing is not an option.

Here are some tips for using hand sanitizer correctly to protect yourself from illnesses and infections:

• Use hand sanitizer by pouring a dime-sized dollop into the palm of your hand and rubbing the solution thoroughly into your palms, fingers, and the backs of your hands.
• Make sure you don't have dirt, oils, or grime on your hands before applying hand sanitizer, otherwise it may not be effective.
• Once the solution has been absorbed into your skin, let your hands air dry. (Don't wipe your hands off; it should only take a few seconds for the solution to dry on its own.)
• Do not rely on hand sanitizer to clean harmful chemicals like pesticides off your hands.

Bathe Often for Healthy Skin and Lungs

No matter how careful you are to avoid germs, your body inevitably picks plenty of them up from your environment throughout the day. When you go outside, cook, clean, and sweat, you are exposed to all sorts of bacteria, fungi, and other harmful particles that stick to your hair, clothes, and skin.

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COPD is a relatively common and well-researched condition, which means there are lots of different medications and treatments to help people who suffer from the disease. These include a variety of "natural" treatments for COPD patients that can alleviate both physical and psychological symptoms.

Natural COPD treatments are non-pharmacological treatments that you can take control of yourself. They are opportunities to make changes to your personal habits, health routines, and nutrition to more effectively treat your COPD symptoms at home.

In this post, we're going to introduce you to a number of natural treatments that you can use to improve your COPD. We'll show you how supplements, lifestyle changes, and other natural solutions can help you better manage your symptoms and improve your quality of life.

By helping you take a more well-rounded approach to your health, natural treatments can boost your physical health, mental health, and help you avoid serious health complications from COPD. Using natural treatments can also help you feel more in control of your health and your overall well-being.

The treatments we discuss in this guide are generally safe, accessible, and effective, as long as they are used in combination with standard treatments for COPD. Continue reading to learn more about a variety of natural COPD treatments and what they can do for you.

What is a “Natural” Treatment?

It's important to understand that “natural” is a word that means many different things to different people. It doesn't have any definite scientific or legal definition, which is why it's important to specify what we mean when we refer to a treatment as “natural”.

In this guide, we use “natural” to refer to treatments that don't rely on medical equipment or standard pharmaceutical medications. Instead, the natural treatments we will discuss are the kinds that don't require a prescription or significant supervision from a doctor.

These natural treatments, which include things like nutritional supplements, mind-body exercises, and healthy lifestyle changes, are still recommended by doctors and supported by many in the medical community. This is key, because you should never try to treat your disease with unknown or unsupported treatments.

It's also vital to understand that these natural treatments are not alternatives to taking your prescription medication and should never be used as a replacement for proper medical care. Unfortunately, there is no real replacement or “alternative” to medical COPD treatments, and you should never use any natural treatments that interfere with your primary COPD treatment plan in any way.

The “standard” treatment for COPD, which includes medication, lifestyle changes, and other medical treatments, has been carefully crafted and tested by medical experts. It is still the best known way to manage COPD, and the only known way to slow down the progression of the disease.

However, there are still a variety of natural techniques that you can use to improve your COPD symptoms and your quality of life. Doctors often recommend these natural options, in addition to standard treatments, as a means for their patients to better manage and cope with their disease.

Many people with COPD also appreciate natural treatments because they give them a stronger sense of ownership and involvement in their health. They allow you to take certain aspects of your treatment into your own hands, giving you a better sense of control over your disease.

Natural treatments also help you stay focused on important non-physical aspects of your life, such as your mental and emotional health. In this way, it can expand the scope of your treatment and ensure that you cover all your bases when it comes to your physical and mental well-being.

Natural Treatments for COPD

Now that you understand what a natural treatment is, let's take a closer look at what these treatments actually are. In the next sections, we'll introduce you to a wide selection of the most effective natural treatments you can use to improve your COPD.

Nutritional Supplements

A large number of people with COPD struggle to maintain proper nutrition. Often, this is a result of poor appetite, poor diet, or severe COPD symptoms that make it difficult to eat.

This is exacerbated by the fact that many COPD patients need extra calories to fuel their breathing muscles, which have to work overtime to help them breathe. This need for a high-calorie diet makes it much easier for people with COPD to become malnourished.

Another nutritional problem results from the fact that COPD tends to affect people later in life, when living a healthy lifestyle is often a struggle. At the same time that their bodies are especially vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies, many older adults struggle to get enough nutrients from their diet.

That's why many people with COPD take nutritional supplements to keep their brain, lungs, and the rest of their body strong. These supplements not only prevent nutritional deficiencies and help you manage your COPD symptoms, but some may also help stave off serious diseases and other health complications.

The nutritional supplements we discuss in this section could be beneficial to many COPD patients, but will not be useful to everyone. And remember, you always need to talk to your doctor before making any changes to your diet or nutrition.

When possible, it is best to get your nutrients from a well-balanced diet instead of a supplement. However, taking nutritional supplements is a helpful and often necessary way to ensure you get all the nutrients you need every day.

What's more, studies show that some supplements can even help patients who don't have nutritional deficiencies improve their COPD. What works for you will depend on your individual physiology, your symptoms, and what your doctor recommends.

Calcium

Because many patients suffer from bone density loss, calcium is important for people with COPD. Calcium is the primary nutrient responsible for keeping your bones healthy and strong, and getting too little causes bone loss and osteoporosis.

Getting enough calcium is particularly important for people with COPD, who are more prone to osteoporosis. This is because certain COPD medications, older age, and systemic inflammation caused by COPD all impair your body's ability to repair your bones.

Once you start to lose bone density, you become more prone to accidents, skeletal disfigurement, and loss of physical mobility. Even just one bad fall or injury could result in a break that significantly affects your ability to manage your COPD.

That's why experts recommend that COPD patients take extra steps to prevent calcium deficiency, which often includes taking calcium supplements. You should also make an effort to get plenty of calcium from food sources like dairy, vegetables, and fortified grains.

Getting lots of calcium through diet and supplements is a great natural treatment that helps COPD patients keep their bones and bodies strong. It may even prolong your life by protecting you against debilitating injuries and major losses in physical mobility.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is another vital nutrient that your body needs to prevent serious problems and health conditions related to COPD. In fact, your body can't even absorb calcium without vitamin D, which makes is just as important as calcium for keeping your bones in good shape.

But vitamin D is needed for much more than just your bones; it plays a role in your immune system, your cardiovascular health, and may even play a direct role in treating COPD. Unfortunately, a large number of COPD patients have vitamin D deficiencies, particularly those whose disease is more severe.

Because of this, many experts recommend that COPD patients take extra vitamin D to supplement their diets. Studies show that getting enough vitamin D can prevent exacerbations, preserve your cardiovascular health, and even slow the progression of your disease.

Some research even suggests that taking Vitamin D supplements can improve your ability to breathe. By strengthening your breathing muscles and making it easier to exercise, vitamin D may be an effective way to improve your physical fitness and mobility.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is an important nutrient for keeping your lungs healthy and strong. It works in your lungs to build and repair lung tissue, which is what makes it particularly important for people with COPD.

If you don't get enough vitamin A from your diet, it can make your lungs more vulnerable to infections. By reducing your lungs' ability to repair themselves, it may even make them more prone to damage from inflammation caused by respiratory illnesses and irritants like smoke.

That's why experts recommend that COPD patients take vitamin A supplements if they are likely to have a deficiency. Studies show that it may even reduce your risk for respiratory infections and further damage to your lungs.

However, taking a vitamin A supplement is not recommended if you get enough of the vitamin in your diet. In fact, too much vitamin A can cause serious health problems like liver damage, which is why you should always consult your doctor before starting a new supplement.

The Antioxidant N-Acetylcysteine

Researchers have found that COPD patients experience more “oxidative stress” than people who don't have the disease. Although experts still don't completely understand how oxidative stress works, it seems to play a role in worsening lung damage and respiratory function in people with COPD.

This has led many COPD researchers to investigate antioxidants, which they believe may be able to reduce oxidative stress in the lungs. In that way, they believe that certain antioxidants may slow down the respiratory decline experienced by COPD patients.

One antioxidant, known a N-Acetlycysteine, shows the most potential as a treatment for COPD. Researchers believe that it may have a protective effect on the lungs by protecting them from damage caused by oxidative stress.

Some studies also show that N-Acetylcysteine can also reduce chronic inflammation, which is another major cause of COPD-related lung function decline. By reducing both inflammation and oxidative stress, some researchers believe that this antioxidant may be a natural way to slow down the progression of COPD.

Other studies show it may have potential for reducing airway blockage by reducing the amount of excess mucus that builds up in the lungs and airways. As a result of all these benefits, experts believe that N-Acetylcysteine may be able to reduce COPD exacerbations and respiratory decline.

While researchers are still investigating the proper usage and dosage, N-Acetylcysteine shows great promise for clinical use. With permission and supervision from your doctor, you may be able to use this antioxidant as a natural treatment for your COPD.

Vitamin C & Vitamin E

Vitamin C and E are both antioxidants as well as essential nutrients your body needs for metabolism. Researchers believe they may also play a role in the health of your bones, immune system, cardiovascular system, and more.

Some studies suggest that vitamins C and E may be important for lung health, too. Several studies have found, for example, that COPD patients with more vitamin E and C in their bodies have better lung function than those with lower vitamin levels.

Research also shows that being deficient in vitamins C and E can worsen symptoms like breathlessness, wheezing, and excess phlegm. COPD patients also tend to have significantly lowered amounts of these vitamins in their bodies when they experience a COPD exacerbation.

Vitamins E and C may also help improve patients' ability to stay active and do physical activities. One study found, for instance, that patients taking Vitamin E and C supplements had significantly increased exercise endurance compared to those who didn't.

All of this evidence suggests that getting plenty of vitamin C and E in your diet may be an effective, natural way to reduce your COPD symptoms and your risk for exacerbations. If you have trouble getting enough from your diet, you may need to take vitamin C and E supplements to help you manage your COPD.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of healthy fat found mainly in fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines. Omega 3's are known for reducing inflammation, which makes them a promising natural supplement for COPD, which is known as an inflammatory disease.

Since chronic inflammation makes many COPD symptoms worse, Omega-3's may be able to improve breathlessness, fatigue, and other symptoms by reducing inflammation. However, researchers are still not sure whether or not the benefits of omega-3's for COPD are substantial enough for practical use.

However, there has been some encouraging research that suggests omega-3 fatty acids could be an effective tool for treating lung infections. One study in mice showed that omega-3 supplements successfully reduced inflammation in the lungs and improved their ability to fight off bacterial infections.

Another study on human COPD subjects found that those who took omega-3 supplements had increased exercise endurance and fewer signs of inflammation. On the other hand, some studies have failed to find a clear link between omega-3 fatty acids and inflammation in people with COPD.

However, there is a stronger link between omega-3 fatty acids and heart disease, which means that omega-3 supplements may still have significant benefits for people with COPD. Heart disease is a common complication of COPD and affects a large percentage of patients, so supplementing your diet with omega-3's may still protect you from serious cardiovascular complications related to COPD.

Herbal Supplements

While herbal supplements cannot treat COPD directly, some believe that certain herbal supplements can alleviate COPD symptoms. For example, some believe that herbal remedies like turmeric and ginseng can help with ailments like congestion and inflammation.

It's important to remember, however, that most herbal supplements have been researched but not found to have any significant therapeutic effects. While some may show some promise, there is not yet enough evidence to say that they are effective treatments for any COPD symptoms.

However, research on these herbal supplements is ongoing, and scientists may be able to confirm some of their suspected benefits in the future. As it is, however, you should stick to tried and true treatments that are well-researched and well-supported by evidence.

It's also important to tell your doctor about any herbal supplements you take, because they could interfere with other medications and treatments your doctor prescribes. However, it is best to avoid using herbal supplements entirely unless you use them under the strict supervision of a licensed doctor.<

Smoking is one of the main causes of chronic obstructive respiratory disease (COPD), but what does drinking have to do with it? 

COPD is in reference to a group of lung diseases that affects your lungs in certain ways all of which impact your body’s ability to breathe. This includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

Airways blockage is the most invasive part of COPD and related respiratory disease. Whether your airways are blocked from excess mucus production or inflammation, this will result in reduced lung function and capacity. It can also damage and inflame your lungs beyond repair. In fact, there is no cure for COPD. 

Studies show that COPD is very common in people who smoke, in fact smoking is the leading cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. That being said, drinking is a factor that complicates the condition.

People who frequently smoke also typically drink. Therefore, understanding the relationship between drinking, smoking, and COPD is slightly confusing.

As always, if you are in the market or interested in learning about your oxygen therapy options you can contact LPT Medical. If  you decide that you are looking for a portable oxygen concentrator, just call 1+(800)-946-1201 to speak with an oxygen specialist! 

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COPD Smoking and Drinking 

So there is a link between people who are dependent on alcohol and tobacco users, but there is less research that suggests there is a connection between alcohol consumption and COPD. 

In the following sections we will look at how smoking and drink can cause and complicate COPD. \

So it is established that there is a relationship between drinking alcohol and smoking. In fact, people with alcohol dependence are three times more likely to be smokers than the average population.

Smoking is a lung irritant, one of the worst and most invasive lung irritants there is. COPD is caused by long-term exposure to lung irritants. Therefore, it makes sense that smoking is the leading cause of COPD.

Other lung irritants like pipes, cigars, and even wildfire smoke and air pollution can also cause COPD. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) calculated that 15 million Americans are currently diagnosed with COPD and of those 15 million, almost 40% of those people still smoke. 

Research Explaining COPD and Drinking 

Drinking Alcohol Can Damage Lungs

Heavy alcohol use can cause damage to the lungs in a few different ways

So, there is research that is suggesting heavily drinking alcohol reduces glucose levels. Glucose is important because it helps protect your lungs from damage against smoke. Therefore, the combination of drinking and smoking is very volatile, and harsh on your lungs, nad bodily functions.  

In addition to reducing glucose levels, drinking excess alcohol prevents your lungs from maintaining healthy airways. Drinking prohibits your system from effectively clearing mucus and contaminates from your airways. 

Immune system 

Drinking alcohol can interfere with your immune system. Your immune system is a crucial system that keeps your lungs healthy and able to fight off infections. Infections and COPD are a huge issue that could increase your chance of being hospitalized or experience exacerbated symptoms and irreversible lung damage. Alcohol’s damage to the immune system is so well known that it is a syndrome called alcoholic lung.

Cell damage 

Drinking alcohol can also hurt the surface cells that line the insides of the lungs. Every cell in our body is important for function and protection. Damaging our cells that have functional purposes is going to affect you in a negative way.

The surface cells are there to protect your lungs from inhaling damaging materials you breathe in everyday. Parts of your lungs are lined with hair-like cells called cilia who get rid of things inhaled out of the lungs. The bottom line is that heavy alcohol use harms this whole process.

Alcohol Vapor

Heavy drinking also causes inflammation. Alcohol is actually an irritating chemical, not just a liquid. Because of this, the vapor in alcohol harms your cells in the upper and lower parts of your airway, leaving them inflamed and irritated. 

When people drink alcohol some of it is absorbed in the bloodstream while some of it diffuses out into the lungs into your breath. Hence why you can smell alcohol on the breath!

This is also how breathalyzer tests work. After consuming alcohol, part of it is breathed out in the form of vapor. The vapor form is very harmful, and will cause damage to your airways. This damage is not secluded to your lungs, but it impacts the nasal passages and sinuses too. Inflammation is another issue with breathing alcohol vapor and will make you more susceptible to infections.

Reflexes

Continuing on, alcohol can also harm your lungs by inflicting some of the body’s reflexes. Getting drunk will hurt your gag reflex. The gag reflex’s function is to stop people from inhaling food, drinks, or spit into the lungs. Without the gag reflex, or if you are constantly hurting your gag reflex, it is likely you will inhale food, water, or other irritants into your lungs. 

Bacterial Infections 

Alcohol is known to kill some of the good bacteria that can normally be found in your mouth and throat. Without this bacteria, you will have an increased risk of experiencing a bacterial infection. In addition to that, killing the normal and good bacteria in your mouth and throat allows for bad bacteria to grow there instead causing potential dangerous infections. 

Commonality of Drinking with COPD 

Drinking is very common among people with COPD and chronic health conditions in general. In fact one third of people reportedly drink regularly and just under 10 percent report drinking heavily. 

Even though, studies have shown that being diagnosed with medical conditions and chronic illnesses often sway people from drinking, people with COPD more often do not quit drinking. People with COPD and other respiratory diseases are as likely to quit drinking despite their diagnosis. The reasoning behind this is unclear.

However it does bring up a good point. That people with COPD and similar chronic illness were heavy drinkers before being diagnosed, suggesting drinking could have a connection to the cause of their COPD. 

Other Risks Associated with COPD 

Of course, there are other causes and it is likely that COPD develops for several lifestyle reasons and habits. Some of the other causes of COPD besides smoking include, living in populated areas, breathing in harsh environmental irritants and it can even be genetic in some rarer cases. 

That being said, about 90 percent of COPD patients can conclude their COPD is caused by smoking. 

The smaller population of COPD patient who have never smoke can contribute their disease to:

• Exposure to secondhand smoke 
• Exposure to pollution and other environmental toxins like wildfire smoke   
• Breathing in burning chemicals or fuel 
• Disorders including alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency

Overview 

While there is no direct relationship indicating that drinking alcohol is the cause of COPD, there is evidence that drink does impact the respiratory system in certain negative ways. 

We hope this blog sheds light on what drinking can do to the lungs, and how alcohol can impact a person with respiratory disease.  

COPD is a disease that affects your respiratory system. That being said, what you eat and how your stomach feels can greatly impact the way you breathe. Whether that's good or bad, is up to you! 

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If you suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), you might find that eating specific foods and following certain diets can help manage your condition. You also might realize eating certains foods makes me feel worse, and can make your symptoms worse.

It is important that you eat food. COPD patients often lose a lot of weight throughout their diagnosis.

This article describes how diet affects COPD. We outline the best diet for COPD patients. And we include foods you should eat and foods you should avoid. We also provide an example meal plan you can follow, along with tips for cooking and eating. 

How Diet Can Affect COPD 

While COPD is a lung condition that limits your airflow making it hard to breathe, incorporating a  healthy diet into your daily life can actually help you manage adverse health effects of COPD. 

Research shows that a healthy and well-balanced diet can have the following beneficial health effects in people with COPD:

• reduces inflammation in your airways
• maintains and improves muscle strength in your body and lungs
• improves lung function in general
• Lowers metabolic and heart disease risk

The process of changing food to fuel in the body is called metabolism. Therefore, oxygen and food are the essentials materials metabolism. The energy and carbon dioxide created after eating and breathing are the finished products. 

The right mix of nutrients in your diet can help you breathe easier.

Best Diet For COPD Patients

Your body is uniquely YOU! Therefore, there is not one single diet that all COPD patients must follow. Instead, you need to eat food that gives you fuel and energy, the food  you eat should not make you feel bloated or full, and it should be a relatively healthy source of vitamins and minerals. 

A healthy diet is essentially just the right mix of nutrients and a lot of variety. As a COPD patient you can cater your diet to help you breathe easier. Diet is a crucial aspect you need to discuss with your healthcare team. Together, you can comprise a meal plan, just for you. 

It might be helpful to meet with a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). Their knowledge and expertise will help you get on track. You can also find an RDN who specializes in COPD by visiting the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics or simply discuss this topic with your doctor.

Foods you Should Eat 

While there is no strict diet COPD patients need to be on, there are general rules as to what foods will make you feel energized, light, and well-balanced 

As a COPD patient you need food that are high in complex carbohydrates, fiber, protein, and Mono and polyunsaturated fats.

If you are like most people, all of those words don't mean much to you. And reading the small labels on foods is time-consuming and let's face it TOO SMALL TO READ! 

Here is a what you need to know about foods you should eat:

Complex Carbohydrates 

Complex carbohydrates contain long chains of sugar molecules. This is all scientific jargon, but it essentially means that complex carbohydrates are a great source of energy.

Here are some foods that contain complex carbohydrates:

• Fresh fruit and starchy vegetables
• Whole grains
• Whole grain bread and pasta
• Beans and lentils

Fiber Rich Foods

A person with COPD should eat foods high in fiber. you  should be aiming to get around 20–30 grams of fiber each day. Here are some ideas of fibrous food you can start to incorporate into your daily diet:

• beans and lentils
• fruits and vegetables
• nuts and seeds
• whole grains, such as oats
• vegetables

Protein

Research shows that people with COPD have increased protein needs because protein rich foods help increase your muscle mass. This means that COPD patients do benefit even more from protein than individuals without COPD. Incorporating protein-rich foods during meals and snacks will improve your nutritional status and subsequently your quality of life.

Foods that are high in protein include:

• Meat and poultry
• Fish
• Eggs
• Nuts and seeds
• Tofu
• Cheese
• Milk

Mono and Polyunsaturated Fats

Basically, mono and polyunsaturated fats are good fats. These healthy fats can lower cholesterol, which is helpful for everyone, including individuals with COPD. 

Some foods that contain these fats include:

• Olive oil and avocado oil
• Salmon
• Nuts and seeds
• Avocados

Foods you Should Avoid 

If you have COPD, certain foods can make you feel worse. 

The common symptoms associated with COPD include difficulty breathing, coughing, wheezing, and mucus production. All of these symptoms can be exacerbated or made worse depending on the food you eat everyday.

In addition to eliminating exposure to smoke and other air pollutants, there are certain foods that a person with COPD should avoid in order to minimize the symptoms. Here are some of the foods and ingredients you should avoid eating if you have COPD.

Simple Carbohydrates

Simple carbohydrates offer less nutrients than complex carbohydrates. Foods consisting of simple carbohydrates include:

• Table sugar
• Chocolate and candy
• Cakes and other sugary desserts
• Sugary drinks
• Processed foods
• White bread and pasta

Many high-fat foods are nutritious, and people can include them in a healthful diet. However, many highly processed foods are high-fat, and people with COPD should avoid or limit them to promote overall health.

High Fat Foods

People with COPD must avoid or limit the following high-fat foods:

• Fast food
• Bacon and other processed meats
• Fried foods
• Sugary pastries
• Margarine
• Ice cream

Example Meal Plan 

As mentioned in the beginning of this blog, meal plans and your diet should be unique to you, your health, and your lifestyle. With that being said, people can consider the following meal plan as a guide and talk to you diatian or doctor about developing a meal plan that works best for you:

Meal prepping tips

Preparing meals and cooking can be very challenging for COPD patients. First and foremost, you should always be using your portable oxygen concentrator even while cooking to ensure you are getting the oxygen you need to maintain your energy and oxygen levels. 

Even with your oxygen therapy, COPD can make you feel low energy so you might not feel up to cooking. If this happens to you, you can consider trying the following methods:

• Quick meals: Find healthy recipes that take less than 30 minutes to prepare and cook. The less challenge and the less steps involved the better. Also, buy pre-cut vegetables to reduce meal preparation times further.

• Crock-Pot: Find healthy crock-pot recipes. You can throw the ingredients in, and simply leave all it there to cook over several hours with minimal effort.

• Leftovers: While cooking, you can try to make more than you need so that you have leftover food for your next meal or even the following days.

How to Eat More Regularly 

If you have COPD, eating can be challenging. Not only is the process of cooking tiring, but the act of eating can be overwhelming for some. Some people with COPD may experience a lack of appetite due to breathing difficulties and general chest discomfort. 

Here are some eating hints: 

• Rest just before eating.
• Eat more food early in the morning 
• Avoid foods that cause gas or bloating
• Eat 4 to 6 small meals a day
• limit liquids with meals; drink an hour after meals.
• Talk to your doctor about taking a nutritional supplement
• If you are using oxygen therapy, continue to use your supplemental oxygen device, even while you eat. 
  

Overview 

We really hope this blog gives you some ideas for meals and snacks that can help you feel better and more energized throughout the day! 

It is also our hope that you learned how consuming a balanced and nutritious diet may alleviate some of the breathing difficulties you experience with COPD. Eating healthy is also a crucial step towards preventing certain health complications in the future.

As person with COPD, you should try to eat plenty of protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber-rich foods. Your snacks should add healthy sources of fat to your diet. Avoid foods high in fat like processed food and try to stay away from sugary drinks and food. 

After reading this blog, if you are considering changing your diet or lifestyle, talk to your doctor for advice on how to do this safely and effectively!

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most prominent lung conditions. Worldwide, it affects more than 328 million people and this number is only expected to increase over time. 

While there are many different treatment options for COPD such as a refined dietary regime, inhaled medication, and pulmonary rehabilitation, oxygen therapy remains one of the best ways to keep symptoms in check.

Whether this is your first time looking for portable oxygen concentrators for sale or you’re back on the market after selling an old oxygen unit, you need to take some time to consider what options are available to you. 

It may be tempting to commit to the first oxygen machine you find that meets your needs, but studying each one will ensure that you get the device that’s ideal for your lifestyle.

However, this is not always easy considering the fact that there are hundreds of medical oxygen devices out there and many of them are falsely advertised making it difficult for an oxygen patient to weed out the bad ones.

 Fortunately, here at LPT Medical, we only offer oxygen concentrators from the most reputable brands in oxygen manufacturing so that you can always be sure you’re getting a machine that does exactly what it says it does.

To help you narrow down your choices, we’re going to be taking a look at two different portable oxygen concentrators today: the ARYA Portable Oxygen Concentrator and the Respironics SimplyGo.

Oxygen Output

Above all else, you need to make sure that your new oxygen machine meets your health needs. Before making any choices, you’ll need to speak with your doctor or pulmonologist and learn the exact volume of oxygen and how many hours a day is appropriate for you. It’s important to note that the ARYA is a pulse dose portable oxygen concentrator and the Respironics SimplyGo is a continuous flow portable oxygen concentrator.

What this means is that the ARYA only puts out oxygen when the user inhales, whereas the Respironics SimplyGo puts out oxygen irrespective of the user’s breathing rate. 

What results from this is that the Respironics SimplyGo has a much higher oxygen output, but most of the oxygen is wasted when the user is not inhaling. With that being said, both concentrators are designed to accommodate the needs of the majority of oxygen patients.

On a maximum flow setting of 6, the ARYA  puts out 1,050 ml/min of oxygen. The Respironics SimplyGo goes up to a maximum of 2 LPM on a continuous flow setting. 

What this means is that if you’re inhaling 50% of the time and exhaling 50% of the time, you’ll be receiving 50 ml/min of oxygen less with the SimplyGo than with the ARYA. We understand if this is confusing, so be sure to address any questions you may have with your doctor and respiratory specialist.

One more thing to note about the Respironics SimplyGo is that it also offers a pulse dose option. Like the ARYA, the Respironics SimplyGo can go up to a pulse flow setting of 6, so you’ll have plenty of options to adjust your oxygen delivery on the fly. 

One of the reasons you may want to switch to pulse flow is if you want to save battery life on your device. Continuous flow tends to drain your battery life much quicker than pulse dose.

Battery Life

Most oxygen patients have battery life top of mind when choosing a new portable oxygen concentrator because the more powerful the battery, the more freedom you will have to get out and do the things you want.

 Both the ARYA and the Respironics SimplyGo use lithium-ion batteries, a special type of battery that’s been designed to be powerful and lightweight. In fact, these are the same types of batteries that are used in most modern smartphones.

One of the main differences between the batteries in these two devices is that the ARYA uses one external battery while the Respironics SimplyGo uses two smaller internal batteries. 

However, by “internal” we don’t mean that you’ll need to send your device into the manufacturer to have it replaced. This just means that the batteries slide in and out of the device. The batteries on both of these devices are very easy to remove and replace.

Another benefit of the SimplyGo is that you’ll have the option to use either one or two batteries, but with the ARYA, you’ll be able to choose between an 8-cell battery that comes with the device and a 16-cell battery that doubles the battery life of your portable oxygen machine. 

If you compare the batteries straight out of the box, you’ll find that the ARYA offers a bit more freedom than the SimplyGo, especially when it’s used on its continuous flow setting.

On a pulse flow setting of 2, the ARYA will give you up to 4 hours of battery life. This can be extended with a 16-cell battery to 8 hours. The SimplyGo, on the other hand, comes with one battery that will offer 3 hours of freedom which can be extended to 6 hours if you purchase a second battery. 

This is significantly decreased when you switch to continuous flow, however. If you switch to continuous flow, 3 hours of battery life will be reduced to 1.6. Be aware that if you increase your flow rate, the battery life will be reduced.

All around, the ARYA will offer you more freedom than the SimplyGo, however, if you have other reasons for buying a SimplyGo, you’ll want to keep extra batteries on hand and consider using the pulse flow option. 

Accessories like the external battery charger will help you keep all your batteries full and ready for use no matter where you are in the world.

Weight and Size

The concept of portable oxygen therapy is not all that new. Oxygen cylinders have been used by COPD patients since the 1950s, but they were anything but convenient. As opposed to portable oxygen concentrators of today, oxygen cylinders are big, bulky, and difficult to maneuver. 

What’s more, they don’t run off of batteries like concentrators so they need to be refilled constantly. This requires you to either have a device called a “homefill station” in your home, or you need to go out of your way to find an oxygen retailer.

Fortunately, portable oxygen concentrators like the ARYA and the Respironics SimplyGo are both much lighter, smaller, and easier to carry than oxygen tanks. Instead of having to wheel them around with a carrying cart, these POCs can be slung over your shoulder and carried with ease. Let’s take a look at how the two of these compare.

The ARYA weighs in at only 5 pounds making it one of the lightest portable oxygen concentrators ever produced, just behind the AirSep Focus which weighs 1.75 pounds, and the Inogen One G4, which weighs 2.8 pounds. In terms of size, the ARYA is only 10” H x 7.3” L x 3.1” W or 226.3 in². So it’s very small and compact.

Continuous flow portable oxygen concentrators are naturally heavier than pulse dose portable oxygen concentrators; however, the Respironics SImplyGo still only weighs in at 10 pounds making it twice as heavy as the ARYA. 

The SimplyGo is the lightest continuous flow portable oxygen concentrator and it’s also the smallest continuous flow portable oxygen concentrator at just 10” H x 6” D x 11.5” W or a volume of 690 in².

All around, the ARYA is going to be a much better choice for you if size and weight are a concern. If you suffer from chronic shoulder or back pain as many people do, you won’t experience any additional strain by carrying this oxygen machine. Since it’s small, it can easily rest under your arm without it disrupting your normal walking posture. While the SimplyGo is much heavier, it does come with a rolling cart that can make things a lot easier.

Optional Features

If you’ve taken the time to narrow down all of the most important aspects of your portable oxygen concentrator like oxygen output, weight, size, and battery life, it’s time to take a look at the additional features that these oxygen machines offer. 

Fortunately, we live in a time of innovation; a time where people are coming up with unique and cost-effective solutions for people with chronic disabilities. This is no different when it comes to portable oxygen concentrators.

If you’re looking at the ARYA, you’ll be happy to know that it is one of the most feature-heavy portable oxygen machines on the market. Unlike something like the AirSep Focus which is a completely bare-bones oxygen concentrator, the ARYA uses something called telehealth technology. 

Telehealth is the concept of working with health professionals over long distances using modern technology. An example would be holding a video conference with your doctor to discuss the symptoms you’re experiencing.

But that’s not all ARYAview allows you to do. Since it’s a telehealth service, it will allow you to transmit all your data over a secure network so that both your oxygen provider and your healthcare provider will be about to monitor your oxygen use. If you fall back on your treatment plan, then he/she can reach out to you and help you correct it.

The data that’s tracked through ARYAview can be viewed through the portal on a desktop computer or with a smartphone device like an Android or an iPhone. It’s very easy to set up and use, but it is optional. So if you’d rather use your ARYA without any of this, you will be able to do so. Unfortunately, the Respironics SimplyGo doesn’t come with any features like this.

CPAP/BiPAP Compatibility

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are both common conditions and they can both affect the quality of sleep you get at night. 

When they both occur simultaneously, it’s known as COPD-OSA overlap syndrome. If you’re diagnosed with this condition, your doctor may advise you to use either CPAP or BiPAP and oxygen therapy while you sleep. However, you need to make sure your two machines are compatible first.

CPAP and BiPAP machines work by expanding the airways while you’re sleeping so that they don’t close up, causing you to get a poor night’s sleep. Because of this, these machines are not compatible with pulse dose portable oxygen concentrators like the ARYAt that need to be able to precisely measure your breathing rate. 

They are, however, compatible with continuous flow oxygen concentrators like the Respironics SimplyGo which put out a constant stream of oxygen.

In order to set your Respironics SimplyGo up with your CPAP/BiPAP machine, all you will need is a bleed-in adapter which will allow you to feed oxygen into your CPAP mask while you sleep. Be sure that your SImplyGo is set to your preferred flow setting and that it’s in the “continuous flow” mode as opposed to “pulse flow.”

Conclusion 

There’s no doubt about it, it’s not easy trying to choose a portable oxygen concentrator. Whether you’ve used an oxygen tank for years and you’re looking for an upgrade, or you’re looking for your first oxygen device, there are a lot of options out there. 

Unfortunately, it can be very challenging to find the resources you need in order to make an educated decision.

This is why we’ve made it our mission here at LPT Medical to make this process as easy as possible. This post compared two of the most popular portable oxygen concentrators on the market, however, there are a lot of other devices you should consider.

Simply reach out to one of our respiratory specialists either by email or phone and we’ll walk you through the whole process and find you the best deal possible. Once you’re ready to buy, we’ll set you up with a payment plan that works for you.

Many Americans have struggled to make decisions about their health and financial well-being, even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Those financial decisions and insecurities have only been exaggerated in the past few years since the pandemic. If you are also an oxygen patient, saving money and taking advantage of treatment its crucial for survival AND the your financial well-being.

The COVID Pandemic has Continued to Contibute to Peoples Financial Stressors 

It is known now that the people who are most vulnerable to the coronavirus are older adults with pre-existing conditions like diabetes and COPD. The coronavirus is a “novel” virus meaning its new to the population, and even after a few years, we still haven’t built an immunity to it. What’s more, research has shown that severe cases of COVID-19 can lead to pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), both of which contribute to COPD exacerbations.

Despite the circumstances, it’s important to stay positive and follow the prevention guidelines put forth by the World Health Organization (WHO). The guidelines are as follows:

• Wash your hands regularly for 20 seconds with soap and water
• Cough and sneeze into your arm or into a tissue rather than your hands
• Avoid touching your face
• Stay home if you’re feeling sick

In addition to the general COVID-19 prevention guidelines above, COPD patients should also take the following precautions:

• Continue to follow your COPD treatment plan including oxygen usage, pulmonary rehabilitation, and an improved diet (unless otherwise stated by your pulmonologist)
• Avoid any non-essential travel
• Clean and disinfect your home regularly especially doorknobs, light switches, cell phones, and oxygen equipment (a great guide for cleaning and maintaining oxygen equipment can be found here)

While there is no magic wand we can wave to get rid of the coronavirus. It is clear we will be living with this virus for years to come. As for the respiratory specialists here at LPT Medical, we’ll continue to do what we do best — provide respiratory patients with high-quality, affordable portable oxygen concentrators. 

If you have any doubts about whether or not portable oxygen concentrators are worth the investment during this time, read on as we discuss 5 ways POCs can help you save money. As usual, if you have any questions or you’d like to learn more about our plan to get oxygen concentrators in the hands of as many respiratory patients as possible, don’t hesitate to call us a 1+(800)-946-1201.

They’re Durable and Reliable

For all the talk about how technologically advanced and lightweight portable oxygen concentrators are, very little attention is given to their durability and reliability. Oftentimes, this works against them, because many people are turned off by the idea of paying a high upfront cost for their oxygen machine. As a result, people may turn to alternatives like oxygen tanks or liquid oxygen tanks which only cost a couple hundred dollars upfront.

Unfortunately, as a COPD patient, this is the wrong way to approach this situation. The majority of COPD patients are on long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) meaning they’re required to use oxygen every day in order to maintain pulmonary stability and reduce symptoms like breathlessness and chest pain. As such, these patients need oxygen equipment that can match this new lifestyle.

Not only are portable oxygen concentrators lighter and easier to carry wherever you go, but they’re much more durable than oxygen tanks as well. On an oxygen tank, the nozzle and other components are exposed so if they get bumped or knocked around while you’re walking it could lead to a leak or permanent damage to the unit. Many oxygen tanks store oxygen at up to 2,000 psi (pressure per square inch) Which makes them extremely dangerous to carry around as well.

Portable oxygen concentrators, on the other hand, contain no pressurized oxygen meaning there’s a lot less that can go wrong with them. What’s more, all of the components of a portable oxygen concentrator are contained within a hard outer shell that protects it from wear and tear.

There are also no components like a pressure valve or nozzle that stick out on a POC which could get caught on something and break. Even if you do drop your portable oxygen concentrator, you’re more likely to see damage to the outside of the unit rather than the internal components. 

The bottom line is that portable oxygen concentrators don’t break easily meaning you’re less likely to have to dish out hundreds of dollars for costly repairs or replacement parts. However, it’s still important to make sure you’re only buying from reputable brands like Inogen, Respironics, and AirSep in order to ensure that you’re always using a high-quality product.

They Offer Great Warranties

A warranty is an agreement that the manufacturer will replace or repair a unit within a given amount of time. The great news is that most reputable portable oxygen concentrator manufacturers out there offer — at the very least —  a 3-year warranty on their product and most of the time, you can upgrade it to a 5-year or lifetime warranty if you choose.

Many people worry about purchasing medical oxygen machines because they believe that if something goes wrong, the manufacturer won’t have their best interest in mind. However, the reason reputable oxygen manufacturers offer a 3-year warranty free of charge is because they know how reliable their machines really are and that they have a very low failure rate — otherwise, they would be losing money off the transaction. 

Three years is more than enough time for you to test out the unit fully and ensure that there are no manufacturing flaws or defects that prevent you from receiving the oxygen you need. The warranty will ensure that you’re financially covered in the event that the manufacturer made a mistake or you dropped your unit on accident.

To put this into perspective, if you purchased a portable oxygen concentrator like the Inogen One G5 which is predicted to last between 5 and 7 years, you’d be paying between $1 and  $1.31 per day for your oxygen use.

Compare this to the $5 to $8 a day that you’d spend refilling an oxygen tank and it’s not hard to see why portable oxygen concentrators are the better option. Even if you decide to purchase a home fill oxygen station to fill your own oxygen tanks, these alone cost as much or more than a portable oxygen concentrator.  

All things considered, the warranties that come with portable oxygen concentrators provide you with a safety net that oxygen tanks aren’t able to offer. Even if your concentrator stopped working immediately after your 3-year warranty ended, you would still be paying less than what you paid to use an oxygen tank!

Refurbished Concentrators are Cheaper

While we’ve already established that brand new portable oxygen concentrators are more affordable than other oxygen devices like oxygen tanks and liquid oxygen tanks, if you’re still not convinced, there are always refurbished portable oxygen concentrators. These are similar to used portable oxygen concentrators, but they have been returned to the manufacturer in order to be cleaned and checked for defects.

One of the greatest things about buying a refurbished portable oxygen concentrator is that you may be receiving a unit with just days of use on it for hundreds or even thousands less than you’d pay for a brand new one. In other words, you may be getting a significant discount on a unit that has barely been used and will still last for many years to come.

The one thing to note about refurbished portable oxygen concentrators is that they’re not always available. Their availability is based on whether or not people are sending their concentrator back to the dealer so you may not find the exact concentrator you want. In this case, be sure to speak with a respiratory specialist and have them notify you when your preferred unit is in stock.

While we want you to find the best deal possible on your new portable oxygen concentrator, we strongly advise against jumping into anything that you’re not certain you’ll like. Unfortunately, there are a lot of unverified oxygen dealers out there that will try to offer you low-quality products that won’t meet your oxygen demands and could leave you hundreds of dollars in the hole. Always do your research on the company you’re buying from and the manufacturer of the product before purchasing anything.

They Reduce Medical Costs

One of the most significant benefits of portable oxygen concentrators and oxygen therapy, in general, is its ability to improve the long-term prognosis for COPD patients. While many patients believe that oxygen therapy simply “makes them feel better,” in the grand scheme of things, it does much more than that.

According to the Nocturnal Oxygen Therapy Trial of 1980 which studied 203 patients with hypoxemic chronic lung disease, the mortality of patients who used oxygen continuously was 52 percent of that in patients who only used oxygen at night. Another study done by the British Medical Research Council found that, over a five year period, COPD patients that used oxygen therapy had a 22 percent higher survival rate than those who did not. 

According to another study, one-quarter of all medical costs for COPD ($1.9 billion) went to hospital visits and inpatient physician services. A large portion of these costs was used to treat patients with acute exacerbation of COPD. What this means for you is that, not only will oxygen therapy improve your life expectancy, but it will also make you less likely to be admitted to the hospital for COPD exacerbations and other complications related to your illness.

According to Business Insider, the average in-patient hospital stay is around $10,000 for 5 days. If you take the figures we used above, that works out to about 7,633 days worth of oxygen therapy! In other words, investing in a portable oxygen concentrator now could save you from having to pay significantly higher prices in hospital visits later on. Not to mention the fact that going to the hospital takes you away from your family and your life at home which is something that nobody wants.

They Improve Productivity

Productivity is an important aspect of everyone’s life; young or old; sick or healthy. No matter whether you’re still working or you’ve already retired, it’s important that you’re still able to do things that you need to get done and at the same time, pursue your favorite hobbies and pastimes.    

Ultimately, having a portable oxygen concentrator will be the only way to achieve your full potential as an oxygen patient. Even if you’re just doing work from home, a POC will afford you the mobility you need to get around with ease. The problem with using a bulky oxygen tank or home oxygen concentrator around the house is that if you need to go to another room of the house, you’re going to need oxygen tubing that can reach that far. Not only will this restrict your mobility, but it can also be a tripping hazard for you and anyone else that’s in the home. 

Conclusion

These are difficult times for many people across the country, especially for those with chronic illnesses or those who have lost their job due to the coronavirus. 

With that being said, we still believe that portable oxygen concentrators are the most beneficial and cost-effective oxygen therapy device out there. You won’t have to hassle with refilling a tank constantly which can be time-consuming and costly.

Last but certainly not least, you can rest assured that the respiratory specialists here at LPT Medical will be fully available. Whether you’re looking into buying a portable oxygen concentrator or you just have concerns about using your device, our respiratory specialists are always available to talk.

It’s important to us that anyone and everyone who wants a portable oxygen concentrator has access to one, so we’re offering a lot of great deals to make that happen!