Oxygen therapy has come a long way over the past few decades, and the ARYA P5 Portable Oxygen Concentrator from LPT Medical is a prime example of how advanced technology is helping people with respiratory issues live more active, healthy lives. In this blog post, we will explore the various ways that the ARYA P5 portable oxygen concentrator gives oxygen patients the freedom and independence they need to lead healthier lives.

The ARYA P5 Portable Oxygen Concentrator

First, let's take a closer look at the ARYA P5 portable oxygen concentrator itself. This device is designed to be small, lightweight, and easy to carry, making it perfect for people who need oxygen therapy on the go. The ARYA P5 is just 4.7 pounds, making it one of the lightest portable oxygen concentrators on the market. It is also incredibly quiet, with a noise level of just 40 decibels, which is about as loud as a whisper. This means that oxygen patients can use the ARYA P5 discreetly, without drawing unwanted attention to themselves.

But what really sets the ARYA P5 apart is its advanced technology. The device uses pulse flow oxygen delivery, which means that it delivers oxygen only when the patient inhales. This makes it incredibly efficient, as it uses less oxygen than continuous flow oxygen delivery.

Additionally, the ARYA P5 has an advanced algorithm that ensures that the oxygen is delivered precisely when the patient needs it, based on their breathing rate and other factors. This makes it incredibly effective at delivering the right amount of oxygen to the patient, no matter what activity they are engaged in.

Now let's take a closer look at how the ARYA P5 gives oxygen patients the freedom and independence they need to live healthier lives.

More Active Lifestyle

One of the biggest benefits of the ARYA P5 is that it allows oxygen patients to be more active. With a traditional oxygen tank, patients are often limited by the amount of oxygen they can carry with them. This means that they may be hesitant to leave their homes or engage in physical activity, as they are afraid of running out of oxygen.

However, with the ARYA P5, patients can go about their daily activities without worrying about running out of oxygen. The device can be worn on a shoulder strap or waistband, leaving the patient's hands free to do other things. This means that patients can go for walks, run errands, or even exercise without worrying about their oxygen supply.

Traveling

Another benefit of the ARYA P5 is that it allows oxygen patients to travel more easily. With a traditional oxygen tank, patients may have to arrange for oxygen delivery at their destination, or they may have to lug around heavy tanks with them. However, with the ARYA P5, patients can travel more easily and comfortably.

The device is FAA-approved for air travel, meaning that patients can bring it with them on flights. This is a game-changer for people who love to travel but have been hesitant to do so because of their oxygen needs.

More Comfortable and Convenient

In addition to allowing oxygen patients to be more active and travel more easily, the ARYA P5 is also more comfortable and convenient than traditional oxygen delivery methods.

The device is incredibly quiet, so patients can use it discreetly without drawing unwanted attention to themselves. Additionally, because the ARYA P5 uses pulse flow oxygen delivery, it is more efficient than continuous flow oxygen delivery.

This means that patients can use less oxygen and still get the same benefits. The device is also easy to use and maintain, with a simple user interface and easy-to-replace filters.

Improves Quality of Life

Finally, the ARYA P5 can improve the overall quality of life for oxygen patients. By allowing them to be more active

The ARYA P5 and You 

Respiratory diseases can be challenging to manage, and oxygen therapy is a critical aspect of treatment for many patients. If you are an oxygen patient, you might be considering a portable oxygen concentrator (POC) like the ARYA P5. In this article, we will discuss how a POC can help you manage your respiratory disease, and specifically why owning an ARYA P5 can be beneficial.

Everything You Need to Know About The ARYA P5 and How it Works 

Let us discuss again what a POC is, and how it works. A POC is a medical device that uses air to extract oxygen molecules and delivers them to the patient. POCs are designed to be lightweight, portable, and easy to use, making them an excellent option for patients who need supplemental oxygen when they are away from home.

Reliable and Durable 

Now let's talk about the ARYA P5. The ARYA P5 is a POC that is designed to be both reliable and easy to use. It weighs only 4.9 pounds, making it one of the lightest POCs on the market. This means that you can take it with you wherever you go, whether that is to the grocery store or on a vacation.

The ARYA P5 is also designed to be quiet, so you can use it without worrying about disturbing others around you.

Pulse Flow Operation 

One of the most significant advantages of owning an ARYA P5 is that it provides a constant supply of oxygen. Unlike oxygen tanks, which have a limited supply of oxygen and need to be refilled regularly, the ARYA P5 can run for hours on a single charge. This means that you don't have to worry about running out of oxygen when you are away from home.

User Friendly 

Another advantage of the ARYA P5 is that it is designed to be easy to use. The device has a simple user interface with large buttons and a bright screen, making it easy to operate. Additionally, the ARYA P5 has an auto-adjusting feature that adjusts the oxygen flow rate based on your breathing rate, ensuring that you get the right amount of oxygen at all times.

Low Maintenance 

The ARYA P5 is also designed to be low maintenance. The device has a washable air inlet filter that can be easily cleaned and replaced, reducing the need for costly maintenance. Additionally, the ARYA P5 comes with a carry bag that makes it easy to transport and protect the device.

But how does owning an ARYA P5 help treat your respiratory disease? Oxygen therapy is a critical aspect of treatment for many respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, and pulmonary fibrosis. Supplemental oxygen can help improve your oxygen levels, reduce shortness of breath, and increase your energy levels, making it easier to perform daily activities.

Managing Respiratory Disease with the ARYA P5 Portable Oxygen Concentrator

Owning an ARYA P5 can help you manage your respiratory disease by providing a constant supply of oxygen, which can help reduce the symptoms of your disease. Additionally, the ARYA P5's auto-adjusting feature ensures that you get the right amount of oxygen at all times, which can be especially helpful if your oxygen needs change throughout the day.

The portability of the ARYA P5 is also beneficial for patients who need oxygen therapy but want to maintain an active lifestyle. The device's lightweight and easy-to-use design makes it easy to take with you wherever you go, so you don't have to worry about missing out on activities or events.

Oxygen Accessories for the ARYA P5 

The ARYA P5 portable oxygen concentrator from LPT Medical is a sleek and advanced device that is designed to provide reliable and effective oxygen therapy to patients on the go. Along with its powerful performance, the ARYA P5 also comes equipped with several oxygen accessories to enhance its usability and convenience. Here are some of the accessories that come with the ARYA P5 portable oxygen concentrator:

Carrying case - The ARYA P5 comes with a high-quality oxygen carrying case that is designed to protect the device during transport. The case is made of durable materials and features a padded interior to keep the concentrator secure and safe.

AC power adapter - The ARYA P5 also comes with an AC power adapter that allows patients to charge the device from a standard wall outlet. This adapter is useful for patients who are using the device at home or in a hotel room.

DC power adapter - In addition to the AC power adapter, the ARYA P5 also comes with a DC power adapter that allows patients to charge the device using the cigarette lighter port in their car. This adapter is useful for patients who are traveling long distances by car and need to keep the concentrator charged.

Rechargeable battery - The ARYA P5 features a high-capacity rechargeable battery that can provide up to 6 hours of continuous oxygen therapy on a single charge. This battery is easily removable and can be swapped out for a fully charged battery when needed.

Nasal cannula - The ARYA P5 also comes with a nasal cannula, which is a small, lightweight tube that delivers oxygen directly to the patient's nose. The nasal cannula is comfortable to wear and can be adjusted to fit the patient's individual needs.

Overview 

In conclusion, owning an ARYA P5 portable oxygen concentrator can be an excellent investment for oxygen patients. The device's lightweight and portable design, easy-to-use interface, constant supply of oxygen, and auto-adjusting feature make it an ideal choice for patients who want to manage their respiratory disease and maintain an active lifestyle. If you are considering a POC, the ARYA P5 is an excellent

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Overall, the ARYA P5 portable oxygen concentrator from LPT Medical is an advanced and user-friendly device that comes with several useful accessories to enhance its usability and convenience. These accessories make it easy for patients to use the device on the go and ensure that they have access to reliable oxygen therapy wherever they are.

Flexible spending accounts (or FSA's) are a great tool to save money on healthcare, especially if you or someone in your family suffers from a chronic medical condition. If you use oxygen therapy, a flexible spending account can be a smart way to cover special equipment and out-of-pocket costs.

Unfortunately, many people who use oxygen don't take full advantage of their FSA. You can use your FSA to buy all kinds of oxygen therapy supplies, but many people don't realize this or don't think beyond the basics.

The truth is, you can use your FSA to cover just about any oxygen supplies and equipment that your insurance won't cover. That includes small things—like softer tubing or your preferred brand of nasal cannula—and large things—like a brand new portable oxygen concentrator.

But if you have an FSA, you've probably experienced the end-of-year anxiety that comes before your plan expires. This time of year often signals a mad rush to use up FSA money before the funds are lost forever.

When this time comes, too many people spend their extra funds on the first, most convenient things that come to mind. While this isn't always a bad thing, many people are simply not aware of all their options and how they can put that money to best use.

Fortunately, there is a huge number of things you can purchase with your FSA, and it's easy to use up extra funds if you know what your options are. In fact, extra FSA money at the end of the year provides the perfect opportunity to invest in a portable oxygen concentrator or other oxygen supplies you've been wanting to buy.

In this post, we're going to explain how your FSA works and how you can make the most out of your funds before they expire. We'll explain what kinds of purchases are eligible, help you understand FSA restrictions, and give you some practical ideas of what to spend your extra FSA funds on.

Using oxygen isn't always easy, and it's important to utilize all of the options you have to improve the comfort and convenience of oxygen therapy. To learn more, continue reading this article to find out how you can use your FSA to fund a new oxygen concentrator for yourself or a loved one this year.

Here's a quick overview of the information we'll cover in this guide:

• What an FSA is and how it works
• How to understand FSA plan years and when funds expire
• Limitations on how you can spend your FSA
• How to use up your FSA funds before they expire
• What kinds of oxygen supplies are eligible for FSA funds
• How to buy a portable oxygen concentrator with FSA funds
• What kinds of mobility aids qualify for FSA funds
• How and when you can use your FSA funds on someone in your family

How Does an FSA Work?

If you're already very familiar with what an FSA is and what it does, then feel free to skip ahead to the next section. This section is for those of you who aren't quite sure how an FSA works.

This section may also be helpful if you're a bit fuzzy on the details or need a quick refresher on what kinds of expenses you can pay for with your FSA.

What is an FSA?

An FSA, or Flexible Spending Account, is a type of spending account specifically for health and medical expenses. You can only get an FSA through an employer, and you put money in the account by taking it directly out of your earnings.

However, there are limits on what you can use your FSA funds for; in general, you can only use them to pay for out-of-pocket healthcare costs for yourself, your spouse, and your dependents. You also have to use up the money in your FSA by the end of every year, otherwise you lose the unspent amount.

The only way to put money into your FSA account is to get it deducted automatically from your paychecks. In general, you have to decide on an amount to contribute for the whole year and you can't change it until the new plan year starts.

The greatest benefit of having an FSA is that whatever money you put into it is income tax exempt. That means that you get to keep the full amount, before taxes, of any earnings you put in your FSA account.

For example, let's assume your income tax rate is about 30%, and you decide to contribute $300 from your paycheck to your FSA. Normally, you would have to pay $90 in taxes on that $300; however, since you decided to contribute that money to your FSA, you don't pay any income taxes and get to keep the full $300.

Because of this, there is always a limit to how much money you can contribute to your FSA account every year. The law limits each person to a maximum of 2,650 yearly, but your employer might limit your contribution to a different amount.

Many people try to max out their FSA every year to take full advantage of its tax saving benefits. Since you can use your FSA to cover such a wide range of healthcare expenses, it's generally not very difficult to find a way to use up extra funds.

An FSA is a great way to set money aside for future medical expenses like medications, operations, and medical equipment that your insurance doesn't cover. This can be especially useful for seniors, families with children, people with chronic diseases, and anyone who faces large or unpredictable healthcare costs.

When you need to spend the money in your FSA account on a medical expense, there are two main ways you can do that. First, you can pay the amount yourself and then submit a claim to get reimbursed from your FSA, or you can use a FlexCard to pay expenses directly from your account.

Here is a quick overview of some of the key features and benefits of using an FSA:

• You can contribute whatever amount you'd like every month, up to a maximum of $2,650 per year.
• The amount you contribute to your FSA gets taken directly from your paycheck.
• Any income you contribute to your FSA is income tax exempt.
• Your employer may choose to match the amount you contribute to your FSA up to a certain amount.

Now that we've covered what an FSA is, let's take a closer look at how it works. In order to use your FSA legally and get the most out of your account, it's vital to understand how FSA funds expire and what kinds of expenses you are allowed to pay for with your FSA.

The Funds in Your FSA Expire Every Year

FSA accounts work on a year-long cycle. At the beginning of every plan year, your accounts starts at $0, and any money you put in the account throughout the year has to be spent before the plan year ends.

At the beginning of the next year, your account gets reset to zero again, and any funds leftover from the previous year get forfeited. That's why it's very important to use all of the money in your account before it expires.

While the start and end of most FSA plan years usually align with the calendar year, this is not always the case. To avoid losing your hard-earned funds, make sure you know the exact date that your FSA plan ends and don't lose track of it throughout the year.

If You Don't Use It, You Will Probably Lose It

Even if you have money left over in your FSA account, you will lose it forever after the start of the new plan year. Because of this, many people spend December looking for useful ways to spend away the rest of the money in their accounts.

There are some exceptions, however; some FSA plans give you a month or two grace period to use unspent funds after the end of your plan year. Alternatively, the Affordable Care Act allows employers who don't offer a grace period to allow employees to roll over up to $500 in unspent funds from the previous year.

How your FSA works depends on the particular plan offered by your employer. Regardless, under most plans you stand to lose a significant amount of your balance if you don't use it up by the end of your plan year.

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to use up all your hard-earned FSA funds before they expire. Even if the deadline is close, there's nothing to stop you from going on a last-minute healthcare shopping spree.

There are Strict Limitations on How You Can Spend Your FSA

FSA funds can only be used to pay for qualified medical expenses, which the IRS defines as “costs of the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, and the costs for treatments affecting any part or function of the body.” However, when it comes to the specifics of what you can and cannot pay for using FSA funds, the rules can be somewhat vague.

The IRS also specifies that the healthcare expense must also be used “primarily to alleviate or prevent a physical disability or illness.” However, expenses related to general health, such as vitamins and health foods, are not considered qualified medical expenses.

We'll go into greater detail on what kinds of supplies and equipment do and don't count as qualified FSA expenses in this next section. In the following sections, we'll lay out exactly what kinds of oxygen supplies, oxygen equipment, and other helpful supplies you can purchase with your FSA.

What You CAN Purchase with FSA Funds

Here is a list of some general healthcare expenses that are qualified for FSA funds:

• Medical care that you receive from any legal medical practitioner, including physicians, surgeons, dentists, and other specialists.
• Medical equipment, medical supplies, and diagnostic devices needed for medical purposes (e.g. first aid supplies, oxygen therapy supplies, and blood sugar test kits)
• Prescription medications
• The cost of your health insurance premium (but not dental insurance)
• Transportation costs you incur traveling to and from medical care
• Long-term care services (and, in some cases, some of the costs of long-term care insurance)
• Over-the-counter medications, but only if you have a doctor's prescription (excluding insulin)

Here is a list of some common products that qualify as medical equipment and supplies:

• Thermometers
• Antiseptic
• Bandages
• First aid kits
• Blood pressure monitors
• Defibrillators
• Sunscreen
• Condoms
• Prenatal vitamins
• Adaptive mobility aids (e.g. shower chairs)
• Oxygen equipment and maintenance products

What You May NOT Purchase with FSA Funds

Here is a list of some general healthcare expenses that are NOT qualified for FSA funds:

• Any “general health” items that are not needed to treat or prevent a specific illness, disease, or medical condition
• Toothbrushes and over-the-counter dental products
• Over-the-counter medications without a prescription
• Fitness trackers and pedometers
• Gym memberships and exercise equipment
• CBD products and medical marijuana
• Cosmetic procedures
• Dental insurance premiums
• Feminine hygiene products
• Diapers
• Hair loss products
• Medicare alternative insurance premiums
• Medicare part B insurance

Here are a couple more great resources for figuring out what specific things you can and cannot buy with FSA funds:

• The FSA Store
• General list of eligible and non-eligible items from Wageworks

You CAN Buy Oxygen Equipment and Supplies with FSA Funds

Fortunately for people who use oxygen, you can use FSA funds to pay for medical equipment and supplies that are necessary for oxygen therapy. That includes the cost of oxygen and oxygen equipment used to “relieve breathing problems caused by a medical condition.”

In the following sections, we'll go into more detail about exactly what kinds of oxygen supplies and equipment count as qualified health expenses. We'll also show you how you can use your FSA to pay for pricier equipment that may be difficult to fund otherwise, such as a portable oxygen concentrator.

How to Use Up Your FSA Funds Before They Expire

You can get the most out of your FSA by thinking outside the box and considering all your different spending options. That's why it's important to understand your FSA's full potential, and that it can be used to cover much more than basic costs like co-pays and prescriptions.

If you use supplemental oxygen, you can use your FSA pay for all kinds of practical supplies to make your daily life easier. For example, you can use FSA funds to purchase a shower chair for your home or get that high-flow nasal cannula you've always wanted to try.

There is a wide variety of FSA-qualified oxygen therapy equipment, adaptive mobility aids, and other supplies you can choose from. You can use your FSA to pay for small equipment expenses and for more expensive devices like portable oxygen concentrators.

In the following sections, we're going to give you some ideas for how to use FSA funds on oxygen and mobility supplies that will actually make a difference in your life. From portable oxygen concentrators to mobility aids to luxury oxygen equipment, we'll show you a variety of practical items that can improve your quality of life.

Since the money in your FSA account disappears at the end of the year, you should think about how to use up the entire balance before that date comes. Luckily, there is a plethora of worthwhile things you can purchase with your FSA, many of which you might not have thought about before on your own.

You Can Buy a Portable Oxygen Concentrator

If you've ever considered buying a new or used portable oxygen concentrator but worried about the price, you can always fund the purchase through your FSA. It's a great way to use up extra FSA funds, and it's one of the most worthwhile investments that someone who uses supplemental oxygen can make.

A portable oxygen concentrator allows you to take oxygen with you anywhere you go, without having to handle any bulky equipment. They are some of the lightest, safest, and most hassle-free oxygen sources available, and having one can be life-changing in the best possible way.

A portable oxygen concentrator allows you to move freely without being tethered to a stationary oxygen concentrator or heavy oxygen tank. This allows you to take back some of the freedom you lose when you have to use supplemental oxygen.

Buying a portable oxygen concentrator is a long-term investment that is also immediately practical; it is something you can utilize both inside and outside your home every day. Portable concentrators are also durable, high-quality pieces of equipment that you can benefit from for many years to come.

There are many different types of oxygen concentrators available in a variety of sizes and with a range of useful features. To learn more about the best portable oxygen concentrators on the market, check out the following links:

• The best portable oxygen concentrators of 2018
• Top 4 continuous flow portable oxygen concentrators
• Top 4 pulse flow portable oxygen concentrators

How to Pay for a Portable Oxygen Concentrator with FSA Funds

Even if you don't have enough money in your FSA to pay the entire price of a portable oxygen concentrator, you can still use it to cover part of the cost. Whether you have $200 or $2,000 in your account, you can put as much of it as you like toward the balance and use another payment method for the rest.

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Here at Life Point Medical, we offer great financing options that can make it even easier to pay for a new or used portable oxygen concentrator with your FSA. You can cover the initial cost with the money in your account right now, and then pay for the rest over time with low monthly payments.

You Can Buy a Variety of Oxygen Equipment and Supplies

If you use oxygen for any reason, you can get the most out of your extra FSA funds by spending them on new oxygen supplies. There is a wide variety of FSA-qualified oxygen equipment and maintenance items that can make oxygen therapy more comfortable.

In general, you can use your FSA to pay for the following oxygen supplies:

• Oxygen concentrators and accessories, including:
• Battery packs and power cords
• Compressors
• Filters
• Oxygen equipment maintenance items, including:
• Cleansing wipes
• Disinfecting and deodorant sprays
• Oxygen delivery supplies, including:
• Nasal cannulae & oxygen masks
• Extension tubing
• Humidifier bottles
• Nebulizer equipment
• Hyperbaric oxygen therapy
• CPAP/BiPAP machines and accessories, including:
• CPAP machines
• CPAP headgear
• CPAP equipment cleaning supplies

Your FSA is also a great way to fund specialty oxygen equipment, which is often pricier than the standard equipment most oxygen suppliers offer. For example, you could use your FSA funds to buy more comfortable nasal cannulae or higher quality tubing supplies.

In general, you can use your FDA to pay for any oxygen therapy supplies that your insurance won't cover. To learn more about the many different types of nasal cannulae, oxygen masks, tubing, and more that you have to choose from, take a look at our guide on making oxygen therapy more comfortable.

There are many different kinds of specialty oxygen supplies you can buy that are designed to make oxygen therapy more comfortable and convenient. For now, here are a few ideas to get you started.

Examples of oxygen supplies that are eligible for FSA funds:

• High-flow nasal cannulae
• Nasal cannulae with soft tubing and comfort features
• A finger pulse oximeter to monitor your blood oxygen saturation
• Comfortable oxygen masks
• Replacement extension tubing
• Humidifier bottles that attach to your oxygen delivery equipment
• Sanitizing sprays and solutions for cleaning your oxygen equipment
• An extra battery for your portable oxygen concentrator
• Replacement filters for your portable or stationary oxygen concentrator
• CPAP/BiPAP masks

You can also purchase a variety of FSA-eligible oxygen and CPAP supplies from our online store. We offer a variety of different CPAP machines and accessories, portable oxygen concentrators, and other oxygen supplies.

You Can Buy a Variety of Qualified Mobility Aids

Living with a chronic condition that requires supplemental oxygen can be difficult. Many people who use oxygen suffer from breathlessness and other physical ailments that limit their mobility and interfere with daily activities.

The good news is that you can use your FSA to pay for many different types of adaptive equipment to make daily living easier. In general, adaptive mobility aids for bathing, dressing, and feeding all qualify for FSA funds.

In some cases, you might need to provide proof that your adaptive equipment is necessary. If proof is required, you will need to have your doctor write a letter of medical necessity (LMN) explaining why you need the equipment for your health and how it will improve your standard of living.

Here is a list of some common mobility aids and equipment you can purchase through your FSA:

• Shower chairs
• Shower grab bars
• Tub seats
• Bath transfers
• Dressing sticks and sock dressing aids
• Long-handled dressing tools (e.g. shoe horn, zipper pull, button hook)
• Grabbers
• Toilet modifications
• Adapted dishware and utensils for eating
• Mobility scooters (with a LMN)

Despite the fact that COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in America, it is, unfortunately, a condition that the average person knows next to nothing about. Many people have never even heard of COPD, let alone how it's caused or how common, serious, and deadly it can be.

Among the uninformed are thousands of at-risk people who will develop the disease later in life, people who don't have the knowledge to recognize the symptoms or get treatment when they appear. In fact, many people who are diagnosed with COPD never even knew the disease existed before their doctors gave them the news.

These are tragic situations that often lead to delayed diagnosis, misdiagnosis, and missed opportunities to slow the disease progression while it's still in the early stages. However, it doesn't have to be this way; there are many ways to raise public education and awareness so fewer people are blindsided and left vulnerable to the disease.

This is one of the primary goals of COPD advocates, who work hard to make the disease better-known in the media and in public discourse in general. However, COPD advocates do much more than just bring attention to the cause; they play a valuable role in supporting COPD research, political activism, and providing tangible support services to patients and families of patients with COPD.

In this post, we're going to talk more about what COPD advocacy looks like and what it means both for public health and for people with COPD. We'll introduce you to some of the biggest players in the COPD nonprofit and advocacy community, take a look at their most valuable contributions, and discuss a variety of different ways that you can get involved.

We believe that every person should have the knowledge they need to keep their lungs healthy, and that every person with COPD should have access to accurate information, adequate health care, and a compassionate network of support. In order to bring this vision to reality, it requires the effort of hundreds of volunteers, career advocates, and people like you working together to bring positive change at the local level and on the national stage.

Why COPD Advocacy Matters

Unlike more high-profile health conditions (e.g. cancer or heart disease), COPD isn't something you hear about often in the news or casual conversation. As a result, most people don't know much of anything about COPD unless they've encountered it in their personal life, which usually doesn't happen until they, or a loved one, is diagnosed with the disease.

This relegates millions of people who are living with COPD—including more than 16 million Americans who have the disease—to obscurity. That is a massive number of people that equates to six percent of the US population and continues to grow every year, albeit slower now than the rapid 50% increase it saw over the past two decades.

COPD is too important an issue to leave on the outskirts of public discourse, and lack of public awareness has consequences not only for those with COPD, but also for public health in general. Let's take a look at some of the main reasons why we need COPD advocates to raise awareness and work for the interests of people affected by the disease.

Lack of Funding Limits COPD Services & Stunts Research

COPD is an underfunded disease in both the private and public sectors, in part due to lack of public attention and concern. Hospitals and treatment centers just don't have enough funds to put toward educational resources, support services, and affordable treatment options for people with COPD.

As a result, many people with COPD—and their families—struggle because they don't have access to adequate information, treatment and other forms of healthcare support. Advocates help by bringing volunteers, donors, and public resources to their aid, and promoting more and better facilities to accommodate the large number of people who have the disease.

Public awareness can also have an effect on medical research, since researchers often find it easier to secure funding for topics that have public appeal. On the other hand, it can be more difficult to get financial and academic support for studies on diseases like COPD which are less likely to show up on the public's radar.

Lack of Representation Excludes People with COPD from Public Discourse

Another problem with lack of public awareness is that people with COPD tend to be left out of important conversations regarding public health policies and priorities that affect them. This includes discussions about health insurance coverage, medicare reform, disability accommodations, and more.

After all, it's no surprise that those with the authority to allocate funds and resources are hesitant to prioritize the needs of people with a disease that is, from a public awareness standpoint, relatively obscure. As a result, there is a lack of public resources, support, information to help people struggling with COPD and the devastating hardships it causes.

Lack of Public Health Knowledge Puts More People at Risk for COPD

Many people who will develop COPD later in life don't yet know that they are at risk for the disease. This is why public education is so important; it can show people how to recognize early COPD symptoms and risk factors, allowing them to get earlier and more accurate diagnoses.

Public awareness also plays a huge role in COPD prevention, since people are much more likely to take precautions to avoid a disease that they recognize and understand. The more people know about COPD, the more likely they are to make healthier choices that, overall, could significantly reduce the prevalence of this highly avoidable disease.

This is why COPD advocacy is so important; capturing people's attention is a necessary step toward getting COPD and COPD-related issues on the public's agenda. Public awareness is also key for COPD prevention and diagnosis, especially since it is a notoriously under-diagnosed and misdiagnosed disease.

So, in summary, here are some of the main reasons why COPD advocacy matters:

• It helps raise funds for a variety of COPD causes, including research, education, and treatment services.
• It gives people with COPD access to direct support from activists and organizations that offer understanding and compassion along with a variety of practical services.
• It helps connect people with COPD (and their families) to resources and programs that can help them, including treatment centers, healthcare assistance, informational materials, support groups, financial aid, and more.
• It helps to dispel common misunderstandings and misconceptions about COPD and about people who have the disease.
• It promotes public support and understanding for people with COPD, helping them feel less isolated and invisible.
• It can help people better recognize COPD symptoms so they can get earlier and more accurate diagnoses.
• It can help the general public better understand how to prevent COPD, thereby reducng the number of people who develop the disease later in life.

Who Advocates for COPD, and What Do They Actually Do?

Like most grassroots initiatives, the cause of COPD advocacy is led by a collection of loosely-associated non-profit organizations, volunteers, and activist groups. As we've touched on already, these advocates are devoted to advancing a variety of different objectives aimed at improving the lives of COPD patients and reducing the prevalence of the disease.

These include wide-reaching goals like improving public health education, furthering COPD research and prevention efforts, and increasing patients' access to much-needed treatments and support services. Many COPD and lung-health activists also turn their efforts toward clean air initiatives, working to shape public policy and promote community efforts to curb air pollution, tobacco smoking, and other public hazards that contribute to COPD.

In service toward these efforts, activists work in many different places and circumstances. Some work behind the scenes in planning, outreach, coordination, and administrative roles; others work out on the field, directly interacting with COPD patients and their families, as well as doctors, researchers, health authorities, policy-makers, and more.

Specific activities and campaigns vary among activist groups, and range from designing public media campaigns to running call centers that provide advice and direction to people with COPD and other lung diseases. Others include lobbying legislators and policymakers in the name of COPD-related interests, or raising funds to donate to research and practical services for people with COPD.

For all these reasons and more, COPD advocates' play an important role in advancing the interests of COPD patients and improving public health. Next, lets take a closer look at some of the leading COPD advocacy groups to learn more about what they do and what kinds of services they offer for people with COPD.

The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD)

The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease, or GOLD for short, is an organization that has been advocating for people with COPD for more than twenty years. It was established in 1997 in collaboration with other well-respected health organizations, including the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and US National Institutes of Health.

The organization's main work revolves around COPD prevention and treatment, particularly the research and development of better standards for COPD diagnosis and better strategies for managing the disease at different stages. Toward this end, GOLD has published numerous evidence-based guidelines—developed by committees made up of leading science experts—outlining the “best” ways to diagnose and and treat COPD in clinical practice.

The most important of these contributions is GOLD's Global Strategy for Prevention, Diagnosis, and Management of COPD. This freely-available document, of which GOLD releases an updated version every year, includes up-to-date research and detailed clinical guidelines for COPD treatment that are used by doctors and healthcare professionals all across the world.

Another major initiative spearheaded by GOLD is World COPD Day, which was created as a means to spread awareness about COPD and the resources that are available to help patients and healthcare workers alike. GOLD uses this day as an opportunity to disseminate helpful educational materials and host public events catering to anyone who wants to learn more about getting involved in the effort to “reduce the burden of COPD.”

The COPD Foundation

The COPD Foundation is a nonprofit organization that works to better the lives of people with COPD through initiatives that further COPD research, education, awareness, and expanded services for people with COPD. It does this primarily by providing a variety of educational resources for COPD patients and caregivers on their website, and by establishing programs that directly serve people who are affected by COPD.

According to their website, the organization is dedicated to the following main missions:

• Working for better and more affordable COPD treatments
• Supporting initiatives for expanded COPD services
• Improving the lives of people with COPD through research, education, and awareness
• Supporting initiatives to prevent COPD and slow the progression of the disease

One of the major services offered by the COPD foundation a large online social network called COPD360Social. This community is provides supportive environment for patients, families, and caregivers to connect and share stories, information, advice, and encourage one another online.

Another service offered by the COPD foundation is a mobile application called the COPD Pocket Consultant Guide, which contains a variety of helpful tools for both COPD patients and healthcare providers. It includes educational materials like instructional videos for using inhalers and interactive features like an exercise tracker, medication calendar, and a COPD action plan manager to help you keep track of important aspects of COPD management.

The COPD foundation is also involved in political activism, particularly in promoting public policies that support the following objectives: more affordable COPD healthcare, better access to routine COPD care, better regulation of medical devices and medication, and improved public health in the form of better education, tobacco control, and clean air initiatives.

The nonprofit foundation also publishes original research in its own scientific journal titled Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Journal of the COPD Foundation. Additional services they offer include professional development resources for healthcare workers, an educational video series for patients, and a large repository of educational guides full of practical information and advice for COPD patients and caregivers.

How to Get Involved

The COPD foundation runs a sophisticated network of volunteers that are divided into groups that focus on specific areas of COPD advocacy. They include community leaders (State Captains), public ambassadors (Community Connectors), political advocates (Policy Champions), fundraisers (Resource Champions), and more.

If you'd like to volunteer to help the COPD foundation, you can sign up online through their website. If you think you have what it takes to take on a more involved leadership role, you can also apply to be a State Captain to coordinate volunteers groups and activities in your community.

You can also visit the COPD Foundation's COPD Action Center, which makes it simple to get involved in current political initiatives related to COPD and makes contacting your representatives a breeze. The action center's “Find Politicians” service find your finds your representatives' contact information for you, and their action alerts include sample scripts you can follow when writing your email or making a call.

The American Lung Association

Founded in 1904, The American lung association is one of the longest-lived nonprofit organizations advocating for people lung diseases like COPD. Their main objective is to promote “healthy lungs and healthy air” through public education, research, and political activism.

The American Lung Association works with a variety of different groups, including scientists, healthcare professionals, policy experts, and local activists to advocate for cleaner air, tobacco control, increased public awareness about lung health issues, and more extensive support for people affected by lung diseases. They enact this work on both the local and national level through a wide network of associations spread all across the US.

These groups provide community awareness and education and organize in-person support groups for people with COPD and other lung diseases. They also do a good deal of local activism, working to support policies and initiatives addressing the issues and priorities that matter the most to their respective communities.

In Colorado, for example, the American Lung Association coordinates two Clean Cities Coalitions dedicated to reducing air pollution—and particularly automobile emissions—throughout the state. These coalitions drive meaningful projects like the Driving Change program, which helps large employers switch from fossil-fuel powered vehicles to less-polluting electric and hybrid versions

The American Lung Association also furthers COPD and lung disease research by conducting original studies and providing grants and financial awards to outside research groups. They also run an Epidemiology and Statistics Unit, which monitors and reports on important lung disease trends, including morbidity and mortality in COPD.

How to Get Involved

If you're interested in working as an advocate for the American Lung Association, you can sign up to volunteer on their website. You can also find out about local initiatives they're running in your state by visiting their “In Your Community” page.

Volunteer opportunities include things like staffing special events, conducting local community advocacy, and coordinating support groups for people with COPD (Better Breathers Clubs). If you have the right skills, you can also volunteer to serve on one of their expert advisory committees or teach a class for their Open Airways for Schools or Tobacco Education programs.

You can also join the American Lung Association's Lung Action Network, an email notification system that alerts you when there is an opportunity to contact your elected representatives about important policy issues related to COPD and other lung diseases. They also provide a repository of “tweetable facts” and recommended hashtags that you can use to raise COPD awareness within your own social network.

If you or a loved one has had a personal experience with COPD, you can also help the American Lung Association by sharing your story through their online submission form. This allows the organization to share your story with others via their newsletters and social media posts as a way to improve public awareness and spread hope within the lung disease community.

Other COPD Advocacy Groups and Resources

You don't have to be part of a large or established national organization in order to be an advocate for COPD. The major national organizations we've outlined above make up only a small part of the large network of activists and advocacy groups that work toward COPD-related causes.

To learn more about some of these other organizations you can check out the list below, or you can find a more comprehensive list from the COPD Foundation here.

Here are some additional groups and organizations that advocate for people with COPD:

• The COPD National Action Plan
• The Pulmonary Education and Research Foundation
• The Emphysema Foundation For Our Right to Survive
• The American Association for Respiratory Care
• The US COPD Coalition
• The Respiratory Health Association's COPD Advocacy Group

Additionally, there are many small, locally-focused advocacy groups operating out of hospitals, homes, and nonprofit offices all across the US. But even if you don't have an organized group in your area to work with, there are still other ways to help out your COPD local community (which we'll discuss more in the following sections).

How to Get Involved with COPD Advocacy

All the COPD organizations and initiatives and organizations we've mentioned wouldn't exist without the hard work and dedication of their staff and volunteers. It takes real people and real voices to keep the cause alive, and the more helping hands they are, the better.

Luckily, it's easy to join the cause for COPD advocacy, whether you're interested in volunteering your time, supporting a specific organization, or simply lending your voice to the cause. If you're ready to get started, continue reading to learn more about some easy ways to get involved.

Volunteer for a Nonprofit Group

Many nonprofits are constantly in need of volunteers to help with various campaigns and activities. Volunteer duties can range from things like collecting donations and staffing events to lobbying citizens and legislators for clean air reform.

Getting involved is usually pretty simple; most COPD organizations have information for prospective volunteers right on their website, making it easy to see what kind of help they need. Some even have online forms you can fill out to request more information or apply to be a volunteer.

Donate to a Worthwhile Cause

Many nonprofit and research organizations are funded in part through charitable donations. These donations help pay for all kinds of necessary costs, including staff, supplies, education campaigns, policy initiatives, research, patient services, and funding for any other activities they do.

Before you contribute, however, make sure you do some basic research on the group who will receive your donation to make sure your money is going to a trustworthy cause. Beware of misleading or fraudulent organizations that ask for money under the guise of a legitimate nonprofit or research organization.

Help Spread the Word

While volunteering and giving financial contributions are great, you can be a COPD advocate without having to dig into your wallet or your free time. Instead, you can help out simply by spreading the word about COPD and worthwhile COPD causes.

One way to do this is by supporting COPD advocacy organizations and lung health groups on social media. Simply interacting with their posts and profiles through follows, likes, and comments can help extend their infl

Being a COPD caregiver is no simple or straightforward task; it requires empathy, endurance, compassion, and creativity to fulfill the many different roles and responsibilities that the job requires. It often demands a great deal of time and self-sacrifice, while also requiring a seemly endless well of energy and patience.

This can be a heavy burden for caregivers to bear day after day, causing frustration, exhaustion, and emotional strain. As a result, many caregivers find themselves in disarray, feeling so drained and overwhelmed that they neglect their own personal needs.

This kind of burnout is detrimental to your health and well-being, and adds unnecessary suffering to an already difficult task. It can also lead to negative psychological changes—like reduced patience and poor concentration—that could affect your caregiving abilities, too.

Because of this, part of being a COPD caregiver is learning how to cope with the physical and emotional burdens of the job without draining yourself in the process. However, that's easier said than done, especially if you have a very dependent loved one or patient who needs full-time care.

It's easy to get so bogged down by worry, stress, or the weight of caregiver responsibilities that your own needs fall by the wayside. But when you put so much of your time and energy into caring for someone else, it's important to remember to care for yourself, too.

That's why we created this guide specifically to help caregivers of people with COPD find better ways to cope, stay healthy, and practice effective self-care. Inside, you'll find a variety of useful strategies for improving your own well-being, including tips for reducing stress, finding sources of support, and finding time for yourself in-between demanding caregiving tasks.

Utilizing these and the other techniques in this guide can help you stay you afloat when you feel overwhelmed and help you keep up the strength to face whatever challenges come your way. When you have the means to keep your head above water, you'll find that the hardships of being a COPD caregiver are much easier to bear.

The Sacrifice that Comes With Giving Care

Some COPD caregivers are professionals who are hired either full-time or part-time to provide care to a COPD patient (usually) in their home; these are known as “formal” caregivers. In most cases, however, people with COPD are taken care of at home by their loved ones, which are known as “informal” caregivers.

In fact, most caregivers are close family members and spouses who make huge sacrifices to be a caregiver out of necessity, compassion, or love. Some caregivers even have to leave their families, jobs, and normal lives behind in order to to be able to move in with their sick loved one and take care of them full time.

That's because taking care of someone with COPD can be a very demanding job, requiring long hours and a great deal of flexibility. A COPD caregiver never knows when they'll need to rush their patient to the hospital or provide extra care during a symptom flare-up.

In many cases, being a caregiver requires you to take on a wide variety of responsibilities that go far beyond basic care. People with advanced COPD, in particular, sometimes need intensive, full-time assistance with all the major aspects of daily life.

Here are some of the common responsibilities that come along with being a COPD caregiver:

• Providing Basic Medical Care:
• Administering COPD medications
• Sanitizing and preparing medical equipment (e.g. oxygen delivery equipment)
• Assisting with COPD treatments like breathing exercises, chest percussion, etc.
• Assisting with exercise, walking, and other physical activities
• Responding to emergencies
• Coordinating and keeping track of all aspects of COPD treatment
• Providing overnight care
• Facilitating Professional Medical Care
• Transportation to and from appointments
• Attending doctor's visits
• Advocating for their patient
• Managing medical bills and hospital visits
• Working on health insurance claims and negotiating with agents
• General Home Care
• Shopping
• Preparing meals
• Bathing and dressing
• General housekeeping responsibilities
• Providing emotional support

To learn more about what it takes to be a caretaker for someone with COPD, you can find more tips and information in this guide: How to be a Helpful Caregiver for Someone with COPD.

Being a Caregiver Can Take a Huge Toll

Being a full-time caregiver, in particular, comes with an unimaginably large weight of responsibility that can be difficult to bear. It requires a great deal of self-sacrifice and the willingness to spend day after day putting the needs of someone else first.

The physical toll of being a COPD caregiver can be huge; the responsibilities are time-consuming, ever-persistent, and sometimes physically demanding. Because of this, many caregivers fall behind on important health-related activities and suffer from poor sleep, poor diet, and lack of exercise.

Being a caregiver for a loved one with COPD can also be a very heavy mental and emotional burden. It often requires you to give empathy and compassion while putting your own worries and feelings aside, which takes a substantial amount of mental effort to keep up over time.

What's more, it can be heartbreaking to see someone you love fighting a chronic disease that causes so much suffering, physical limitation, and pain. It can be almost unbearable to watch a loved one's physical decline from a distance, but it's even harder when you're by their side every day as they struggle more and more to breathe.

Because of all these things and more, it's no wonder that COPD caregivers are vulnerable to burnout, exhaustion, depression, and a variety of other physical and psychological symptoms. In fact, the toll is so significant that it's caught the attention of researchers who have conducted extensive studies on the effects of being a caregiver for someone with COPD.

For example, one large study of 461,884 informal COPD caregivers found that suffered a wide range of problems that were directly related to their caregiver responsibilities:

• 35% had a health-related problem
• 83% had problems with their social lives and leisure time
• 38% of working-age caregivers experienced problem with their jobs or careers

Other studies have identified some more specific physical and mental impacts that caring for someone with COPD can have:

• Physical Health and Lifestyle Impacts:
• Loss of freedom
• Social isolation
• Sleep disturbance
• Fatigue
• Relationship difficulties
• Loss of intimacy

• Mental health Impacts
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Powerlessness
• Resentment
• Guilt
• Uncertainty and confusion
• General psychological distress

These difficulties for caregivers only increase with the severity of their loved one's or patients' COPD, as patients with more advanced symptoms require more care. And because COPD is a degenerative disease, people with COPD inevitably become more dependent over time, adding even more weight to the physical and mental burdens that their caregivers must bear.

Other studies have looked at some of the general needs that caregivers have with regards to their caregiver role and the hardships it brings. These studies reinforce the idea that COPD caregivers face some specific challenges that other types of caregivers do not, due to the prolonged, degenerative and unpredictable nature of COPD.

For example, COPD exacerbations are inevitable for people living with the disease, and the threat of symptom flare-ups—which can be life-threatening in serious cases—constantly looms overhead. This can cause a great deal of worry and stress for caregivers, who must always be prepared for sudden changes in their patient's or loved one's condition.

Of course, being a caregiver is about much more than just sickness and hardship and suffering—it can also be meaningful, rewarding, and a powerful act of love. Caregiving can also be an opportunity for personal development and bonding, and can even bring families closer together.

Even so, getting through the difficult parts of caring for someone with COPD isn't an easy or simple task. That's why you need a variety of personal coping strategies and sources of outside support that you can lean on when things get tough.

Coping Strategies for Caregivers

Taking care of someone with a chronic disease can be both physically exhausting and mentally draining. This is especially true if you are a full-time or primary caregiver for a loved one with COPD.

If you're not careful, you can easily get burned out or overwhelmed, which isn't good for you or the person for whom you are responsible for caring. That's why it's so important to keep sight of your own well-being and find strategies to help you balance your own needs with your care-giving responsibilities.

In the following sections, we offer some practical strategies that can help you keep strong through hardships and avoid falling into the common slump of burnout and fatigue. That way, you can keep yourself healthy and sane while continuing to be the best caregiver you can be.

Know the Signs of Burnout

The best way to avoid getting burned out and fatigued is to recognize the early warning signs. For example, you might be on the road to burnout if you notice you're feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, or struggling more than usual to cope with stress.

Here are some common signs of burnout you should watch out for:

• Feelings of dread or disillusionment regarding your work and responsibilities
• Chronic stress or anxiety
• Isolation
• Poor performance and/or productivity (in work and other responsibilities)
• Poor sleep and/or fatigue
• Intestinal issues or poor appetite
• Excessive cynicism and/or irritability (both on the job or in other aspects of life)
• Changes in appetite
• Body aches and pains
• Increased irritability, impatience, or being quick to anger
• Lack of interest in activities and recreation
• Use of drugs, alcohol, or other unhealthy habits as a coping mechanism

Burnout isn't good for you or the person you are caring for, so you should take these symptoms seriously when they occur. Don't brush them off until they gets so bad you can no longer ignore them; instead, take action to improve your situation before it gets out of hand.

As soon as you begin to feel your emotional fortitude or energy stores waning, it's time to take a step back and figure out what to do. The first step is to identify what the problem is, or what in your life you are missing: Are you doing too much? Are you losing sleep? Are you having trouble managing anxiety or stress?

Once you've defined the problem, solving it is a matter of finding some viable strategies to give yourself what you need. For example, you can improve poor health habits by figuring out how to make a bit more time in your day for self-care. If your trouble is coping with anxiety or stress, you could address it by seeking mental health counseling or participating in a caregiver support group.

You can find many other helpful ideas and solutions in this guide and in the many caregiver resources linked throughout. It may take some time to find a good set of strategies that fits into your daily routine, but the sooner you start searching and trying, the sooner you can find a balance and begin to see results.

Don't Underestimate Self Care

It's easy to get so sucked into your role as a caregiver that you start to neglect other aspects of your life. Because of this, it's important to pay attention to your own needs as well as those of your loved one or patient, and to develop a personal set of strategies for self-care.

Self-care is a broad term that can apply to just about any activity you do in the pursuit of your own health and well-being. In fact, pretty much all of the tips and strategies in this guide can be considered a form of self care.

A good self-care strategy is varied, balanced, and helps you work toward a more fulfilling and well-rounded life. You should aim to find activities that address both your physical and mental needs, in a way that helps you both maintain and improve your quality of life.

To illustrate what self-care looks like, we've provided several examples of common self-care categories below. However, these examples are far from exhaustive; self care can (and should) reach into many other categories and aspects of life that are not mentioned in this list.

Some Basic Examples of Self-Care:

• Physical Self-Care: These are activities that help you improve your physical well-being, such as exercise, healthy sleeping habits, healthy eating habits, etc. For example, setting aside time to exercise and cook healthy meals ,or staying home from work when you are sick, are both forms of physical self care.
• Emotional Self-Care: These include activities that help you manage and cope with emotions, such as relaxation exercises, emotional expression, and practicing psychological coping mechanisms. For example, taking time to journal and express your thoughts every day is a form of emotional self-care.
• Social Self-Care: This includes activities that help you connect with other people, such as keeping in touch with friends, attending social events, and nurturing both new and existing relationships. For example, scheduling some time to call and chat with a friend once a week is an example of social self-care.
• Spiritual Self-Care: This type of self care helps you find meaning and connect with your personal values and beliefs. It can include things like practicing religion, exploring your spirituality, and finding meaning in the natural world. For example, practicing mindfulness meditation or participating in a religious ceremony are examples of spiritual self care.

Don't be afraid to get creative; there is no right or wrong way to do self care as long as it helps you take care of your needs. Once you find some strategies that seem helpful and appealing to you, write them down somewhere you can find them later. That way, you'll always have your own personal self-care toolkit to reference whenever you need.

However, coming up with the strategies is the easy part; often, it's making time to actually do your self-care activities that proves most difficult. Luckily, a little creativity and flexibility can go a long way toward helping you find ways to work some self-care into your daily routine.

You can find more self-care tips and suggestions throughout this guide, and in other posts in our Respiratory Resource Center blog. You can also find a variety of ideas and examples of self-care activities from other online resources, including the ones below:

• Self-Care for the COPD Caregiver
• Taking Care of YOU: Self-Care for Family Caregivers
• Developing a Self Care Plan from ReachOut Schools

Take Advantage of Small Chunks of Time

When you're a full-time caregiver, making time for yourself can be a daunting challenge. The idea of finding time for self care and relaxation might even create more stress if you feel it's too difficult or impossible to do.

However, it's almost always possible to dig up at least a little extra time that you can use to focus on yourself. Even if all you have is a few minutes here and there, teasing them out, seizing them, and using that time wisely can make a difference in your day.

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It might help if you break down self-care activities into smaller chunks that you can slip in to smaller time slots throughout the day You could, for example, take a few minutes of quiet between caregiving tasks to read, meditate, journal, or just sit down and unwind.

For hobbies and self-care activities that take longer, you may need dedicated some larger stretches of time. Finding those hours might require more careful planning and prioritization, but remember: you are worth every bit of time and effort you put into taking care of yourself.

Make Yourself a Priority

Unless you specifically make an effort to practice self care and prioritize your own well-being, chances are that you'll fall behind. When caring for someone else absorbs so much of your time, it's just too easy put off your own needs and neglect self care.

In order to avoid this, it's important to make yourself and your self care a priority. That means truly valuing yourself and your well-being—not just mentally or theoretically, but showing it with your actions and how you plan your days.

It means showing yourself compassion, and recognizing that you deserve take care of yourself. It means believing you deserve the time to focus on your physical and mental needs, and believing you deserve the time to do things that make you feel happy and well.

Looking after yourself shouldn't be optional, and you should treat your own self-care like any other non-negotiable activity in your life. This is the true first step to successfully putting any of the strategies in this guide into practice; without it, you might never get around to using them in the first place.

Take a Break

All caregivers, even (and especially!) full-time caregivers, both need and deserve occasional breaks. In fact, taking some time off to recharge is not only good for you, but, in the long run, it can also help you be a better caregiver overall.

Unfortunately, many caregivers feel such a weight of responsibility that they feel selfish or even neglectful for spending any time away. However, if you don't get a break from that responsibility every so often, at least, you are bound to end up burned out and fatigued.

Of course, taking time off isn't always simple; in many cases, you will need to arrange for someone else to care for your patient's while you're gone. However, with a little planning, creativity, and delegation (which we'll discuss more in a later section), you're bound to be able to find another person to work in your stead.

Even if you can't get a full day off, it can be extremely refreshing just to get an afternoon or evening away. When you do, try to make the best of the time by focusing on you, letting go of any feelings of worry, stress, or responsibility for awhile.

Remember that taking some time for yourself is a necessity for your own health, and it isn't the same as abandoning your loved one or your duties. You deserve the opportunity to take care of yourself, and your loved one deserves a caregiver who isn't too burned out and exhausted to give them the care they need.

Practice Relaxation Techniques

Being a COPD caregiver often comes with a lot of stress and emotional strain. If you don't have strategies you can use to wind down, relax, and relieve that stress, it can take a huge toll on your health and well-being over time.

That's where relaxation techniques come in; they have long been the go-to recommendation from doctors and mental health professionals for coping with anxiety, stress, and other negative emotions. What's more, many relaxation techniques are quick and simple to learn, perfect for working into a busy caregiver routine.

Relaxations activities are designed to help you relax, clear your mind, and separate yourself from worries and stress. Many focus on utilizing the mind-body connection, a scientifically-supported concept regarding the ability of your mind to influence your body, and your body to influence your mind.

For example, when you feel stressed, it can cause physical reactions like muscle tension or altered immune system function. These physical effects, in turn, send signals to your brain that reinforce stress and other negative feelings. This creates a negative cycle of both physical and mental stress, but this cycle can be mitigated and interrupted by relaxation techniques and mind-body exercises.

Taking the time to focus on mental and physical relaxation can interrupt the downward spiral of stress and help you find relief. It can also give you a much-needed break from the worry, sadness, and grief that often comes with caring for someone with serious chronic disease.

Here are some examples of quick relaxation exercises you can do in 10 minutes or less:

• Practice mindfulness meditation (you can follow along with several free guided meditation sessions here)
• Do some deep breathing exercises
• Practice progressive muscle relaxation
• Do a body scan
• Take a few minutes to stretch your body and loosen up your muscles

Here are some examples of relaxation exercises that you can do in 30 minutes or less:

• Mind-body exercises like yoga or Tai Chi
• Do a longer mindfulness meditation session
• Take a 15-30 minute walk

There are many other activities that can help you relax and let go of stress, such as reading, taking a hot bath, or spending time in nature. Take some time to explore what does and doesn't work for you, and don't forget to use them in times of emotional distress!

Seek Help for Mental Health Problems

The stress and strain of being a COPD caregiver can lead to some serious emotional and psychological symptoms that you shouldn't ignore. In fact, it's quite common for caregivers to struggle with anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses that can take a serious toll.

These mental struggles are natural and understandable, and it's okay if you're not able to able to manage them on your own. That's what counselors and psychiatrists are there for: to provide the help and support you need to regulate your emotions and develop healthy strategies for coping with whatever psychological difficulties that life and caregiving throws your way.

Give Yourself Some Credit

As a caregiver, it's easy to get so focused on the things you need to do or should be doing that you never think about how much you've already achieved. However, you shouldn't forget that you are providing a vital, admirable service that makes a huge difference in your patient or loved one's life.

People with COPD often regard their caregivers as heroes and saviors, people they (sometimes quite literally) could not live without. So give yourself some credit, and pause for a moment every so often to appreciate all the sacrifices and accomplishments you've made.

Whenever you start to feel frustrated, discouraged, or helpless—as many COPD caregivers do at times— take the time to reflect on your efforts and achievements, and remind yourself of all the good you've done so far. Doing this can help you cope better with stress and guilt, and help you keep a positive spirit when the daily strain of work and worry begins to beat you down.

How to Get Support

The burden of being a COPD caregivers is not something that anyone should have to cope with completely on their own. That's why it's important to find sources of support you can reach out to when needed, whether it's a dedicated caregiver support group, counseling, or simply a fun group activity to help you get away from the stress.

Join a COPD Caregiver Support Group

Many caregivers find that their family and friends struggle to understand what they're going through, which makes it difficult for them to provide the kind of support a caregiver needs. As a result, many caregivers end up feeling isolated and misunderstood.

That's why it's important to get support from other caregivers—people who can relate to what you are going through and understand what it's like to care for someone else with a chronic disease. You need people with whom you can share your worries, experiences, and stories, and receive personalized advice and support.

Luckily, there are a variety of different support groups specifically for COPD caregivers that offer all of these things and more. Many of these groups are remote and based online, but some places have local caregiver support groups that meet in person, too.

You might be able to find a caregiver support group in your area if you ask around your local hospitals, rehab centers, faith communities, and other organizations theat deal with healthcare, COPD and age-related diseases. You might also find more information on local groups through area-specific online forums and bulletin boards (e.g. Craigslist or Nextdoor) or via online searching tools.

Online support groups come in a variety of different formats, including:

• Phone-based support
• Online forums and chat rooms that host support sessions at specific dates and times
• Less-structured support communities that operate similarly to other social networks.

Several online support groups are run by COPD and respiratory disease advocacy organizations, such as the American Lung Association. Here are some links to some online support groups and communities for COPD caregivers and caregivers in general:

• COPD 360 Social is a large online community that is open to anyone affected by COPD, including COPD caregivers and people with the disease. You can participate in the group by following the activity feed, asking and answering questions, read the latest posts from the COPD digest, and more.
• COPD-Support offers a range of services for both COPD patients and caregivers, including an online forum (with board dedicated specifically to caregivers) and a community-driven email list.

Breathing exercises are an important part of COPD treatment, and experts recommend doing them regularly to keep your breathing muscles strong. They can also help you recover some of the breathing strength and function you lose after an illness or exacerbation weakens your lungs.



Unfortunately, practicing these techniques every day can be tedious, and it's easy to fall behind. It doesn't help that the benefits are usually subtle, and that they tend to happen so gradually that you might not notice them at all.


However, breathing exercises do help, which is why you can find special tools, known as incentive spirometers, to help you do them better. These devices are designed measure your breaths and give help you hone your breathing technique


Incentive spirometers give you real-time feedback as you breathe, allowing you to see and track your results in a way that's just not possible with unstructured breathing exercises. This can help motivate you to practice and strive for better results, whether you use it as part of your regular COPD treatment regimen or means to recover from a COPD exacerbation.


If you are interested in learning more about incentive spirometers and how they can help your lungs, then this post is for you. In the following sections, we'll explain everything you need to know about incentive spirometers and COPD, including what they are, how they work, and how to use them by following a simple step-by-step guide.


What is An Incentive Spirometer?








An incentive spirometer is a simple measurement and feedback device that can help you improve your breathing strength and ability over time. It does this by helping you practice taking long, slow, deep breaths (known in medical jargon as sustained maximal inspirations), and training you how to sustain those deep breaths for longer.


It's essentially a kind of lung exercise and recovery aid for people who struggle to breathe properly. That includes people suffering from lung injuries caused by surgery or pneumonia, and people with chronic lung diseases like asthma and COPD.


What an incentive spirometer essentially does is measure the speed and volume of the air that you inhale. It also has a simple visual mechanism that shows you exactly how quickly and deeply you are breathing in real time while you use it.


Using an incentive spirometer every day can help you strengthen your breathing muscles and improve how well your lungs function. It can increase lung capacity, reduce shortness of breath, and generally make it easier to breathe.


Incentive spirometers are particularly helpful for those who are recovering from a short-term illness like a lung infection or COPD exacerbation. These conditions often cause temporary lung function loss that can be recovered with treatment and time.


However, incentive spirometers do not necessarily work for everyone, and it's important to talk to your doctor if you are considering using one. Whether or not an incentive spirometer is right for you might depend on a variety of factors, including your specific respiratory condition, the severity of your symptoms, and the likelihood that your lung function can improve.


How Does an Incentive Spirometer Work?


There is more than one kind of incentive spirometer, but each type works in a very similar way. To help you get a better general idea of how they work, let's take a look at one of the most common incentive spirometer designs.


This type of incentive spirometer is a hand-held device made up of a handle and a mouthpiece attached to two differently-sized, clear plastic tubes. The large tube measures the volume of air you breathe in, while the smaller tube measures the air speed.









Each tube contains a movable plastic piece, called a “float,” that slides up and down as you breathe. Different spirometers have different types of floats; some look like balls, some look like small cylinders, and some have a flat, puck-like shape.


When you you inhale through the incentive spirometer, it creates an air current that blows the floats in each tube upward. How much they move depends on how fast and how deeply you inhale.


The purpose of these floats is to give you valuable visual feedback about your deep breathing technique so you can see your results and improvements. This helps you learn how to control your breathing better, and can also serve as incentive to practice and work toward better results. 


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For the larger tube, your goal is to push the puck up as high as possible by taking in deeper breaths. The markings on the side of the tube indicate how much air (in volume) you inhale.


If you or your doctor wants to set a specific volume goal, you can do this by marking a specific point along this volume measurement tube. Then, you can use that point as a benchmark to measure your progress and to motivate you to push the float up to or beyond that personal goal.


The float in the smaller tube works differently; instead of trying to push it up as high as it will go, your goal is to keep the float within a certain middle range. You can do this by controlling the speed and steadiness of your breath: the faster you breathe in, the higher the float will go.




What are the Benefits of Using an Incentive Spirometer?


If you have COPD, then using an incentive spirometer has many of the same benefits as regular COPD breathing techniques and other inspiratory muscle training exercises. However, incentive spirometers specifically focus on honing deep breathing skills, which are particularly helpful for combating shallow breathing patterns that worsen shortness of breath.


When you practice with an incentive spirometer, you are essentially training your lungs to take longer and deeper breaths. This helps to increase your lung capacity—or how much air you can breathe in to your lungs at one time—which helps your lungs work more efficiently.








Practicing with an incentive spirometer also helps you exercise specific muscles in your abdomen and chest that you use to breathe. Making these muscles stronger not only makes it easier to breathe, but can also reduce chest muscle tightness, chest pain, and fatigue.


This is an important benefit for people with COPD, who experience shortness of breath at least in part due to respiratory muscle fatigue. Tired breathing muscles can trigger quick, shallow breathing which technically requires less effort, but is also less effective at getting you the oxygen you need.


Using an incentive spirometer can help you correct this breathing pattern by helping you build up the strength and skill you need to breathe more deeply instead. It also allows you to see your improvements over time and measure your progress toward personal breathing goals.


Unfortunately, while we know that incentive spirometers work, there have not been very many studies done on incentive spirometers and COPD in particular. Fortunately, what little research that has been done shows very promising results.


One study, for example, looked at the effects of incentive spirometers on patients with mild to severe COPD. It found that participants who used incentive spirometers experienced both an increase in exercise capacity and a decrease in shortness of breath.





Another study using the Respivol incentive spirometer also found a variety of positive results for people with COPD. Those who used the device regularly for 3-6 months showed a significant increase in certain lung function measures (maximal inspiratory pressure and maximal expiratory pressure), as well as reduced shortness of breath, increased exercise tolerance, and even an increase in quality of life.


However, it's important to realize that there is no known treatment, including incentive spirometers, that can reverse any of the permanent lung damage caused by COPD. They can, however, help you breathe more efficiently, and potentially even return back to baseline after temporary lung function loss caused by an illness or exacerbation.




Where to Get an Incentive Spirometer




If your doctor recommends or approves you to use an incentive spirometer, you have a few different choices of where to get one. In some cases, you can purchase one directly from your doctor, but that can be pricier than buying one yourself.


The easiest place to purchase an incentive spirometer on your own is to go to a medical supply store, either in person or online. You might also be able to find one at your local pharmacy or in the medical section of a general store like Walmart.


If you will be buying your incentive spirometer yourself, you might still want to ask your doctor to give you a prescription for the device. You can buy them over the counter, but you will need a prescription if you want it to go through your insurance and if you want to pay for it with your FSA or HSA account.


Luckily, incentive spirometers are surprisingly inexpensive, costing less than most fast food meals. You can buy them in most places for between $6 and $20, depending on the type and brand you buy.


How to Use Your Incentive Spirometer





As we mentioned before, incentive spirometers are not all the same and come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Because of this, there is no single set of instructions for how to use an incentive spirometer that will work perfectly with every type.


It's also important to note that, while text and video instructions can certainly help, nothing can substitute for a doctor's expertise. To ensure you use your incentive spirometer correctly, you should ask your doctor to demonstrate how to use it, and then practice in front of her so she can evaluate your technique.


Bearing these things in mind, let's take a closer look at how to use the basic dual-tube spirometer we described in a previous section. This is one of the most common incentive spirometer designs that you will find in most medical supply stores, from the brands Medline, Teleflex, SPIRO-BALL, and Respivol.


Before using your incentive spirometer, make sure to position your body upright in a position that makes it easier to breathe. Ideally, you should sit up straight in a chair or on the edge of your bed.


Avoid wearing tight clothes, belts, or anything else that could restrict your ability to breathe. You might also want to clear out your airways before you begin by practicing controlled coughing or other mucus clearance techniques.








Steps to Use an Incentive Spirometer:
While sitting in a relaxed, comfortable position, hold your incentive spirometer upright in front of you.
Seal your lips around the mouthpiece.
Inhale as slowly and deeply as possible, then hold your breath for as long as you can (at least 3-5 seconds).
While breathing in, watch the float in the smaller tube, and try to keep it within the marked range (this measures your breathing speed).
You can change the position of this float by adjusting how quickly you inhale.
Increasing the speed of your breath will move the float higher, while slowing it down will cause the float to fall down lower.
While breathing in, watch the float in the larger tube and try to push it as high as possible (this measures the volume of your breath).
Note which measurement mark the float reaches at it's highest point.
The deeper breath you take, the higher the float will go.
If your spirometer has a movable indicator on the outside of the tube, you can use this to mark the maximum height.
Record this measurement for future reference and to help you keep track of your progress.
Take a few moments to rest.
Repeat these steps for another 10 to 15 breaths in order to complete one full incentive spirometer session.


If at any point you start to feel dizzy or lightheaded, you should stop and take a break to breathe normally for awhile. Once you feel better, you can continue using your incentive spirometer again.


To see these steps in action, check out this video demonstration:



Continuing to Practice




Incentive spirometers are not a one-time or occasional treatment; they only work if you use them often over an extended period of time. How long that time is depends on your particular health condition and your reason for using the incentive spirometer.


If you are using an incentive spirometer for normal COPD maintenance, then your doctor may advise you to use it long-term or indefinitely. If you are using an incentive spirometer to help your lungs recover from an exacerbation, then you might be able to stop using your incentive spirometer after several weeks or months.


Either way, you will need to use your incentive spirometer every day in order for the treatment to be effective. Your doctor will tell you often you should use it during the day based on your health and treatment goals.


In a hospital setting, doctors often recommend using an incentive spirometer very frequently; usually once every 1-2 hours for patients recovering from serious lung infections and surgeries. However, this can differ from person to person, which is why you should always follow your doctor's specific advice.


It's also a good idea to keep records of your incentive spirometry results for you and your doctor to discuss and evaluate later. Simply write down your highest volume measurement you get from each incentive spirometer session, and then you'll be able to track any changes that happen over time.


Most importantly, don't give up on your incentive spirometer if you don't notice results right away. Real improvement takes time, so it's important to practice, persevere, keep working toward your personal incentive spirometry goals.




Conclusion
Managing COPD and lung function decline is tough, but there is a wide variety of tools and treatments available to help. Tools like incentive spirometers can help you keep up with certain aspects of treatment—like breathing exercises—by providing a simple and satisfying way to practice every day.


Incentive spirometry is safe, inexpensive, and has the potential to provide a variety of breathing and exercise benefits for people with COPD. It's easy to get the hang of and, if you stick with it long enough, it can make a noticeable difference in your symptoms.


If you or someone you love suffers from COPD, consider asking your doctor if she believes that an incentive spirometer would be a helpful addition to their home treatment regimen. While not every person will see significant improvements after using an incentive spirometer, many do, and it's well worth considering giving it a try.

If you have COPD, your number one responsibility as a patient is to do what your doctor says and take all your medications as prescribed. This might sound simple on the surface but, in reality, it's much easier said than done.

Like most chronic diseases, COPD is not an easy condition to treat. Many COPD patients have a laundry list of medications and other treatments they have to manage every day.

These medications and treatments are life-saving; they make it easier to breathe and help keep serious COPD symptoms and complications under control. Unfortunately, far too many people with COPD don't take their medications as correctly and consistently as they should.

That's why we've created this guide to show you a variety of practical tips and techniques for managing COPD treatments. We'll show you all the steps you need to take to make sure you use your medications correctly and how to avoid common COPD treatment mistakes.

The more you know about your treatments, the more active role you can take in your health, and the better you will be able to manage your disease. That's why it's important to learn everything you can about your COPD medications and how to use them in the most correct and effective way.

Most People are Bad at Taking Their Medications

How well you take your medications and do the treatments your doctor recommends is a concept known as treatment compliance or medication adherence. Good compliance or adherence means that you follow your doctor's instructions, complete all your treatments, and take all your medications correctly and on time. Poor compliance or adherence simply means that you fail to do at least one of those things consistently.

Unfortunately, a large percentage of people in just about every health and disease category fail to take their medications properly. This is a problem that affects older adults in particular; up to 58% of seniors make mistakes when taking their medication, and more than 25% make a serious mistake.

Studies also show that as many as 63 percent of COPD patients don't take their medications correctly, and that percentage may be even higher if you include improper inhaler use. This high failure rate results in a great deal of unnecessary suffering for those who don't take their medication as prescribed.

In many ways, these statistics are understandable, even as they are still a major cause for concern. COPD treatment regimens can be confusing, time-consuming, and involve many types of medications, which makes them particularly challenging to get right.

COPD Treatment Plans are Complex

COPD is not a static disease; the symptoms get steadily worse over time and they can vary from day to day. What's more, the risk of exacerbation is always around the corner, especially in the later stages of the disease.

Because of this, COPD treatment plans usually change several times over the course of the disease. Many people with COPD also have to follow dynamic treatment plans that involve adjusting their daily treatment according to certain symptom changes.

This type of treatment plan—known as a COPD action plan—helps you keep your symptoms under control when they flare up. However, it also makes treatment more complex and introduces more opportunities to do things wrong.

COPD patients also have a high risk of making mistakes simply because of the sheer number of treatments they have to manage. It's not uncommon for someone with severe COPD to have to take half a dozen medications in addition to supplemental oxygen therapy.

It's Easier to Mess Up Than It Is to Do it Right

When it comes to taking medications, there's a lot that can go wrong. It's easy to make mistakes without realizing it, such as taking the wrong dose or using an empty inhaler.

Every step and instruction for taking your medication is important, and there can be a lot of them to remember. But skipping even one of them can have dangerous consequences that range from worsened symptoms to life-threatening complications.

Unfortunately, people with COPD tend to take medications that are particularly difficult to use, including inhalers, nebulizers, and supplemental oxygen therapy. Doing these treatments correctly can be a difficult skill to master, requiring several steps and precise technique.

Keeping up with these complex treatments is even more challenging for those who are struggling with serious physical or mental symptoms caused by COPD. When you are struggling just to get out of bed, go up the stairs, or remember things, having to adhere to a strict schedule of multiple medications and treatments can be a lot to handle.

What Happens When You Don't Use Medications Correctly: Does it Really Matter?

At this point, you might be wondering if it's really that big of a deal if you don't follow your treatment or medication instructions exactly. The answer is yes, it is a big deal if you don't adhere to your treatment consistently.

You shouldn't mistake the fact that poor treatment compliance is so common for meaning that it's nothing to worry about. It's actually a major issue, which is why COPD doctors and researchers have dedicated so much time and effort to understanding and solving this problem.

However, nobody is perfect, and there's usually no reason to worry if you only make a mistake every once in a while. On the other hand, you should always make it a top priority to take your medications on time and adhere to all the other treatments your doctor prescribes.

If you don't comply with treatment or forget to take your medication too often, it can make it much more difficult to control your symptoms and manage your disease. This leads to worsened breathing problems, exacerbations, and other COPD complications that can hurt your quality of life.

For instance, one study showed that COPD patients who didn't use their inhalers correctly had worse symptoms, including coughing and more severe shortness of breath, than patients who practiced proper inhaler technique.

Other research shows that poor medication adherence can have a variety of serious consequences, including:

• Less ability to control COPD symptoms
• Increased shortness of breath
• Increased risk for COPD exacerbations
• Increased risk of death (poor treatment adherence can double or triple your mortality risk)
• More frequent hospitalizations
• Increased health care needs and disease-related costs
• Reduced quality of life

Even things that seem minor, like skipping a step when you use your inhaler, can have a major effect on how well your medication works. You could end up getting too small a dose, too large a dose, or not getting any medication at all.

In some cases, using medications incorrectly can cause dangerous side effects or life-threatening complications. If your supplemental oxygen flow is not set right, for example, it can lead to dangerous breathing problems, including severe hypercapnea (high blood carbon dioxide levels) and death in the most extreme cases.

Are You a Compliant Patient?

When you're taking several medications and have a complex disease, it's normal—and even expected—to make small mistakes here and there. However, those mistakes should be few and far between, and overall you should be following your treatments exactly as prescribed.

Unfortunately, many people don't even realize how poorly they are complying with treatment or how frequently they make mistakes. You might make more mistakes than you realize, which is why it's important to give it some serious consideration.

You can get a better idea of your overall compliance by answering a few yes or no questions about your medication habits. The following questions are part of the Medication Adherence Questionnaire (PDF link), a scale that is used often by doctors and researchers to measure how well a patient is adhering to their medication.

To use this scale, choose either “yes” or “no” as an answer to each question or statement. Choose the answer that is most accurate based on your actions and beliefs during the past week.

Medication Adherence Questions:

• Do you ever forget to take your medication?
• Are you careless at times about taking your medication?
• When you feel better, do you sometimes stop taking your medication?
• Sometimes if you feel worse when you take the medication, do you stop taking it?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you probably aren't taking your medication as consistently and correctly as you should. The more questions you respond “yes” to, the poorer your medication adherence is.

You can use these questions to help you identify where things are going wrong, and use that insight to find solutions. You should also tell your doctor if you're having trouble taking your medications as prescribed for any reason; this will not only help your doctor make better decisions about your treatment, but will also give your doctor the opportunity to offer solutions and advice.

Common COPD Medication Mistakes to Avoid

We've talked already about how poor treatment adherence is alarmingly common among people with COPD. However, we haven't talked much about what kinds of mistakes patients are making and what exactly they are failing to do.

Research shows that there are several specific areas of treatment that tend to be the most problematic, including taking medication consistently and using proper inhaler technique. If you or someone you love has COPD, it's important to be aware of these common problems so you can avoid making the same mistakes.

Taking Medications Based on How You Feel

One common, yet dangerous, mistake that patients make is stopping their medication when their COPD symptoms start to get better. Some people think that, because they feel fine, they don't need to continue taking their medication.

However, this is not true; you should always take your medication exactly as your doctor tells you to, regardless of how good or bad your COPD symptoms are. If you notice your symptoms improve, you should take it as a sign that your medication is working, and continue to take it as prescribed.

It's important to trust your doctor's advice and remain diligent about your treatment, even if you sometimes feel like it's not necessary to take your medication. If you have any problems or concerns, bring them up with your doctor instead of trying to take things into your own hands.

You need to take your medications consistently every day in order to keep your symptoms under control. Reducing your dose, stopping your medication, or taking it inconsistently will only make it more difficult to manage your disease.

Not Reading the Instructions

When you pick up your medication from the pharmacy, it usually comes with a packet of papers with detailed information about your medicine. Many people simply ignore this packet or throw it in the trash as soon as they get home.

However, this packet contains all kinds of valuable knowledge meant to help you take your medicine correctly and avoid dangerous mistakes. While it might seem like a lot to go through, you should take the time to read through the whole packet for each medication you take.

If you don't, you could miss vital health warnings or important information about dosages, side-effects, drug interactions, and more. It's also a good idea to keep these information packets in a file at home in case you need to reference them later.

Medical stuff can be tricky, however, and reading about your medication will only help you if you understand what it means. That's what your doctor and pharmacist are there for; they can help you go through the information and explain anything else about the medication that you need to understand.

Not Using Your Inhaler Correctly

Even though inhalers are the main line of treatment for COPD symptoms, the vast majority of people don't actually use them correctly. The numbers are actually quite alarming: up to 90% of COPD patients fail to use proper inhaler technique.

Research also shows that improper inhaler use can significantly affect how well the medication works. It can worsen respiratory symptoms, increase your risk of being hospitalized, and may even double your chances of developing a COPD exacerbation.

Here is a list of some of the most common inhaler mistakes you should avoid (note that some only apply to certain types of inhalers):

• Not using the spacer correctly
• Using an empty inhaler (e.g. not checking the dose counter or making sure there is a spray)
• Not priming the inhaler before use
• Not exhaling before taking a dose
• Not inhaling at the correct time when taking a dose
• Inhaling too quickly
• Not aiming the inhaler correctly (it should spray toward the back of your throat)
• Not holding your breath after taking a dose
• Not using correct head and body posture
• Not rinsing out your mouth after using a steroid inhaler

All of these mistakes can affect your dosage and how well your medication works. That's why it is vital to learn how to use your inhaler correctly and avoid making blunders like these.

Not Using Oxygen As Often As You Should

Poor treatment compliance is a major issue among people with COPD who use supplemental oxygen therapy. This is often due to inconvenience, discomfort, and worries about how it might look in public.

Research shows that a large percentage COPD patients who use long-term supplemental oxygen therapy use oxygen for fewer hours per day than their doctor prescribed. Another 23% of patients refuse to ever use their oxygen outside their homes, in spite of their doctor's instructions to do so.

But even though oxygen therapy can be difficult and uncomfortable, it's very important to use it exactly as you're supposed to. If your doctor prescribes it, then you need it to keep your blood oxygen levels from dropping dangerously low (a condition known as hypoxemia).

Failing to use oxygen correctly will worsen hypoxemia, which can lead to serious health conditions including heart problems, cognitive impairment, respiratory failure, and even death. That's why it's imperative to use your oxygen, and use it correctly, despite how challenging it might be.

It's easy to focus on the negatives, but you should instead try to focus on the fact that oxygen is a life-saving medication that can make your life better rather than worse. It's not always easy to integrate oxygen therapy into your life, but for many people it is a necessary part of treating COPD.

Not Using a COPD Action Plan

Any person who takes medication for COPD should have a proper COPD action plan. This ensures that you always have a clear set of instructions to guide you when taking your daily medications and treatments.

COPD treatment is rarely simple, which is why verbal instructions from your doctor and basic medication schedules aren't enough; you need a clear and thorough written plan. If you don't have a proper COPD action plan to guide you, you will be much more likely to take your medication incorrectly and make other risky mistakes.

Unlike a simple medication schedule, an action plan is dynamic; it tells you how to treat your symptoms based on how severe they are that day. It is essentially a set of several medication schedules with instructions for how and when to use each one.

For example, you would have a plan for typical days, when your symptoms are at baseline, and a different plan for atypical days when you feel worse than you usually do. Each plan tells you which medications—and how much—to take, as well as how you should adjust your activity level and other treatment-related advice.

Once you have an action plan, it's important to make sure you understand it and remember to follow it every day. That means means paying close attention to your symptoms, knowing how to choose the right plan, and knowing what the instructions in each plan mean.

To learn about COPD actions plans and see some examples of what they look like, take a look at our guide on the topic here.

Important Things to Know About Your Medications

In order to take your medications properly, you should have a thorough understanding of each medication and treatment you use. That includes basic things like the correct way to take your medications and how much you're supposed to take, and more detailed information like any interactions they have with other drugs and medications.

Ideally, most of the practical information you need to know about your medication should be included in your COPD action plan. However, your action plan is simply an overview of your treatment, and it won't give you all of the detailed information you need to use your medications responsibly.

The more you learn about your medications, the less likely you are to make errors that could affect your medication or put your health at risk. Here's a quick overview of what you should know and where to get the information you need.

Know the Name and Purpose of Your Medication

First of all, it's important to know the name and the general purpose of each medication you take. In other words, you should be able to answer the following questions: What is your medication called, what do you take it for, and what is it supposed to do?

You need this knowledge to understand your treatment plan and why you need to take your medications. It will also help you better communicate with your doctor and others about your treatment.

Fortunately, this kind of basic information is generally easy to find. You can get it from your doctor, your pharmacist, your prescription info packet, or the information printed on medication bottle or packaging.

However, it's best to get this information first hand from your doctor, who can explain the purpose of your medication in easy-to-understand terms. He can also help you understand how the medication benefits your specific condition, and what kinds of outcomes you can expect.

Know Your Dosage and Frequency

Dosage is everything in medicine; if you get too much or too little of a medication, it can significantly change its effects. That's why, in order to take your medication correctly, you need to know exactly how much medicine you're supposed to take.

This is known as your dosage, and getting it right is vital for ensuring your medication works as it should. Your dose frequency is also important, which simply means you need to know how long you're supposed to wait between each dose.

For example, your medication instructions might say to take a dose every certain number of hours, or give you a maximum number of doses you can take in a 24-hour period. Your doctor might also give you more specific instructions for how often you should take your medication every day.

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Know When to Take Your Medications

In many cases, you should take your medication at a specific time every day. For example, your doctor might tell you to use your daily inhaler right after you get up in the morning.

These time-based instructions are important to know and follow, because when you take your medication can affect how well it works. It's also important to keep the dose schedule for each different medication straight; that's where having a detailed medication schedule really comes in handy.

You also need to know when to take medications that are reserved for specific circumstances, such as when your symptoms get worse. You'll likely have a set of medications to take every day (e.g. long-acting bronchodilators), medications you can use as-needed (e.g. a short-acting rescue inhaler), and a set of medications you're only supposed to use when you notice the signs of an oncoming exacerbation (e.g. antibiotics and corticosteroids).

Make sure you know the differences between all these different medications, and know when to use them per your COPD action plan. Pay special attention to as-needed medications like rescue inhalers (and sometimes supplemental oxygen), which can be particularly tricky to use correctly.

Know What to Do if You Miss a Dose

No matter how careful you are, you're bound to accidentally miss a dose sooner or later. Whenever that happens, you'll need to know what to do next.

For example, let's say you just realized that you forgot an inhaler dose that you were supposed to take earlier. Should you go ahead and take the missed dose now, or wait until the next dose you have scheduled?

The answer will likely depend on a variety of things, including the type of medication and how long it's been since the missed dose. If you ask your doctor, he can tell you what to do in a specific case, and how to handle similar situations in the future.

The information that comes with your medication may also give you advice for what to do when you miss a dose. Whatever you do, it's b