Supplemental oxygen therapy, or simply “oxygen therapy,” is the use of medical-grade oxygen to treat a variety of conditions. In hospitals, short-term oxygen therapy is used to help patients recover from surgery or acute conditions, but oxygen can also be administered for long-term in-home use in people with chronic lung diseases like COPD and cystic fibrosis.

No matter what your reason is for using supplemental oxygen, it’s important that you’re using it correctly because it can be a fire hazard. While oxygen itself cannot burn, it is what’s called an oxidizer meaning it makes everything it comes into contact with more flammable. What’s more, improper use of oxygen can lead to oxygen toxicity or lung damage that results from inhaling too much oxygen.

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In the following sections, we’re going to take a look at some of the most common mistakes new oxygen users make and tell you how to avoid them. If you have any questions about using oxygen safely and effectively, be sure to address them with your doctor. And if you have questions about what you read here, leave them in the comment section and we’ll get back to you.

Choosing the Wrong Oxygen Device

Oxygen therapy has been used since the 1950s to treat conditions like pneumonia. However, as you can imagine, it has evolved over the years as researchers have learned more about how supplemental oxygen can be used safely and effectively. In the past, oxygen tanks were the only option for people suffering from respiratory conditions. But nowadays, there are many other types of oxygen devices at peoples’ disposal like liquid oxygen tanks and oxygen concentrators.

The first mistake many patients make when they’re first prescribed medical oxygen is choosing the wrong oxygen device. What happens is that many people rush into choosing something rather than taking the time to do research and figure out what options are available to them. And while oxygen tanks are certainly a popular choice for long-term oxygen therapy, they are not the only one.

Liquid oxygen, for example, is a common alternative to traditional oxygen tanks. Rather than storing oxygen in its gas form, these oxygen tanks are kept at very low temperatures in order to keep the oxygen in its liquid form. The reason for this is because oxygen expands significantly in its gaseous state meaning it takes up a lot more space. What’s more, it’s stored at much higher pressures making it more dangerous to use.

While liquid oxygen enables oxygen patients to experience more freedom, they’re not without their downsides. In order to keep oxygen in its liquid form, you need a special container. For safety reasons, these containers need to be vented so that as the heat increases, the pressure can also be released. What this means is that you will slowly lose your oxygen supply over time if you aren’t using it. According to the Lung Institute, liquid oxygen will evaporate after a week or two.  

Another downside to liquid oxygen is that it’s more expensive than traditional oxygen tanks. Not only do the units themselves cost more, but they cost more to maintain and refill. As a result, Medicare and other healthcare providers may not help you pay for them like they do with compressed oxygen. Luckily, liquid oxygen and compressed oxygen are not the only supplemental oxygen options available to you.

Oxygen concentrators are a newer more advanced form of oxygen therapy. As opposed to storing oxygen like the aforementioned devices, oxygen concentrators are electronic devices that draw in ambient air and put out pure medical-grade oxygen. Home or stationary oxygen concentrators need to be plugged into the wall but portable oxygen concentrators run off of batteries, allowing you to go wherever you please.

Not Using Oxygen As It’s Prescribed

Like we mentioned earlier, oxygen is a controlled substance in the United States. Oxygen sales are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ensure that only respiratory patients have access to medical oxygen. But being prescribed oxygen does not mean you should use it however you please. You need to follow your doctor’s instructions for using it safely and effectively.

More often than not, people begin to fall back on their oxygen routine as time goes on. It’s not unusual to feel exhausted always being connected to your oxygen device and many people experience discomfort with the nasal cannula. If you’re falling back on your oxygen therapy plan because of irritation or dryness in your nose, please read this post to get a few tips for alleviating these issues. 

If the reason you’re not using enough oxygen is because of your oxygen device, following the instructions above to get the oxygen device that’s right for you may be your best option. Unfortunately, since oxygen tanks only provide a limited amount of oxygen, people find themselves turning down their flow rate in order to have more freedom. This is a bad idea because it means your blood is not saturated with the right amount of oxygen to keep you healthy. Fortunately, portable oxygen concentrators help you to ensure that you have access to oxygen wherever you are in the world so that you don’t have to turn down your flow rate.

Although less common, it is possible for someone to use more oxygen than they’re prescribed. For example, if you’ve been exercising and you’re feeling out of breath, you might feel tempted to turn up the flow setting on your oxygen device. Before doing any form of exercise, you should consult with your doctor and ask him/her what an acceptable flow rate is while you’re sedentary and while you’re exercising. Also, be sure to carry a pulse oximeter with you when you exercise so that you can ensure that you stay at the correct blood saturation level.

Another reason you might be using too much oxygen is if you’re unaware of the harmful effects of having too much oxygen in your system. While oxygen is vital for the healthy functioning of every organ in our bodies, having too much of it in your blood can lead to oxygen toxicity. This condition will result in coughing, difficulty breathing, and chest pain. Prolonged exposure to high partial pressures of oxygen can even result in death. Before taking the initiative to increase your oxygen flow rate if you’re feeling out of breath, be sure to consult your doctor. There could be any number of reasons that are causing a flare-up in your symptoms. For more information on preventing COPD flare-ups, check out this blog post.

Not Cleaning Your Oxygen Therapy Device

In this day and age, the saying “cleanliness is next to godliness” has taken on a whole new meaning. With the advent of the novel coronavirus, our society as a whole has been more conscious of the spread of bacteria, germs, and viruses. What many people don’t acknowledge or even realize is that COPD patients and other respiratory patients are at a higher risk of both contracting and experiencing severe symptoms from infections.

One of the added health risks that COPD patients experience is having to carry around an oxygen device that can collect bacteria. Even if you’re careful not to set your oxygen concentrator or oxygen tank down in a dirty place, it’s inevitable that it will collect germs. Aside from the concentrator or tank itself, the nasal cannula and oxygen tubing can also get dirty so you should be sure to clean them often.

COPD patients are sensitive to certain cleaning products, especially ones with bleach, ammonia, and fragrances. So, when you go to clean your oxygen concentrator, be sure to not use any products that could exacerbate your symptoms. Cleaning products marked as “safer choice” are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and they don’t contain as many harmful chemicals as standard cleaning products. You can also make your own cleaning products so that you know exactly what’s in them.

Whenever you leave the house, be sure to take your cleaning product of choice with you. Clean the unit once or twice a day and make sure to get all sides including the bottom. The nasal cannula and oxygen tubing should be cleaned as well. The Lung Institute recommends washing them in 10 parts water one part vinegar and then rinsing them and leaving them to dry completely. Oxygen tubing should be replaced after several months of use.  

Smoking Around An Oxygen Device

Smoking is the number one cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. But did you know that many people (around 38 percent) continue to smoke even after being diagnosed? Unfortunately, being unable to kick this bad habit means you’re unlikely to make much progress on your COPD treatment plan. After all, the purpose of using oxygen is to help limit and prevent symptoms like breathlessness, chest pain, and a chronic cough. But smoking regularly will just cause these problems to resurface.

Another reason to avoid smoking is that it could damage your oxygen device. Oxygen concentrators work by taking in ambient air and removing nitrogen and other gases. If you’re smoking near your concentrator, the smoke could damage the internal components. Most concentrators have particle filters but these won’t stop smaller particles from entering the device. However, you should remove the particle filters regularly and clean them off so that they’re as effective as possible.

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The third and final reason you should avoid smoking near an oxygen device is for safety reasons. While your oxygen tank or concentrator won’t explode or catch fire like many people believe, they are still a fire hazard. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 5 percent of all home fires between the years of 2012 and 2016 were caused by smoking materials. That’s around 19,000 fires each year that could be prevented if cigarettes were not a concern.

Fires that are exposed to medical oxygen will burn faster and be harder to put out. Since supplemental oxygen is a medical necessity, cigarette smoking is really the only variable in this scenario. We wrote a whole guide on smoking cessation so be sure to check it out if you’re struggling to drop the habit. 

Not Enjoying Your Newfound Freedom

Last but not least, you need to be able to enjoy the newfound freedom that your oxygen device has afforded you. This means getting out of the house, exercising, exploring, and visiting friends and family. Far too many COPD patients believe that being prescribed supplemental oxygen means giving up all of the things that you love to do, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth. 

While you can live a sedentary lifestyle if you choose, the main purpose of oxygen therapy is to help you get back on your feet and moving again. Portable oxygen concentrators like the Caire FreeStyle Comfort and Inogen One G5 have pushed the boundaries of what’s possible for oxygen patients because they weigh under 5 pounds and they supply enough oxygen for the vast majority of COPD patients.

Another major advantage of portable oxygen concentrators is their lithium-ion batteries. These batteries are extremely durable and long-lasting meaning you can stay out and about for longer than ever before. The FreeStyle Comfort allows you to run your oxygen device for up to 16 hours without recharging and the G5 allows you to run your oxygen device for up to 13 hours without recharging.  

Conclusion

All things considered, it can be somewhat overwhelming being prescribed supplemental oxygen therapy. You need to understand exactly what your prescription entails and you need to find an oxygen device that will meet your needs. While this will certainly take some trial and error, however, you can always rely on experts such as your doctor or pulmonologist if you need help.

If you’re interested in learning more about using a portable oxygen concentrator for supplemental oxygen therapy, you need to ensure that you receive a device that is capable of meeting your medical needs as well as your personal preferences. Rather than taking hours out of your day to research every device on the market, reach out to our oxygen specialists here at LPT Medical. We take the time to understand what your needs are and then we apply our knowledge of oxygen concentrators to align you with the perfect device for your needs.

We offer a wide range of products from stationary oxygen concentrators to pulse dose portable oxygen concentrators and all the oxygen accessories you need to make the most of them. If you have any questions at all or you’re ready to pick out an oxygen machine, you can reach us by phone or email.

Think about your daily routine, it likely involves a number of different activities that range from resting, to moving around and doing chores, exercising, reading, and of course sleeping. If you are using oxygen therapy at home your oxygen flow requirements may vary from the morning to afternoon, from day to day, depending on the season. Even if you need oxygen all day and all night the rate at which you need oxygen may not be consistent.

If you have more severe symptoms associated with COPD or you have overlapping conditions that restrict the proper amount of oxygen getting through your lungs, you likely need a continuous supply of oxygen flow. This means that you need oxygen delivery from your oxygen concentrators to be constantly flowing, even if you are not taking a breath.

If you only sometimes need a continuous flow of oxygen, for example, at night time while you sleep  or during exercise, and during the day while doing less strenuous activities you only need pulse flow oxygen, you have the option for one device that meets all of your oxygen requirements no matter what time of the day or night.

It is also important to note here that you should be weary of where you are purchasing a oxygen concentrator, and if you are not going through a authorized dealer, you will get a machine that does not give you medical-grade oxygen, and it will not operate correctly.

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The Respironics SimplyGo: Continuous Flow Oxygen Concentrator Designed for 24/7 Use

Here are all of the major advantages of owning or renting a continuous flow portable oxygen concentrator designed for 24/7 like the Respironics SimplyGo:

1. It is light-weight and portable 

A continuous portable oxygen concentrator like the Respironics SimplyGo is the first continuous flow portable oxygen concentrator under 15 pounds, weighing in at only 10 pounds! Making it the most portable option for oxygen users who need continuous oxygen flow or who need both pulse flow and continuous flow.

This concentrator offers pulse flow settings 1-6 and its continuous flow settings range between 0.5-2.0 LPM

So just how portable is this unit?

The SimplyGo will easily fit underneath the seat in front of you on an airplane, you can store it on the floor of your car or in the passenger seat as you drive. When you don’t need to use it, you will be able to put it in your closet without having to clear space for it.

10 pounds is extremely light for a continuous flow portable oxygen concentrator, however it can still be pretty heavy to carry. That being said, the SimplyGo package includes a custom carrying case and a wheeled travel cart so you have the option to carry it over your shoulder and switch between pulling it behind you on a travel cart.

2. You’ll never have to worry about renting a concentrator when you travel, because your own can travel safely with you.

Before you travel, you should acquire your doctor’s clearance and advice, if you are traveling to high-altitudes (Denver, CO) or a place with low air quality (Los Angeles, CA or Salt Lake City, UT) you doctor should advise you on the proper oxygen flow setting your POC should be set to.

If you Invest in a Portable Oxygen Concentrator you will be allowed to travel with your oxygen device whereas oxygen tanks and liquid oxygen aren’t allowed on planes. Be sure to contact your airline in advance to tell them you’ll be traveling with oxygen and to learn their individual policies.

Look around at different airlines and consider different policies because some airlines may provide supplemental oxygen and some may require you to book a second seat for your equipment.

When you are traveling, carry your prescription to provide proper documentation about your condition.

If you can, try to get a seat with access to a power outlet in case your batteries need to be charged. Or you can fully charge your batteries before leaving and carry a backup with you. Contact your doctor to see if you’ll need to increase your supplemental oxygen as your plane reaches higher altitudes.

3. SimplyGo is CPAP/BiPAP compatible 

Adding oxygen to your CPAP/BiPAP therapy is a simple procedure. However, it is necessary to speak with your doctor to ensure you are properly operating the devices together.

It is imperative that you understand and can manage your symptoms and the severity of your disease, by being fully familiar with all of your treatments and therapy delivery methods. 

4. Strong pulse flow settings and continuous flow settings

You SimplyGo is equipped with both pulse flow and continuous flow oxygen delivery modes to cover you 24/7.

Until the SimplyGo, you could not get a continuous flow unit under 17-20 pounds and it still has the ability to offer pulse flow and continuous flow. So this unit can manage all of your needs.

It offers pulse flow settings 1-6 and continuous flow settings 0.5-2.0 LPM. LPM is an abbreviation that stands for: litres per minute (l/min). When used in the context of a portable oxygen concentrator flow rate, it measures the velocity at which air flows into your lungs. For example, a flow rate of 2.0 LPM means you concentrator will give you 2.0 liters of air per minute.

5. Its compressor is rated to last 20,000 hours

You can rely on SimplyGo as a long-term investment that will operate far beyond the time you begin saving money on re-filling and the maintenance for you oxygen tank. Not to mention the 3-year-warranty that comes with it!

With less maintenance costs, and no re-filling costs, you will being to relish in the financial savings associated with purchasing a POC. And after adjusting to life with a POC, you will also enjoy the social benefits and freedom you gain for a lifetime!

6. The SimplyGo offers sleep mode technology

Whether you’re on resting on an airplane or relaxing in your living room at home, as soon as you begin to doze off, you can turn on the sleep mode technology on your SimplyGo to ensure your oxygen gets delivered while you are sleeping.

When you turn sleep mode technology on your SimplyGo, it increases the sensitivity to detect your breath, and it softens the pulse flow delivery so it doesn’t wake you up. If your SimplyGo doesn’t detect a breath or if you breathe through your mouth it will automatically switch back over to continuous flow to ensure you get your required oxygen.

7. It can operate while you are using 1 or 2 batteries

The Respironics SimplyGo gives you the ability to operate it using one or two batteries by utilizing the optional external battery module.

One battery will be perfect for things like exercising, running quick errands, and doing things around your home. If you are utilizing the continuous flow setting the battery can last anywhere from 1-3 hours depending on the rate at which you are getting oxygen. By utilizing the pulse flow setting, the battery will last longer, about 1.3 hours - 3.4 hours. 

Using two batteries is ideal for traveling, road trips, and extended trips away from your home. 

8. You can charge the batteries in three different ways depending on where you are and what you are doing.

Recharging your Respironics SimplyGo batteries is convenient and easy and you have three options to choose from:

1. AC Power Supply
2. DC Power Supply
3. External Battery Charger (Optional)

The AC and DC power supplies are included with your package while the external battery charger is an optional accessory. With these charging options you can recharge your batteries anywhere!

9. It is reliable and easy to depend on the battery life of the Respironics SimplyGo

The AC power supply is what you will use to plug your deceive into the wall outlet in your home or if you're traveling in your hotel room or cruise ship room. It is equipped with a 110v power cord and you can use your SimplyGo on every oxygen setting while it is plugged in.

In fact, the AC power supply essentially turns your SimplyGo into a home oxygen concentrator. As long as your SimplyGo is plugged into the AC power supply it will give you an endless supply of oxygen!

The DC power supply gives you the ability to power your SimplyGo and recharge your batteries on the go! It is equipped with a 12v power cord allowing you to plug it into the 12v outlet or cigarette lighter in your car, truck, boat, or RV.

Unlike some of the other continuous flow portables on the market, your Respironics SimplyGo will be able to operate on every oxygen setting while you are recharging your batteries with the DC power supply. Just remember to turn your vehicle on before you plug your SimplyGo into the DC power supply. This will prevent you from blowing a fuse or draining your vehicle’s battery.

The Respironics SimplyGo also has an external battery charger that gives you the ability to recharge your batteries without plugging your concentrator into the AC or DC power supplies. It’s a single-bay charger and recharges one battery at a time. It’s equipped with a 110v power cord allowing you to plug it into any 110v wall outlet.

The external battery charger also has the ability to recalibrate your batteries! If you ever feel like your batteries aren’t holding a charge like they used to, simply recalibrate them on your charger.

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10. Peace of mind

There is a sense of peace of mind that you will gain by having one oxygen device that can handle all of your needs.

Simplifying your life has been proven to increase well-being and mind fullness. This means that de-cluttering your brain can improve your quality of life, and give you room to enjoy things you once did.

There are a lot of things to worry about when you have COPD or any chronic illness, so it is imperative that you minimize worrying about your oxygen supply.

The Respironics SimplyGo portable oxygen concentrator will not only help you breath all day everyday, it will give you the peace of mind you need to enjoy life to the fullest.

You do not have to be tethered to an oxygen tank that you cannot fly with, you can not carry easily to play a few holes of golf, and you must spend time and money each week paying for a company to come and refill or replace your tank.

Instead you can change your concentrators batteries anytime anywhere, adjust the flow settings to match your activities with ease, take it on vacations to visit your family, and be conformable carrying it around or wheeling the 10 pound device with you everywhere you go!

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the leading respiratory diseases in the world in terms of morbidity and mortality. Around 65 million people have it, and many experts are expecting that number to grow over the next 50 years. One thing that’s unique about COPD is the fact that it develops very slowly over the course of many years. Because of this, many COPD patients are susceptible to complications that are as bad, or even worse than their underlying condition.

One of the most notable examples of this which often occurs in the later stages of COPD is heart disease. Since the heart and lungs work together to distribute oxygen throughout the body, impaired lung function can result in added strain on the heart. Over time this can cause serious complications like right-sided heart failure, heart attacks, and coronary artery disease.

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Fortunately, studies have shown that — by proactively managing your respiratory symptoms — you’ll significantly reduce your risk of experiencing complications from COPD. Treatments like oxygen therapy will reduce the workload on your heart and lungs and ensure that every organ in your body has the oxygen it needs to function properly. However, it’s still important to understand the complications of COPD so that you know what symptoms to look out for.

In the following sections, we’ll take a look at one of the lesser discussed COPD complications called pneumothorax, also known as a collapsed lung. If you have any questions about the content of this article, please address them in the comment section below. However, if you have questions about your COPD or treatment plan be sure to consult with your doctor. COPD is a complex disease, so something that works for one person may not work for another.

What is Pneumothorax?

“Pneumothorax” is the medical term used to describe a collapsed lung. This occurs when air enters the “pleural space” which is the area around your lungs. This disrupts the balance of pressure between the inside and outside of your lungs and can result in a collapse of the lung. Pneumothorax ranges in severity from mild to life-threatening. Mild pneumothorax often needs no medical attention and will heal over time.

What Types of Pneumothorax Are There?

There are two basic types of pneumothorax: traumatic and nontraumatic. Traumatic pneumothorax is caused by physical injuries such as a fall, car accident, or any other type of injury that damages the chest or lung wall. Nontraumatic pneumothorax is also called spontaneous pneumothorax because it occurs without injury. There are many different factors that can contribute to or cause the onset of non-traumatic pneumothorax and it tends to be more difficult to understand than its counterpart.

There seem to be two separate instances where non-traumatic pneumothorax occurs and as a result, researchers have created two different classifications: primary and secondary spontaneous pneumothorax. Primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) is more common in younger adults with no lung disease and secondary spontaneous pneumothorax (SSP) is more common in older adults with lung conditions.

One final classification that should be mentioned is spontaneous hemopneumothorax (SHP). This is an extremely rare but serious condition where both air and blood fill the pleural cavity, usually in patients who have no known history of chronic lung disease.

What Are the Symptoms of Pneumothorax?

Symptoms of pneumothorax vary based on what is causing the condition. Since pneumothorax can develop very slowly this may cause someone to underestimate the risk. However, in certain situations, it can develop very quickly causing someone to immediately seek medical attention. In mild cases, you may not experience any symptoms at all or at least not enough to cause you any concern. Below are some possible symptoms of pneumothorax:

• Dyspnea - shortness of breath
• Tachycardia - a fast heart rate
• Chest pain
• Cyanosis - a bluish discoloration of the skin
• Tightness in the chest
  
  

Causes and Risk Factors of Pneumothorax

Causes:

Mechanical ventilation - Mechanical ventilation is a medical procedure that’s used to assist someone with breathing if they are undergoing surgery or they have a medical condition that is preventing their lungs from working. While ventilation is mostly a safe procedure, if it is administered incorrectly and there is an imbalance of pressure within the chest, it can cause the lungs to completely collapse. 

Ruptured air blisters - Small blisters called blebs can form on the top of the lungs in people with damaged lung tissue. Over time, these blisters can burst, allowing air into the pleural space. This can put a lot of pressure on the lungs and cause them to collapse.

Chest injury - Chest injury is a very common cause of pneumothorax. Blunt or penetrating injuries can occur during car accidents, sports injuries, or falls. Chest injury can also occur during lung surgery or it can be caused by collateral damage from other types of surgery.

Risk Factors:

Age - Pneumothorax is more likely to occur in young people between the ages of 20 and 40 or older adults with chronic lung conditions.

Gender - Tall underweight men are more likely to contract pneumothorax.

Smoking - Risk of pneumothorax increases with time and the number of cigarettes smoked.

Lung disease - Having a chronic lung condition like COPD, asthma, or cystic fibrosis puts you at a higher risk of pneumothorax.

Genetics - Studies have shown that mutations in the FLCN gene can cause pneumothorax.

Medical history - People who have experienced pneumothorax in the past are more likely to experience it again.

Why is COPD a Risk Factor for Pneumothorax?

The term chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an umbrella term used to describe two different diseases: chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Chronic bronchitis is characterized by inflammation in the bronchioles (bronchial tubes) which are the airways that lead to the lungs. Emphysema causes the alveoli (tiny air sacs in the lungs) to fill with fluid and impair the transfer of oxygen and carbon dioxide to and from the bloodstream.

One of the main reasons that COPD contributes to pneumothorax is because of the inflammation and damage that occurs to the lungs. While on the surface it may seem like COPD is a simple condition, it’s actually very complex and it affects the respiratory system in more ways than one. One thing that emphysema causes in particular are a change in the structure of the lungs. As the alveoli in the lungs start to break down, they lose their elasticity making it much more likely for air pockets to form in the pleural space.

Bullous emphysema results when fluid-filled sacs begin to form in the lungs. Bullae usually form in the upper lobes of the lungs and lung function can be significantly impaired if they become inflamed or rupture. This also weakens the overall structure of the lungs putting you at a higher risk of experiencing pneumothorax and other related issues.

In some cases, emphysema patients are a candidate for lung volume reduction surgery. While it may sound counterintuitive to reduce the size of the lungs of someone who can’t breathe well, this surgery is designed to remove only the diseased tissue. In other words, the surgeon will remove tissue that has lost its elasticity or isn’t able to transfer oxygen to the blood. This prevents the lungs from trapping air and allows you to breathe much easier.

Unfortunately, lung surgery can also be the cause of pneumothorax, especially if it involves a highly invasive procedure like lung volume reduction surgery. Before you decide that surgery is the best procedure for treating your emphysema, be sure to speak with your doctor about the risk of pneumothorax and ask any questions if you have them.

What Do COPD Patients Need to Do to Prevent Pneumothorax?

Schedule Regular Checkups

Probably the best thing you can do to prevent pneumothorax as a COPD patient is to see your doctor regularly. As aforementioned, pneumothorax isn’t always a condition that progresses quickly. In some cases, it can progress slowly and heal on its own. But to give yourself the best chance possible to recover quickly and effectively, you need to be aware of what’s causing it. Visiting your doctor regularly will give you a chance to discuss your symptoms and learn about your condition.

Follow Your Treatment Regime

There’s no doubt about it, you have a lot to worry about as a COPD patient. COPD treatment regimes usually involve a lot of different lifestyle changes like oxygen therapy, pulmonary rehabilitation, a revised diet, and an improved sleep schedule. While it’s not easy following all of these things to a tee, it’s worth it if you want to minimize your risk for common COPD complications like pneumothorax.

Quit Smoking Immediately

Smoking is the primary cause of COPD and it’s also one of the biggest risk factors for pneumothorax. So, it goes without saying that immediate smoking cessation will be hugely beneficial if you’re concerned about this complication. Smoking has been proven to increase the likelihood that a bleb will rupture which leads to air building up in the pleural space which collapses the lung.

Have an Action Plan

Another thing you can do is to simply have a plan in place in the event that you experience serious symptoms. Considering the fact that COPD exacerbations are a common occurrence you should already have an emergency plan in place. One thing you should do right away is to install a medical alert system in your home. The medical alert system comes with a small pendant that you wear around your neck. If you experience a medical emergency, simply press the button and an ambulance will be sent to your home. 

How is Pneumothorax Treated?

Observation

The first thing your doctor will likely do if he/she suspects you have pneumothorax is to test for and observe your lungs. Chest X-rays and computerized tomography (CT) are the two most common tests used to detect but ultrasound imaging can also be used to get a better look at the lungs. If these tests reveal that you have a pneumothorax, your doctor may continue to observe it over the course of several weeks or months if it’s not urgent.  

Needle Aspiration

This is one common treatment option for pneumothorax where a special needle is inserted into the pleural area. This needle extracts air so that the lungs can begin to re-expand and you can breathe normally again. Typically the needle is left in for several hours to ensure that all of the excess air is removed. A similar procedure is done by inserting a tube into the pleural space instead of a needle.

Nonsurgical Repair

If the above methods don’t work, there are several non-surgical options that your doctor might try. Bronchoscopy is a procedure that’s commonly used to examine the lungs and diagnose lung conditions, but in pneumothorax patients, it can be used to place a one-way valve in the affected area of the lungs. This will allow air into the lungs but prevent it from going back into the pleural area, thus re-expanding the lungs.

Surgery

If all other treatment options are exhausted, a medical specialist may resort to surgery in order to repair your pneumothorax. The specific type of surgery used to treat pneumothorax is called video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) or thoracoscopy. There are two other surgeries that can be done at the same time to prevent the resurgence of pneumothorax. These procedures are pleurodesis and bleb resection.  

Pleural abrasion is one of the most common types of pleurodesis and it involves applying a special chemical designed to seal up the area of the lung that is leaking. Another way this can be done is by extracting blood from another area of the body and using this as a type of sealant to repair the leak. This is referred to as an autologous blood patch.

Conclusion  

Pneumothorax, or a collapsed lung, is a scary thought regardless of whether you are a COPD patient or someone who’s otherwise healthy. In some cases, pneumothorax can be harmless and will heal itself over time. But in other cases, it can be life-threatening and require immediate emergency medical attention. Unfortunately, pneumothorax shares many symptoms in common with COPD exacerbations so it’s best to see your doctor any time that you experience a flare-up in your symptoms.

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Here at LPT Medical, we are serious about providing COPD patients with reliable portable oxygen devices. While oxygen therapy will not prevent pneumothorax, it will ensure that you are able to use supplemental oxygen therapy wherever you go and reduce your risk of experiencing severe side-effects of COPD. Portable oxygen concentrators like the Caire FreeStyle Comfort and Inogen One G5 are our most popular units, but we offer many other options as well including pulse dose portable oxygen concentrators, continuous flow portable oxygen concentrators, and stationary oxygen concentrators.

It is almost time to ring in the New Year, and that means new goals, healthier living, and hopefully the beginning to a successful year. Oxygen patients should be especially diligent to celebrate the new year with new ambition and resolutions towards a healthier future! If you are an oxygen patient either due to a chronic lung condition or other pulmonary disease, there are a few New Year’s Resolutions you might add to your list if you haven’t already.

Here at LPT Medical we aim to improve the quality of life for oxygen patients by ensuring that more people around the country have access to the most state-of-the-art oxygen therapy equipment in the world, and this year we expect to continue doing so!

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Therefore, we designed these11 New Years Resolutions for our readers around the world, who are mostly oxygen patients or folks with a chronic lung disease. While 11 resolutions is too many for one person, we hope that you can gather one or two of these ideas and implement them into your daily life to help improve the quality of your breathing and subsequently the quality of your life

Take Longer Trips Away From Home

2020 was a strange year, and for oxygen patients who already find themselves inside for most of the day, they had little opportunity to venture away from home. This year, make it a point to go outside more often, even if it's just to sit and enjoy the fresh air.

If you are more adventurous, you can make it a point to stay outdoors longer. If your oxygen equipment restricts you from adventuring outdoors for too long, it might be a good year to take advantage of your youthfulness and upgrade to an oxygen device like a portable oxygen concentrator that will allow you to be away from home for long periods of time.

Dial in your Oxygen Equipment

You are probably very familiar with your supplemental oxygen therapy equipment, but are you getting the most out of the life saving therapy as you could be?

There are limitations to what you can experience with an oxygen tank and portable oxygen canisters. For example, you cannot travel in an airplane with your oxygen, you have to bring extra heavy tanks with you when you do travel, or you have to limit your time away from home to get your oxygen delivery. On top of all of that, tanks are heavy and bulky and the canisters don’t last very long.

If you already have a portable oxygen concentrator (POC), do you have all of the accessories to take advantage of your battery powered device?

If you have a pulse flow POC, make sure your battery lasts long enough for you to get all of the things you want to do. If your battery tends to die earlier than you would like, you can buy an extra battery to replace the dead one, or purchase a large portable oxygen concentrator battery that can last twice as long as the smaller battery your device came with.

It is also important that you have both charging cables, the AC charging cord and the DC charging cord so you can charge your device in the comforts of your home, or on the go in your car, boat, or RV.

You can find all of you oxygen equipment accessories for a plethora of different brands and devices on our website. Or simply call one of LPT’s respiratory specialists located in Denver, Colorado at 1-800-946-1201 or reach our oxygen supply office in Boca Raton, Florida by emailing info@lptmedical.com.

Find Independence

A sense of independence is something a lot of respiratory patients struggle with. There is a lot of dependency on caregivers and loved ones especially when the disease starts to progresses into a severe state. The oxygen patient is often left doing minimal chores and housework simply due to their condition, and inability to lift heavier objects or clean with harsh cleaning products.

That being said, finding a sense of independence does not mean you have to put yourself in danger! As an oxygen patient you should not be exposing yourself to harsh chemicals of any kind, nor should you lift heavy objects that make you uncomfortable.

Instead, you can find independence in running more of your own errands or taking yourself to the doctors office for a casual checkup. You can start to cook more on your own by looking up easy recipes for oxygen patients! These are just a few ideas, but the possibilities are endless.

A small found sense of independence can do a lot for a person's wellbeing. It can bring you motivation to get healthier and you can start to do more and more activities on your own.

Enjoy Virtual Time With Family

Just because it is a New Year, doesn’t mean the pandemic is over! Even with the promising new vaccine, COVID-19 is still a valid concern especially for oxygen patients who cannot afford to catch the common cold let alone the Coronavirus causing COVID-19.

More time spent online connecting with family members is still a part of the future, so learning as much as you can about Facetime, Zoom, Google Hangouts can bring a lot of happiness and social connection into your life!

Plan a Trip For When You Can Travel Again

Nothing lasts forever, not even a global pandemic! So, there is no harm in wishful thinking.

When travel bans are lifted and it is safe to travel again, you will want to take advantage of your time, so having a flexible plan in place to experience a new place or visit family can help you stay positive for the days to come.

As an oxygen patient, you still have the opportunity to experience new things, with the help of a lightweight oxygen device, you won’t feel weighed down.

If you have a high oxygen prescription, and require a continuous flow of oxygen, portable, devices like the Respironics SimplyGo and the SeQual Eclipse 5 Portable Oxygen Concentrator are not bulky because they are designed for the oxygen patient that enjoys moving around, traveling and doing activities.

Walk More and Walk Further

Walking is one of the very best exercises you can do if you suffer from a chronic lung disease. Walking is safe and effective because it is a low impact activity so it is not hard on your joints.

Walking is great for oxygen patients for a number of reasons

1. Improve your body's ability to use oxygen
2. Builds up your endurance
3. Strengthen your muscles and lungs
4. Enhances your mood

Some oxygen patines feel hesitant to walk, either due to their lung condition or the oxygen equipment gets in the way.

If you are someone that wants to add walking into your weekly routine to enhance your physical and mental fitness, start by walking a small distance at a slow pace.

Over the year, you will start to notice that you can progress to further distances and even begin a brisk walking pace.

Eat Healthier Foods That Help Your Lung Condition 

It may be surprising to some, but food has a large impact on your breathing. If you are eating food that helps with respiratory symptoms, you might notice some of your symptoms are less harsh. On the other hand, if you are eating food that promote bloating, your respiratory symptoms will get worse.

When you are bloated your diagram is putting added pressure on your lungs making it harder to breathe and your lungs have to work even harder than they already are.

We have a few blogs already about how you can eat healthier foods that will help easy respiratory symptoms:

Best Eating Habits for People with Respiratory Diseases

Elevate Your Nutrition with These 21 Healthy Meal Ideas and Diet Tips for People with COPD

Eat More Foods Rich in Antioxidants

One of the most important foods groups you can eat as an oxygen patient are foods rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants are known to help your lungs perform best, and foods rich with antioxidants are important for maintaining optimal health.

Here are some ideas of foods to eat that are high in antioxidants:

• Blueberries
• Cranberries
• Blackberries
• Prunes
• Strawberries
• Apples & pears (with peel)
• Grapes
• Peaches
• Bell peppers
• Asparagus
• Red cabbage
• Tomatoes
• Potatoes
• Broccoli
• Artichokes
• Kale

Talk to your Doctor More Often

As an oxygen patient, it is so important for your health to maintain a healthy weight, keep your blood pressure low, reduce stress and anxiety, and relieve depression. Talking with your doctor and attending your check-ups is the best way to keep these aspects of your life in check.

You should also regularly see your doctor to check on your oxygen prescription to make sure you are getting the most out of this therapy by taking in the appropriate amount of oxygen during activity and at rest.

Quit Smoking

This is a hard one, but it is the most important if you do smoke. First and foremost, smoking while using oxygen is extremely dangerous because oxygen is flammable, but it is also dangerous internally, for your already damaged lungs.

You would be surprised by how quickly your body starts to recover after you’ve quit smoking.

Certain qualities of life will start to get stronger, like your senses of smell and taste. You coughing will be noticeably less intense in the morning and throughout the day because the tar in your airways will get cleaned out.

Purchasing an electronic cigarette may help you to gradually decrease your nicotine intake, but eventually you'll want to quit inhaling products altogether to get the best results for your lungs. If you are on the path to quit E-cigarettes, you could also try using nicotine patches or gum.

Part of kicking the habit is keeping your hand busy with other things, and chewing gum to help with the mouth fixation.

Set Personal Goals

Setting your own goals can be a resolution in itself! You can start by using a health diary, you can track things like your diet, exercise, and moods in order to adjust the aspects of your life that you want to change or make better.

Tracking your health can include monitoring your pulse and heart rate, your oxygen levels, and much more, so learning how to track your health stats can be a goal of your to start of this new year!

Here is a very helpful in depth resource you can use to get started tracking your health.

How to Use a Health Diary to Monitor Your COPD at Home: Simple Tracking Tools and Home Measuring Devices to Help You Track Your Health

Overview

There are plenty of attainable goals for oxygen patients that want to make the most out of their therapy and their life.

Simple changes in habits, like eating, exercise, and getting outdoors can lead to a healthier more independent life style.

And with the help of the right oxygen equipment, your oxygen therapy can help you reach heights you never thought possible.

We hope that you found one or two New Years resolutions in this article that you can implement into your life this year, and we will see you in 2021!

Many people with COPD or other respiratory diseases, are shocked when their doctors inform them that they need to start using supplemental oxygen, and this shock doesn’t go away every time they recommend you rely on supplemental oxygen more and more, until eventually you are using your oxygen device, 24/7.

The shocking part about this, is that, you may feel as if you are building a dependence on the oxygen. However this is not the case.

It is your supplemental oxygen therapy that is giving your blood, bones, and muscles the oxygen it needs to function properly. Without it, your body and organs would be craving oxygen it needs to survive.

Therefore, the tricky part about oxygen therapy is adjusting to it so that you can reap all of the benefits this respiratory therapy has to offer you!

Once you are willing to admit that your supplemental oxygen is saving your life and your livelihood, you can begin to enjoy all of the activities you once did, only now you are either rolling an oxygen tank behind you, or carrying a portable oxygen concentrator while you do so.

How To Get A Full Night's Sleep While Using Oxygen

Once of the best “activities” you likely enjoyed before you had COPD, was sleeping! And you might have noticed, depending on how severe your COPD is, that your complication breathing is affecting how well you sleep. Sleep problems originate in you from a variety of issues, one of which can be reduced oxygen saturation.

Low oxygen can contribute to sleep problems

Many people with COPD and pulmonary fibrosis have problems sleeping, which increases fatigue throughout the day and affects your quality of life.

If you have COPD you are particularly vulnerable to wake during the rapid eye movement, or REM, part of your sleep cycle. REM sleep is the most rejuvenating part of your sleep cycle, but it poses a problem for COPD patients because during REM sleep, your diaphragm controls your breathing, while the smaller accessory muscles are temporarily not functional.

This means that your blood oxygen levels may fall causing you to wake up, disrupting your very important REM sleep.

If this seems to be the case for you, you should ask your doctor about the possibility of using oxygen at night. This may help you to sleep better and improve how you feel in the morning.

If you already use oxygen while you sleep, you might have noticed that you breathe through your mouth, rather than your nose and through your cannulas. This means you still are not getting enough oxygen while you sleep.

Your doctor may diagnosis you with a sleeping disorder if you sleeping complications can be attributed to certain symptoms you experience. If so, your doctor will have you start using a standalone device that will help you get enough oxygen into your blood while you sleep.

CPAP and BiPAP machines for sleep apnea

A CPAP machine is a device that compresses ambient air to create pressure for therapeutic purposes normally for sleeping. It is usually used at home to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but it can also be used in emergency settings in a hospital by a respiratory therapist.

If you have OSA, the main problem is that your throat collapses while you are sleeping, causing you to snore. Even if snoring does not bother you, the repeated collapsing of your throat actually obstructs airflow into your lungs, which can eventually lead to dangerously low oxygen levels in the blood.

Therefore, using a CPAP machine helps keep you throat open allowing oxygen to flow freely even while you are sleeping. If you still have trouble maintaining a healthy oxygen level while you are sleeping, oxygen concentrators can be used with a CPAP device for these certain situations.

So, if you have a lung disease like pulmonary edema or COPD on top of OSA, it might be necessary to add in oxygen to the tubing of your CPAP machine. This will achieve both functions at the same time: increasing the amount of oxygen you receive with each inhalation and also generating enough pressure to keep your throat open.

The other sleeping device you might need to use if you have COPD, obstructive sleep apnea, obesity hypoventilation syndrome, pneumonia, or asthma is a BiPAP machine.

A BIPAP (Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure) machine delivers air flow to your airway at a prescribed pressure similarly to a CPAP machine. However, the difference is that there are two pressures, one for your inhalation and one for your exhalation.The inhalation pressure is set higher to keep your airways open, whereas the exhalation pressure is set lower to assist in an easier more complete exhalation.

It is important to have a oxygen concentrator that is compatible with a CPAP or BiPAP machine, so that if you ever need to use both devices while you sleep you have that option.

Here are the BEST portable oxygen concentrators designed with a great night’s sleep in mind

It's no surprise that the best way to get the best night’s sleep when you also have to use oxygen, is having the best breathing equipment available!

Here are 5 of the best portable oxygen concentrators on the market that will help you get to sleep and stay asleep.

1. Inogen one G5 portable oxygen concentrator
2. Respironics SimplyGo portable oxygen concentrator
3. Oxlife Freedom portable oxygen concentrator
4. SeQual Eclipse 5 portable oxygen concentrator
5. Inogen One G3 portable oxygen concentrator

Inogen one G5 portable oxygen concentrator

With the Inogen One G5 you will be able to enjoy oxygen delivery benefits at night while you sleep thanks to the presence of Inogen’s intelligent Sleep Mode Technology.

Essentially what this means is that as your breathing rate becomes more shallow as you sleep, the Sleep Mode Technology will go to work by increasing each bolus dose of oxygen.

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Even if you are a mouth breather, the Sleep Mode Technology is able to detect shallow mouth breaths that are frequent when sleeping. This will then tell the Inogen One G5 to trigger a bolus dose based upon your specific fixed minute volume.

Now, most of our customers are able to use this technology to sleep with the Inogen One G5, however, we highly recommend you first speak with your doctor before using this while sleeping.

Respironics SimplyGo portable oxygen concentrator

The Respironics SimplyGo portable oxygen concentrator is arguably the best oxygen device for 24/7 use, because it is equipped with both pulse flow and continuous flow settings. Having a portable oxygen concentrator that is designed to run 24/7 has major advantages when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep.

The Respironics SimplyGo is CPAP/BiPAP compatible and it is equipped with both pulse flow and continuous flow oxygen delivery modes to cover you 24/7. It offers pulse flow settings 1-6 and continuous flow settings 0.5-2.0 LPM.

One additional feature the SimplyGo has to offer is its sleep mode technology! Whether you’re on the airplane or relaxing in your chair at home, and you feel yourself dozing off, you can turn sleep mode technology on to ensure your oxygen gets delivered while you are sleeping.

When you turn sleep mode technology on your SimplyGo increases its sensitivity to detect your breath and it softens the pulse flow delivery so it doesn’t wake you up. Don’t worry, if your SimplyGo doesn’t detect a breath or if you breathe through your mouth it will automatically switch back over to continuous flow to ensure you get your required oxygen.

Oxlife Freedom portable oxygen concentrator

The Oxlife Freedom portable oxygen concentrator was designed to be your 24 hour a day oxygen solution. During the day it’s long battery life and quick recharge time will allow you to spend a busy day running errands or have a fun day with family and friends, or a night out on the town.

When it’s time to sleep the quiet operation of the Oxlife Freedom won’t disturb your rest or your companion’s. The intelligent delivery system ensures that you stay properly saturated throughout the night. The machine senses as breathing gets shallower or slower and will adjust dosage for proper titration.

SeQual Eclipse 5 portable oxygen concentrator

The SeQual Eclipse 5 portable oxygen concentrator offers both continuous and pulse flow settings. It will go up to a setting of 9 on pulse and it will go from 0.5-3.0 LPM on continuous flow.

It can be used 24/7 365 days a year and it is CPAP/BiPAP compatible so you can use it while you sleep if you need to.

Inogen One G3 portable oxygen concentrator

The Inogen One G3 portable oxygen concentrator, weighs 4.8 pounds and offers up to 8 hours of battery life, the Inogen One G3 has been one of the most popular portable oxygen concentrators on the market for over two years!

We could talk about this unit’s small, lightweight, and durable design, however, it also gives patients 24 hours a day 7 days a week of reliable oxygen delivery.

Despite the fact that the Inogen One G3 is a pulse flow portable oxygen concentrator, the majority of oxygen patients can still use this machine for nighttime oxygen delivery! Just like the Inogen One G2, the G3, it is equipped with Intelligent Delivery Technology.

Inogen’s Intelligent Delivery Technology ensures that your oxygen is delivered within the first 400 milliseconds after your concentrator detects your breath. This almost guarantees that you’re receiving the entire bolus dose of oxygen delivered by your G3.

Along with delivering oxygen within the first 400 milliseconds, the Intelligent Delivery Technology responds to your breath rate! This feature is what allows you to use your Inogen One G3 while you sleep even though it doesn’t offer a continuous flow.

When you are sleeping your breathing rate decreases. As the Intelligent Delivery Technology monitors your breath rate, it will automatically increase or decrease the amount of oxygen per bolus dose depending on the oxygen setting and your breath rate.

For example, if you are breathing at a rate of 10 breaths per minute the Inogen One G3 will double the amount of oxygen per bolus dose than if you were breathing at 20 breaths per minute. This is to ensure you are getting your required oxygen.

One of the big reasons pulse flow portable oxygen concentrators aren’t recommended to use at night while you sleep is that they don’t detect mouth breaths. The Inogen One G3, on the other hand, will be able to detect shallow mouth breaths! So as long as you don’t need a CPAP or BiPAP machine at night, the Inogen One G3 should work for your nighttime oxygen delivery system.

5 habits to practice for better sleep

On top of having the best breathing equipment, it is also important to practice these lifestyle tips that will help you get to sleep faster and staying asleep throughout the night

1. Try to get 30 minutes of exercise in during the day

Exercising during the day will not only improve sleep quality but also sleep duration at night. Exercise is one of the best ways to treat your COPD or other respiratory problems because it straightens your lungs and they are able to function better during the day and night.

As few as ten minutes of aerobic exercise, such as walking, cycling or taking a tai chi class, can dramatically improve your sleep quality.

The best way to see results fast, is to exercise on a regular basis.

2. Avoid carbonated beverages late at night.

Soda and caffeinated beverages before bed are obviously not going to help you get to sleep faster, but what you might have not known is that carbonated drinks in general are not good for sleep.

By drinking carbonated beverages, your body will produce gas that pushes on your diaphragm, making breathing more difficult.

For that reason, it’s a good idea to avoid carbonated beverages before bed. This includes sparkling water for hydration or a glass of ginger ale to help settle your stomach.

3. Establish a sleeping routine

Try to go to bed and wake up around the same time every day. This means weekends, too! If you need a nap in the middle of the day, you can also add this into your sleep schedule.

Try your best to be strict about this! When your body has a sleep cycle to rely on, you can more naturally achieve sleep, even if you are sleeping with an oxygen concentrator during the night.

4. Designate your sleeping spot

As part of establishing a sleeping routine, you can also add certain bedtime activities into your schedule so that you body can adjust to when it is time to fall asleep. For example, you can start reading before bed and once this is a regular thing, your body and mind will calm realizing it is time to sleep.

It’s important that you designate your bed – and bedroom – for sleep. Do not spend time working or being actively awake in your bed.

5. Practice techniques for clearing your airways before bed

Techniques for airway clearance are something you can practice throughout the day, especially after meals; however, this is especially useful for getting a good night’s sleep. Airways clearing techniques may help you more naturally maintain oxygen levels throughout the night, whether or not you are sleeping with an oxygen concentrator.

One technique is controlled coughing for COPD.

Sleeping and COPD 

There are a lot of daily struggles that come with having a disease like COPD and this disease is not going away. 

The best way for you to live with COPD, is to manage and treat it with care and attention. This process starts and ends with sleeping! The more sleep you get, the better you feel and the more energy you have to exercise, eat healthy, and reach out to loved ones. 

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One of the biggest mistakes you can make with COPD, is living with restless nights because of how easily you can solve this problem. If the issue is lack of oxygen, you should reach out to us at LPT Medical so that we can help you find the best oxygen concentrator at the best possible price that will fit your oxygen requirements and get you the sleep you need to operate productively during the day. 

You can start by calling us at 1-800-946-1201 and speaking with one of our respiratory specialists. 

If you already have an oxygen concentrator, and you still have trouble sleeping, try adjusting to a strict sleep scheduled and working out at least 10 minutes a day. 

A combination of the right sleeping equipment, oxygen therapy, and daily habits will help you get to sleep you need. You will notice after a few weeks with sufficient sleep, your mood, and overall wellbeing will improve!

Managing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can feel like a balancing act a lot of the time. On one hand, you want to do everything you can to reduce the symptoms and prevent the progression of your disease. However, on the other hand, you don’t want to use any treatments that could cause serious side-effects. It’s not always easy to find a balance between these two things and create a routine that works for you.

This has never been more true than with home remedies. Simply put, a home remedy is an easy and accessible treatment option for an ailment that you can do at home. Home remedies are not prescribed by a doctor and they typically have more anecdotal evidence to prove their efficacy than hard scientific fact. What’s more, home remedies aren’t always focused on treating a specific disease like COPD. Instead, they could be focused on improving your health in general which, in turn, could help you treat your COPD.

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Rather than taking a risk with home remedies you may find on social media or elsewhere on the internet, we’re going to outline some COPD home remedies that are proven to be safe and effective. Just remember that home remedies should never be put before the treatment plan prescribed by your doctor including but not limited to supplemental oxygen therapy, pulmonary rehabilitation, and an improved diet. As always, if you have any questions about what you read here, don’t hesitate to leave a comment and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

Dietary Supplements

Dietary supplements are commonly misunderstood in today’s world. Many people are under the impression that dietary supplements can replace a healthy diet and others are convinced that dietary supplements do nothing at all. However, the truth is somewhere between these two points of view. Supplements can potentially enhance your diet, but there are also a few things you need to be aware of in order to use them safely.

Dietary supplements are not considered “medication” by any means. In fact, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies them as a “food product.” The good news is that this means they are widely available and you won’t need a prescription in order to buy them. But the bad news is that supplements are not regulated the same way as medication. It also means you’ll have to do your due diligence and research supplements, as well as the company selling them before you make any commitments.

Vitamin D Supplements

It’s a well-known fact that many people develop vitamin D deficiency after contracting COPD. According to the National Emphysema Foundation, over half of all COPD patients develop vitamin D deficiency because they consume fewer foods that are high in vitamin D and they are less likely to spend time outside in the sunlight which is a major source of vitamin D for many healthy people.

The main problem associated with vitamin D deficiency is osteoporosis, a condition where the bones become weak and brittle. Vitamin D plays an important role in the absorption of calcium which gives the bones their structure and strength. Vitamin D also plays an important role in the growth and function of muscles which is also very important for COPD patients.

Ginseng

Ginseng has a long history of use in Chinese medicine. It’s an herb that’s believed to improve pulmonary function as well as respiratory endurance. It’s known for both its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects as well as being able to regulate blood sugar levels. While the benefits of ginseng look promising, it’s important to discuss with your doctor before using it because it’s known to interfere with certain COPD medications.

N-Acetylcysteine (NAC)

This is an antioxidant supplement that’s shown potential when it comes to thinning mucus, reducing phlegm, and clearing the airways. Like ginseng, NAC is a widely available supplement that can be bought without a prescription. However, it is also known to interfere with certain medications, so it’s important to consult with your doctor before using it to treat your COPD.  

Smoking Cessation

The vast majority of people who have COPD have smoked in the past and about 38 percent of current COPD patients are also smokers. Many people believe that, since they’ve already contracted COPD, there is no reason to put in the effort to quit smoking. But this could not be farther from the truth. The main reason to quit smoking is to slow the progression of COPD, but there are a whole host of other reasons as well.

Smoking increases your risk of conditions like heart disease, heart attack, diabetes, and more. What’s more, current evidence suggests that smoking is associated with increased severity of disease and a higher likelihood of death in COVID-19 patients. Smokers are known for having impaired immune systems which could also put you at a higher risk of contracting respiratory infections.

While there are many prescription medications you can use to quit smoking such as Chantix or Zyban, there are also many natural methods for quitting smoking. One thing you should know about smoking and other types of addictions is that you need it in order to feel normal. If you’re deprived of it for too long, you will likely start to experience feelings of withdrawal. When this happens, you’ll experience intense cravings, along with headaches and a change of mood. This is when you’re most likely to fall back into your smoking habits.

In order to avoid these intense feelings, you may have to slowly wean yourself off cigarettes or use a common technique like nicotine replacement therapy. Unfortunately, many smokers feel like they’re up against impossible odds when it comes to smoking cessation. Maybe you’ve seen others around you fail at losing cigarettes or you just don’t feel like you have it in you. But the truth is, it takes many attempts to quit smoking. This study suggests that it could take anywhere between 8 and 14 attempts to drop a smoking habit for good. 

Cleaning Your Home

For most people, cleaning the house is a chore. But for someone with COPD, it can be a lifesaver. There are two reasons you should clean your home on a daily basis: first and foremost, it helps to eliminate airborne allergens and bacteria from your home, and secondly, cleaning is a therapeutic activity that helps you feel accomplished and whole. When your living environment becomes messy or dirty, you’re far more likely to experience issues like anxiety and depression.

Before you start cleaning, you need to make sure you’re using safe cleaning products that don’t contain dangerous chemicals that could exacerbate your respiratory problems. Unfortunately, the cleaning product industry is rife with hazardous chemicals that, if inhaled, can lead to coughing, wheezing, chest pain, shortness of breath, and even permanent lung damage. In COPD patients, inhaled chemicals can even cause severe exacerbations.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are some of the most common hazardous materials you should keep an eye out for. Some common personal and home care items that include VOCs are:

• Disinfectants and cleaners
• Pesticides
• Air fresheners
• Deodorant and cosmetics
• And fuel

Other hazardous things in cleaning products include bleach, ammonia, ethylene glycol, monobutyl acetate, sodium hypochlorite, and trisodium phosphate. If at all possible, you should entirely avoid using cleaning products with these chemicals in them. However, if you absolutely have to use them, you should ensure that the room is well-ventilated, you should always wear a mask, and avoid getting the cleaning product on your hands or near your eyes or mouth. Refer to the Cleveland Clinic for more information on cleaning safely if you have COPD. 

Breathing Exercises

Breathing exercises may seem silly to someone who has never tried them. However, the more you look into them, the more you begin to realize the bad breathing habits people develop over the course of their life. As a society, we spend more time sitting and remaining sedentary than ever before. This has caused many people to develop a shallow, ineffective breathing method that can be dangerous for someone with COPD or other respiratory conditions.

Breathing exercises are very easy to practice in the comfort of your own home and they are the perfect thing to incorporate into your daily routine. Not only will breathing exercises help you correct bad breathing habits, but they will also teach you how to reduce and manage anxiety more effectively.

One of the worst habits for COPD patients to develop is chest breathing. This type of breathing is focused on using the chest muscles in order to expand the lungs which can be exhausting with inflamed and obstructed lungs. Chest breathing should be replaced with diaphragmatic deep breathing which is focused on using the diaphragm, the thin sheet of muscle above the stomach to expand the lungs.

Anxiety Management

Cleaning regularly and practicing breathing techniques are both great ways to reduce anxiety, but they aren’t the only ones. The tricky thing about anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders is that they can be triggered by just about anything. Some people may experience anxiety about their health whereas other people may experience anxiety for reasons that are purely biological.

The first step to preventing anxiety is to simply follow your treatment plan as closely as possible. Your treatment plan is designed with your long-term well-being in mind and that includes your mental health. Things like exercise and a healthy diet will help with full-body wellness and they’re always the first things you should commit to if you want to feel happier and more motivated. If you’ve tried all of this and you’re still experiencing anxiety, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the best alternative. 

Weight Management

COPD is commonly linked with weight loss. Due to the increased energy that it takes to breathe with COPD, a changing immune system, and other factors like a loss of appetite, many COPD patients find themselves losing an unhealthy amount of weight. Oftentimes, this weight can be muscle mass rather than fat which is the most dangerous part about it. Your body needs muscle strength in order to breathe and get around more efficiently, so it’s very important to keep a healthy weight with COPD. 

Weight management is something that can be done at home. Your doctor has likely set you up with a new diet plan that includes high protein, fiber, and healthy fats. You should follow this plan as closely as possible. What’s more, you should eat regularly throughout the day instead of eating one or two big meals each day. This will prevent you from feeling exhausted or bloated after eating and keep your energy levels stable throughout the day.

The second thing you should be aware of is your exercise routine. Pulmonary rehabilitation isn’t just designed to keep your lungs strong, it’s also important for helping you manage your weight by keeping fat off and muscle on. Like your diet, the most critical thing with pulmonary rehab is consistency so try to incorporate fitness into your daily routine.

Healthy Sleep Habits

Your sleep/wake cycle doesn’t just affect your alertness throughout the day, it also affects your energy levels and your ability to take on the challenges that COPD presents. For example, someone with a healthy sleep schedule will have a better mental attitude and a better willingness to make lifestyle changes that will positively impact their respiratory health. A poor sleep schedule can also contribute to anxiety which can further exacerbate COPD.

The key to a healthy sleep schedule is consistency. Adults should be getting between 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night and your sleep schedule shouldn’t vary night-to-night. Try to get to bed and wake up at the same time each day. Doctors also recommend avoiding naps throughout the day, getting plenty of exercise, and avoiding using electronics before you go to bed.

If you’re concerned that you’re losing sleep at night due to low oxygen levels, you may want to speak with your doctor about using supplemental oxygen therapy while you sleep. You are likely already on some form of oxygen therapy, but using an oxygen concentrator while you sleep will ensure that your blood oxygen levels remain stable throughout the night. Portable oxygen concentrators like the Caire FreeStyle Comfort or the Inogen One G5 are great options because they’re small, quiet, and can be plugged into any wall outlet meaning they’ll never turn off on you in the middle of the night. 

If you have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and need to use a CPAP or BiPAP machine while you sleep, you will need to use a continuous flow portable oxygen concentrator like the Respironics SimplyGo. This concentrator is designed to put out a constant stream of oxygen, so if your breathing is interrupted for any reason while you sleep, you can rest assured that you’ll still be receiving medical-grade oxygen.   

Conclusion

When it comes to treating COPD, you need a comprehensive approach that takes into consideration all facets of your life from your sleep schedule to your mental well-being. Home remedies are a great way to make you more conscious about how your lifestyle is affecting your health and what steps you can take to reverse these issues.

At the same time, however, you need to be careful about what home remedies you use. Some people will make unfounded claims about dietary supplements or other remedies which can actually make your symptoms worse. This is why you should always consult your doctor before using a new product or making drastic changes to your lifestyle.

Above all, you should be focusing on the treatment plan that you’ve created with your doctor. Doing so will help you alleviate breathlessness, chest pain, and coughing associated with COPD and you can expect to see a better prognosis for your disease.