Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a disease that causes lung irritation and therefore challenges breathing.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) it’s the fourth most common cause of death among people in the United States. Getting treatment and developing healthy lifestyle habits are essential to improving your quality of life with this condition.

In addition to breathing difficulties, coughing, and lack of energy, COPD can also lead to other weird symptoms that are not as commonly talked about. In this article we will talk about some of these symptoms and what you can do to relieve them.

Irritation, mood swings, and depression

It might not be your first connection when it comes to how COPD will affect your life, but your emotions play an important role in your breathing patterns and vice versa.

People with COPD will sometimes experience emotional problems that they previously didn’t have before they were diagnosed with COPD. They also may be found to have started having symptoms of depression not long before the COPD diagnosis that can be attributed to COPD because their diagnosis might be well after they actually started to have COPD. People who have anxiety or depression even before they have COPD are more at risk for having frequent and severe exacerbations. This is simply because emotions have a big impact on your breathing.

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Some of the lifestyle changes and hardships that come with COPD can lead to feelings of loss, frustration, or sadness and if you can’t do the things you once did it is easy to get caught up in depression and anxious feelings. You may even experience a mood disorder that causes you to feel irritated and disinterested.

When you’re depressed, you can get stuck mourning life as you knew it before COPD. One study from The National Center for Biotechnology Information estimated that 40 percent of those with COPD suffer from depression.

So what can you do?

While the physical challenges are hard to face, it is the mental challenges of COPD that are hard to portray to caretakers and your loved ones. The best way to get better is to express your feelings and speak with a professional about how you can communicate these feelings better. You can also talk to your doctor about antidepressants and COPD.

If it is fitting, your doctor might want to prescribe a medication to help alleviate your depression. It’s crucial to find the right medication for you because many antidepressants can interfere with medications you may already take for your COPD.

Two medications that doctors prescribe for depression in people with COPD are sertraline (Zoloft) or citalopram (Celexa). Do not be discouraged if the medication does not work right away, It can take up to 8 weeks for an antidepressant to take full effect.

If you are trying to avoid taking additional medication, but are still suffering from depression, you might find relief by seeing a mental health specialist. You can learn from others in group therapy or find individual help with one on one therapy, both of which can help you learn how to cope with your disease and adapt to your life with COPD.

Ask your pulmonologist or primary care doctor for a reference for a well reviewed therapist who helps people in your particular condition or with similar backgrounds.

Support groups may also be beneficial for people with COPD who are experiencing depression. Being in a setting with others who are facing many of the same problems can help you feel less alone. You may discover some real life tips and advice for taking better care of yourself by talking to others. With the right combination of treatments and communication, you’ll be better able to cope with your COPD and your changing lifestyle.

A variety of online support groups are also available for people with COPD. You can simply search on Facebook “LPT Medical COPD & Respiratory Support Group” and find a community of people willing to help others with COPD. There are many other popular sites that have forums or discussion groups where members can share their feelings to an understanding group of peers.

Always remember that you aren’t the first person to feel this way and someone out there might have found a way of handling their emotions effectively. Taking the time to talk with someone from the comfort of your home can be a great first step to reaching out for help with depression.

How to manage showering

Showering with COPD can be very difficult and leave patients feeling exhausted just by simply standing in the water. Usually people use hot water to shower, and that humidity builds up creating a difficult breathing environment for yourself if you have COPD. You can also be exerting a lot of energy just standing for long periods of time in the heat, so your breathing will be affected by that.

So what can you do?

Here are a few suggestions to help conserve your strength and not become so short of breath while you shower.

1. Use a shower chair

If you have COPD it can take a lot of energy just to stand, bathe, and hold your arms above your head when washing your hair.

Using a shower stool can help you avoid exacerbating your condition. Sitting down alleviates the cost of energy you would exert by standing and bending over. By conserving energy, you are lowering the risk of injury from a fall or slip.

2. Keep a fan in the bathroom

Steam from a shower increases the humidity level in the room. This can also exacerbate COPD, triggering coughing and shortness of breath.

To avoid worsening symptoms, only shower in well-ventilated bathrooms either using a fan or keeping the door open or both. If you have a window in your bathroom you can keep that open as well.

You can also place a portable fan in the bathroom with the door open to ventilate the room, and minimize the humidity.

3. Use your portable oxygen concentrator in the shower

It is ok to use your oxygen in the shower, and it might make it so that you are able to handle the energy it takes to do so.

If you use a portable oxygen concentrator, make sure it is not plugged in to charge, and then you can always add an extension to the cannula tubing so that your concentrator does not get wet.

4. Take less hot showers

This one is easier said than done, because most people love a good hot shower, however this might be the reason you don't feel energized enough to take a shower comfortably.

The heat from the water creates steam so not only is the hot air harder to breath in, the humid steam also poses a lot of issues for people with trouble breathing.

Extreme or Sudden Weight Loss

Weight loss is a sign of severe COPD.

When the damage to your lungs becomes so severe your lung volume will expand in size, which leads to flattening your diaphragm, thereby reducing the amount of space between your lungs and stomach.

You might have noticed that before you were diagnosed with COPD, that you had lost a lot of weight without really doing anything. This is because people with COPD use more calories to breathe than people who don’t have the disease.

So, If you don’t know that you have COPD, this can be perplexing, especially if you’ve tried to gain the weight back and nothing works to do so. This can lead to feeling very run down and weak.

So what can you do?

Try not to eat too fast or eat certain foods that may trigger bloating or indigestion. Doing so can make it harder to breathe and being uncomfortable might discourage you from eating regular, healthy meals as well.

Try to avoid these common triggers:

• salty foods
• spicy foods
• fried foods
• high-fiber foods
• carbonated drinks
• caffeine

To increase your body weight while making sure you get the proper nutrients, it may help to:

• Eat small but frequent meals throughout the day
• Find ways to eat higher calorie foods, such as full-fat milk (“whole milk”) products instead of low fat milk products
• Reduce your intake of fluid during meals to allow more space in your stomach for food
• Drink more fluids in between meals
• Avoid foods and drinks that trigger bloating
• Eat while using oxygen treatments
• Rest before you eat
• In some cases, your doctor or dietitian may encourage you to add a nutritional supplement to your diet.
• Simplify your snacks and meals
• Find ways to prepare snacks and meals more easily might also help you meet your nutritional needs.

For example, you can reduce some of the physical work cooking involves by buying:

• Precut produce
• Microwaveable meals
• Other packaged products
• Cut back on sodium
• When you’re shopping for pre prepared or packaged food products, look for low-sodium options. Eating too much sodium causes your body to retain water, which puts more pressure on your lungs.

It is also important to pay attention to your mental health if you notice that you’ve lost weight around the same time that you’ve been experiencing feelings of depression, anxiety, or stress, consider asking your doctor about ways to improve your mental health.

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Antidepressants and other treatments may help you manage your weight while improving your mood and outlook on life.

For more tips and support, your doctor may refer you to a registered dietitian or other specialist. A registered dietitian can help you develop ways to adjust your diet while coping with COPD.

Feet swelling

If you have COPD, you may develop peripheral edema (fluid retention), This causes swelling of the feet, ankles, and legs. This lower body swelling can limit your activity and can be very uncomfortable. It is also a sign of advancing COPD.

As COPD begins to negatively impact your lungs and heart, your blood circulation is eventually affected as well, which causes edema. There are other causes of edema, so you will need a medical evaluation to determine if it is caused by your COPD.

So what can you do?

Medications and lifestyle changes can help reduce leg edema, both of which we will discuss in detail. The important thing is that since edema is a sign that your COPD may be progressing, you might also need to adjust your COPD treatments, for example, your doctor may increase your oxygen therapy prescription.

If you have a hard time doing physical activity due to COPD, it can be difficult to distinguish edema from weight gain.

If you are experiencing lower body swelling from your COPD, fluid management is an important part of the treatment, and it involves lifestyle strategies as well as medication.

Medications that can help reduce edema include diuretic prescriptions, which trigger the elimination of fluid in the urine.

Other methods you should try to minimizing leg swelling include:

• Rest with your feet up: By lifting your feet up at the same level as your heart (or higher) you are reducing the blood flow into your legs which should bring down the swelling.
• Wear compression stockings: Supportive socks may also help bring down the swelling of blood in your feet and ankles. These can normally be purchased at any drugstore.
• Keep up with hydration: You must closely follow your doctor's instructions when it comes to fluids because your fluid intake can be tricky when you have COPD-associated leg edema. Drinking too much fluid can cause edema if your kidneys can't catch up with urine production and on the other hand not drinking enough water may also cause swelling if your kidneys retain excess fluid to prevent dehydration.
• Reduce salt: Your salt intake can influence the edema in your legs. Salt concentration managed by your kidneys, so too little or too much salt can result in swelling or dehydration.
• Get regular exercise: Staying active can help your lungs and heart function properly even if you have COPD it is important to maintain healthy circulation.

Oxygen therapy as treatment for COPD 

When you start to get extra oxygen into your system while taking oxygen therapy it can help you have fewer intense bursts of being breathless.

It can also:

• Helps you to sleep better
• Increases your energy and ability to exercise
• Helps you focus 
• Boosts your mood
• Improves sex
• Lowers your chance of heart failure (when your heart doesn’t pump enough blood to your body)
• Even prolongs your life expectancy 

If your doctor prescribes you oxygen therapy at any point, it is crucial to work with a oxygen supply company that is a licensed distributer and has a dedicated team of experienced respiratory specialist that can connect you with a portable oxygen concentrator that fits into your life with ease. 

Overview 

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There are a lot of other random feelings and discomforts that people can attribute to their COPD, and because this disease effects everyone differently, you might also experience something completely different than someone that is you same age and gender with COPD. Therefore, there is not one single treatment plan that works for everyone. 

For the most part, the COPD diagnosis means a few things across the board. It is time to take control of your lifestyle, eat healthy foods and eat consistently to maintain a healthy weight, you should continue or start to exercise as much as possible, and you need to quit smoking if you do. 

After you have incorporated these healthier lifestyle choices in your daily life, you might recognize other aspects of your life that you need to work on or you need help to mange. These weird symptoms in this article are just a few of the realities COPD patients face, and you might experience one, some, or none of these, but whatever you do, remember you are not alone and there are almost 30 million people in the United states alone with this incurable disease, however you can choose to live a well-balance life or not.

If your doctor prescribes you oxygen therapy at any point, it is crucial to work with a oxygen supply company that is a licensed distributer and has a dedicated team of experienced respiratory specialist that can connect you with a portable oxygen concentrator that fits into your life with ease. 

Life is full of obstacles that we need to overcome. Whether it be an obstacle in our career or personal life, success always comes from our ability to adapt to these circumstances and find a way past them. Thankfully, you never have to feel “alone” when it comes to facing these challenges. There’s no shame in relying on friends and family when times get tough, especially if it’s your health that’s at stake.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one life-changing obstacle that millions of Americans are faced with each year. If you’re diagnosed with this common lung disease, you will need to plan your life around your treatment plan which could involve drastic changes to your diet or exercise routine, as well as kicking bad habits like cigarette smoking, a poor sleep schedule, or overeating.

While this may sound like an immense barrier to overcome in your life, by breaking it down and focusing on one thing at a time, you’ll find that it’s much easier than you thought. Aside from relying on friends, family, and healthcare professionals, you should also make it a priority to rely on modern technology. At first, it may seem easier to stick with technology that you know how to use and that you’re comfortable with, however, over time you’ll find that modern technology is not as scary as it seems. 

In this post, we’ll take a look at 7 different barriers you’ll be able to overcome with the help of a portable oxygen concentrator. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to speak with one of our respiratory specialists.

How Portable Oxygen Concentrators are “More Advanced”

If you think about the phone that’s in your pocket or the computer that’s sitting on your desk at home, you might be amazed at how far these devices have progressed in the past decade. These devices have all progressed in a way that allows us to accomplish more with less effort. And in some cases, they can even automate processes that were once tedious chores.

Oxygen delivery devices have progressed in much the same way. Unlike old bulky oxygen tanks, modern portable oxygen concentrators afford COPD patients the opportunity to accomplish more in their day-to-day lives with less hassle. But in order to accomplish that, oxygen manufacturers how to pursue a new type of oxygen delivery that didn’t involve storing oxygen inside a tank.

Oxygen concentrators work by generating oxygen from ambient air. They use intake vents to draw in surrounding air, then remove impurities like nitrogen and argon. It then puts out medical-grade oxygen that the user inhales through the nasal cannula. While this may sound complicated, the whole process is automated for you and all you need to worry about is learning how to turn the device on or off and adjust the flow setting which determines how much oxygen you receive. Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the obstacles you’ll overcome with a portable oxygen unit.

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Staying Active

Exercise plays a crucial role in weight management, improving mood, boosting energy, promoting better sleep, and reducing your risk of developing diseases like diabetes and arthritis. Unfortunately, many people are under the impression that the need to exercise dissipates as we age or if we develop a chronic condition like COPD. This could not be farther from the truth!

In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), regular physical activity in seniors reduces your risk for common conditions like coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, and colon cancer. It’s also one of the best ways to combat feelings of loneliness or helplessness which are common in old age.

The good news is that you don’t need to commit to a rigorous exercise routine in order to benefit. Studies have shown that even a small amount of moderate exercise each day will have immense benefits for our health. What’s more important than the intensity of the exercise is how frequently you do it. Maintaining a sedentary lifestyle for more than a couple of days or weeks on end will inevitably cause your health to decline.

If you have COPD, you know that exercise can be a huge barrier in the way of staying healthy. Even patients with moderate (stage 2) COPD have around 50% to 79% lung function (FEV1), so it’s no surprise that many people with COPD become breathless after a small amount of exercise. This is why it’s absolutely vital that you keep up with your supplemental oxygen needs because it will ensure that your blood oxygen levels remain stable. 

According to Healthline.com, a normal blood oxygen level is between 80 and 100 millimeters of mercury (mm HG), but it’s important to first check in with your doctor to make sure this is best for you. Either way, if you want to maintain your oxygen levels, you’re going to need a reliable portable oxygen device that you can take with you whenever you exercise. Since portable oxygen concentrators are much lighter and smaller than their alternatives, most people prefer them if they’re looking to stay active. 

Doing Chores Around the House

Doing chores isn’t something that most people look forward to. They can be quite tedious and take time away from things that are much more entertaining. But COPD patients often have a unique perspective when it comes to chores because they can help them feel more in control and independent in their daily lives.

Simple tasks like taking out the trash, washing the dishes, or folding clothes can be very important for COPD patients who may feel anxiety or loneliness. These seemingly menial tasks can help keep your mind occupied in your downtime, keeping your mind off your disease and any other negative thoughts that you might come across. They can also help you keep your living space clean by reducing clutter.

Modern portable oxygen concentrators make it much easier for COPD patients to get around their own homes than old outdated oxygen tanks do. In the past, oxygen patients would need to purchase an extra long nasal cannula that they could drag around from room to room. This can be a pain, not to mention it’s also very dangerous because it can be a tripping hazard.

Traveling Long Distance

Long-distance travel is a huge barrier for many people with COPD. Since oxygen tanks are illegal on commercial flights for safety reasons, those with a respiratory impairment are required to take slower forms of transportation such as driving or riding a train or bus. If your goal is to visit your friends or loved ones across the country, you may be better off letting them come to you.

On the other hand, if you use a portable oxygen concentrator, you’ll be happy to find that no form of transportation is off-limits. Portable oxygen concentrators are approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for in-flight use. All that is required is that you bring enough batteries to last you 1.5 times the length of the flight in duration. So, for example, if your flight was two hours long, you need three hours’ worth of battery. This is not a problem, however, considering concentrators like the Caire FreeStyle Comfort and Inogen One G5 can provide you with well over 10 hours of battery life on one charge. 

Keeping up With Your Friends

A couple of months ago, we wrote an article titled, “7 Social Benefits of Owning a Portable Oxygen Concentrator.” In this post, we discussed the social stigma that’s often associated with supplemental oxygen therapy. From an outside perspective, oxygen users are often seen as less capable than their counterparts due to the fact that they have to lug around a bulky oxygen tank. But when they switch over to a portable oxygen concentrator, this stigma often goes away.

Not only are oxygen concentrator owners perceived as “more capable,” but they actually are more capable. Portable oxygen concentrators like the Inogen One G3 can easily be slung over your shoulder and carried around all day without you experiencing shoulder or back pain or shortness of breath. What’s more, it offers a variety of carrying options that can help you conceal your device and make it more inconspicuous.

The GO2 Carryall is one such carrying option that any G3 owner can enjoy. This is a leather bag specially designed to fit the Inogen One G3. Instead of simply protecting the G3, however, they also look very stylish and match many different wardrobes. It’s also very easy to access the G3 control panel if you need to adjust your flow setting, check your battery life, or turn the device on or off.

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Avoiding Hospital Visits

There’s no doubt about it, being admitted to the hospital constantly due to flare-ups or exacerbations is exhausting, time-consuming, and it can put a huge strain on your financial well-being. According to businessinsider.com, the average stay at a hospital is around $10,700. In other words, you can eat through your savings real fast if you don’t come up with some plan to reduce medical emergencies due to COPD.

Simply put, POCs help you prevent exacerbations and flare-ups because they offer a reliable source of oxygen no matter where you are in the world. Whether you’re sitting at home or you’re exercising at your favorite park, these oxygen machines will keep your lungs fully saturated, which in turn will ensure that every tissue and organ in your body has the oxygen it needs to function properly. This will put you in the best position possible to avoid medical emergencies like a heart attack, stroke, or high blood pressure.  

Another way that portable oxygen concentrators prevent exacerbations and flare-ups is because they come equipped with particle filters. These filters remove small particles from the air that you would normally be inhaling before it enters the device. This is mainly done to prevent damage to the POC itself, but it has the added benefit of purifying the air that you inhale through the nasal cannula. However, if you want to breathe the cleanest air possible, you should be sure to remove and clean the particle filter regularly. If you don’t know how to do this, consult your product’s user manual or speak with a respiratory specialist.

Following Your COPD Treatment Plan

A COPD treatment plan is an all-encompassing set of guidelines that your doctor will create for you to help you slow the progression of your disease and reduce symptoms. It usually involves some type of exercise routine like pulmonary rehabilitation, an improved diet, medication, and supplemental oxygen therapy. Like anything in life, the more you work at your treatment plan, the easier it will be to follow.

If you’re struggling to manage all these different things, however, you may benefit from a portable oxygen concentrator. Unlike oxygen tanks, you’ll never have to “refill” your concentrator. Simply plug it into a wall outlet until it’s fully charged or you can keep an extra battery charged so that you have no downtime. This will free up some time for you to work on other areas of your treatment plan such as your diet or exercise routine.

Staying Self-Sufficient

Self-sufficiency is something that can easily be taken for granted if you’re not careful. Chances are, you’ve spent your whole life working and taking care of yourself, but if you’re diagnosed with COPD, you might see this freedom slowly start to disappear. You may find yourself becoming increasingly reliant on friends or loved ones for support.

One of the reasons COPD patients may find themselves becoming less self-sufficient is because of their oxygen device. Oxygen tanks need to be refilled regularly meaning you’ll either have to go to an oxygen company yourself or have them deliver full oxygen tanks to your home on a regular basis. But if you switch over to a portable oxygen concentrator you’ll find that you never need to rely on others. Simply charge up your batteries and you’ll be able to go wherever you want, whenever you want.

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Conclusion

Everyone faces roadblocks in their life that make it more difficult to accomplish everything we’ve set out to do. But being diagnosed with COPD can feel like facing an obstacle that can’t be overcome. Fortunately, by taking things one step at a time and relying on friends, family members, and modern technology, it is possible to make progress and live a happy life.

Most COPD patients prefer using portable oxygen concentrators over other oxygen devices like compressed oxygen, liquid oxygen, or stationary oxygen concentrators because they help them to overcome some of their greatest challenges with less stress and anxiety. They’re also far more reliable and less dangerous to use. 

No matter where you are or what you’re doing, you’re always being exposed to disease-causing pathogens. And while this may seem like a scary concept, you'll be happy to know that your immune system is working around the clock to fight off this bacteria and keep your body healthy. At least, that’s what it’s supposed to do…

Immunodeficiency, also called immune deficiency, is a state in which the body’s ability to fight infectious disease is compromised. Primary immune deficiency is one that’s inherited through genetic mutations while secondary, or acquired immune deficiency is one that’s caused by environmental factors, i.e., bacteria, viruses, or immunosuppressive drugs like cigarettes.

Recently, researchers have focused their sights on understanding the effect of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other respiratory conditions on the immune system and what role the immune system plays in causing COPD. While COPD is not classified as an autoimmune disease (a disease that causes the immune system to attack the body), it’s still linked to the immune system in a number of ways. According to a study published in the American Thoracic Journal, COPD patients are more prone to respiratory infection and they’re less likely to recover from it than those without the disease.

While the correlation between immune deficiency and COPD is complex, it’s important for you to understand because it has a  profound effect on your health and wellbeing. For most people, getting sick is just a part of life. However, for someone with COPD, getting sick could mean being at a higher risk for life-threatening exacerbations.

In the following sections, we’ll discuss how the immune system works, the various types of immune disorders, and most importantly, where COPD fits into all of this. Your pulmonologist and primary physician should be your first line of contact when it comes to improving and maintaining your immune system, so be sure to reach out to him/her if you have any questions or concerns.

How Does the Immune System Work?

Just like the name suggests, the ‘immune system’ isn’t one specific entity; it’s a whole host of processes that occur throughout the body that work in tandem to protect you from disease-causing microorganisms. In a healthy person, these processes are all running at full force and working together effectively as the body’s first line of defense.

The immune system is one of the most complex parts of the body because it’s made up of a variety of different organs, cells, and proteins. There are three main tasks that the immune system is responsible for in the body:

• Recognizing harmful substances in your environment and keeping them out of the body.
  
  
• Neutralizing harmful pathogens inside the body such as parasites, fungi, viruses, and bacteria, then removing them.
  
  
• Fighting cancerous cells in the body.

Innate Immune System

All immune responses in the body can be divided into one of two different categories: innate or adaptive. The first of which, innate, is characterized by the body’s natural ability to fight harmful substances. Most of the components that make up you innate immune system are present at birth, but they can still develop and adapt over time.

Physical Barriers

While you may not think of your skin, eye lashes, and nose hair as part of the immune system, all of these are considered “physical barriers” and keep harmful substances from entering the body. The skin, for example, has a very low permeability, meaning it’s difficult for foreign substances to enter the body through it. However, other parts of the body like the mouth, nose, ears and eyes are open entry points to the rest of the body, this is why they need extra layers of immune protection.

Defense Mechanisms

Other innate immune responses in the body include things like saliva, mucous, tears, sweat, and secretions. Saliva, for example, plays an important role in managing bacteria in the mouth that causes gum disease. You may simply think of saliva as “water,” which is mostly what it is. However, saliva also contains a number of other substances like electrolytes, mucus, antibacterial compounds and various enzymes, all of which play a number of roles in protecting your oral health.

One important thing to note about your body’s natural defense mechanisms is that there’s a balance to all of it. When your body produces the ideal amount of saliva, mucous, tears, and sweat, you feel good. However, if something alters these processes, the defense mechanisms may be working against you. For example, smoking cigarettes results in high mucus production in the body. While mucus typically helps the body, too much of it can lead to airway obstruction and difficulty breathing. 

Another way smoking affects the innate immune system is through the destruction of cilia. Cilia are tiny hair-like protuberances found in the lungs and wave back and forth to keep mucus and other substances out of the lungs. Smoking temporarily disables cilia, and long-term smoking can damage them meaning you’ll be more likely to get sick or experience difficulty breathing. 

Inflammation

Inflammation is another key component of the innate immune response. Think of inflammation as a sort of signal that something is wrong. If you get an injury or an infection, inflammation occurs and white blood cells are sent to deal with the issue. Inflammation is a normal reactionary process for your body, but when it goes on for too long it may result in a chronic illness. What’s more, if inflammation never occurs, a seemingly harmless infection could become much more serious.  

Adaptive Immune System

The adaptive immune system is your body’s ability to evolve and adjust based on its circumstances. Whenever you contract a disease, your adaptive immune system “remembers” it, making it much easier to fight off the next time it’s exposed to it. Unlike the innate immune system which reacts to general threats in the body, the adaptive immune system is activated when it’s exposed to pathogens. The adaptive immune system is also a lot slower to react than the innate immune system.

Self vs Non-Self Antigens

In order for the immune system to work effectively, it first needs to be able to differentiate between self and non-self substances, organs, and cells. Self-antigens are ones that originate in the body and should not be attacked while non-self antigens are foreign and can often cause harm to the body if they aren’t neutralized.

Your immune system is largely coordinated by white blood cells called lymphocytes. When these cells come across a non-self antigen in the blood, they produce something called an antibody that allows them to detect and bind to the antigen. After binding to the antigen, the antibody engulfs and digests it with macrophages through a process called phagocytosis.

If the body has encountered a substance before, it may have stored “memory” cells that remember the microbe, allowing it to create an antibody more quickly. This is why people are less likely to contract a disease if they’ve already had it, because their immune system is better equipped to fight it off before it becomes a problem. However, an antibody that recognizes one antigen will not be able to recognize another.

Types of White Blood Cells

Lymphocytes

There are three different types of lymphocytes: T cells, B cells, and natural killer cells. T cells got their name because they’re produced in the thymus gland, a pinkish-gray organ in between the lungs. T cells are able to recognize foreign bodies and attach to them while ignoring self antigens.

B cells, produced in bone marrow, are another important type of lymphocyte. These cells have a protein on them called the B-cell receptor which generates the antibodies necessary to neutralize an antigen. B cells are part of the adaptive immune system because they develop when they’re introduced to a foreign substance.

NK cells, or natural killer cells, are the third type of lymphocyte. They got the name “natural” killers because they are part of the innate immune system. While T and B cells need to be primed by antigen presenting cells, NK cells have natural immune capabilities. NK cells are known for fighting cells that show early signs of cancer as well as virally infected cells.

Monocytes

Monocytes are the largest type of white blood cell. They’re produced in bone marrow like many leukocytes and become a macrophage when it travels to different tissues of the body via the bloodstream. These cells ingest foreign material, kill microorganisms, and remove dead cells.  

Granulocytes

Basophils

Basophils are a type of white blood cell referred to as granulocytes. A granulocyte white blood cell secretes substances called granules that play an important role in the immune system. When basophils are exposed to an allergen, they release a compound called histamine that causes dilation of capillaries and the contraction of smooth muscles.

Neutrophils

Neutrophils are usually the first white blood cells to arrive at the sight of infection because there are more of them than any other type of immune cell. Neutrophils neutralize bacterial infections through either phagocytosis or endocytosis.  

Eosinophils

These are proinflammatory cells that contain two different lobes and a cytoplasm that contains up to 200 granules. These granules contain proteins and enzymes that are needed to destroy foreign substances. While eosinophils play similar roles to other white blood cells, they also have a physiological role in the formation of organs such as the postgestational mammary gland.

Humoral vs. Cellular Immunity

Humoral and cellular immunity are the two main mechanisms within adaptive immunity. Humoral comes from the Latin word “humor” meaning “fluid” or “moisture.” So, humoral immunity refers to immune responses occurring within the body’s fluids, especially the blood. In humoral immunity, the antibody will destroy viruses through either immune cytolysis or phagocytosis.

Unlike humoral immunity, cellular immunity does not use antibodies. Instead, phagocytes, antigen-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes, and cytokines are released in response to antigens. When there is a viral infection, cell-mediated immunity can help prevent it from spreading but also results in an inflammatory response which can damage vital tissues surrounding the virus, resulting in chronic disease.

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Autoimmune Disease

An autoimmune disease is one that causes the immune system to be overactive and attack the body's tissues rather than pathogens or cancerous cells. Some autoimmune disease you may recognize include rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, and vasculitis. There are more than 80 types of autoimmune disease, so it can be difficult to diagnose and differentiate each one.

Because autoimmune diseases cause increased immune system activity, they're often characterized by inflammation in the body. When treating these diseases, the goal is usually to reduce inflammation and reduce immune system activity. Your doctor may prescribe corticosteroids or other steroids that can help with this.

COPD and The Immune System

You may recall from earlier that inflammation is one of the key functions of the innate immune system. When cigarette smoke or other airborne irritants enter the lungs, structural and inflammatory cells in the lung begin to release proinflammatory mediators. These mediators create an inflammatory microenvironment that damages the lungs and leaves the immune system in a state of disrepair. Many researchers have found that this lung state leads to more frequent and severe respiratory infection as well as a host of problems throughout the body.

While most medical professionals don’t label COPD as an autoimmune disease, most acknowledge that it has autoimmune components. Think of inflammation as a catalyst for adverse side-effects throughout the body. Because your immune system is preoccupied with chronic inflammation in the lungs, it has fewer resources to use in other areas of the body that may need it. 

Immune Dysfunction and COPD are a Two-Way Street

Another important thing to note about COPD and the immune system is that they’re a two-way street. In other words, a compromised immune system will lead to increased COPD symptoms, and COPD symptoms will lead to a compromised immune system. Like we mentioned before, smoking is the primary cause of COPD making up about 90 percent of COPD patients. Continuing to smoke with COPD will not only increase inflammation in the lungs, it will also weaken both your innate and adaptive immune system.

On the other hand, you should remember that only a small percentage of people who smoke actually develop emphysema or chronic bronchitis. This means that there are other factors at play in determining whether a smoker or someone exposed to lung irritants develops COPD. Researchers have found that both genetic makeup and the immune system play a role in determining whether someone develops the disease. 

Mucus Hypersecretion

Mucus is a substance created by mucosal glands lining the nasal passages. Its function is to lubricate, moisten, and filter debris that enters the airway, preventing it from reaching the lungs. But mucus isn’t the only substance secreted in the upper body. There are also fluids created by cell membranes in the nose and sinuses. When you get sick or your immune system is compromised by something like smoking or seasonal allergies, these substances are thrown off balance. This means you may experience thicker mucus in the airways making it much more difficult to breathe. 

Damaged Cilia

Unfortunately, many of the same things that cause COPD simultaneously damage your immune system. Cilia, tiny hair-like protrusions in the airways are one of the innate immune functions of the body that’s affected by cigarette smoking and air pollution. Much like mucus, cilia are part of a large ecosystem in your body that’s designed to prevent infection. While people who have never smoked or been exposed to a significant amount of pollution may have healthy cilia, most people who have COPD already have damaged cilia.

Another function of the cilia is to remove mucus and other substances from the airways. So, when the airways are inflamed due to bronchitis or the cilia are damaged and aren’t able to flow freely, congestion symptoms are likely going to stick around longer in someone with COPD and they may be more severe. This is one of the things that trigger a seemingly never ending cycle of sickness in people with chronic bronchitis and emphysema.  

Overactive Immune System

If you’ve ever heard the term “progressive disease,” you may have wondered exactly what that means. What this means is that the disease can’t be cured or reversed. While COPD is a progressive disease, it is still very treatable, meaning symptoms can be reduced and you are able to slow the progression of inflammation in the lungs.

Normally, you think of the immune system as something that protects your body from infection and harm. However, when you have COPD, your immune system is overactive. Something that may cause temporary airway inflammation in a healthy person may cause permanent and irreversible damage to a COPD patient’s lungs because the slightest irritant may result in prolonged inflammation.

High White Blood Cell Count

While a high white blood cell count in and of itself is not harmful, it is a sign of inflammation, chronic disease, and other symptoms. Since white blood cells are what combat infections, cancerous cells, and viruses in the body, a high WBC count is an indication that your body perceives a threat and is trying to eliminate it.

A study published in the National Center for Biotechnical Information looked at WBC counts between 1,227 COPD patients and 8,679 non-COPD adults over the age of 40. It concluded that high WBC counts were negatively associated with forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expired volume in one second (FEV1), both of which are crucial for quality of life in COPD patients.  

When an inflammatory response is triggered, phagocytes are what accelerate the amount of inflammation needed to treat the infection. They recruit alveolar macrophages that combat and control the inflammation. While alveolar macrophages are increased in patients with COPD, their ability to fight infection is impaired. This, along with a high survival rate of neutrophils leads to a high neutrophil load in the airway and a higher white blood cell count. 

Reduced Number of Dendritic Cells

Dendritic cells are responsible for processing antigens and presenting it to the T cells. They are also the primary line of communication between the adaptive and innate immune system. While researchers have yet to determine exactly how dendritic cells are affected by COPD, some studies have shown that nicotine exposure can reduce the number of dendritic cells in the body while reducing their functionality, thus compromising both the innate and adaptive immune  systems and their ability to work together effectively.

The Immune System and Acute Exacerbations

An acute exacerbation of COPD is a sudden worsening of respiratory symptoms and can last as short as two days or as long as a week. Acute exacerbations are more common in later stages of the disease and exhibit signs such as increased sputum (a mixture of saliva and mucus), breathlessness, coughing, wheezing, and more. Acute exacerbations are typically triggered by environmental factors such as air pollution, dirt, dust, or pollen, and infectious disease     

Studies have shown that the majority of exacerbations are caused by respiratory illness like the human rhinovirus, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus. More specifically, around half of the infective exacerbations caused by bacteria are the result of Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) which, despite its name, is not the same thing as influenza (the flu). Due to a changing lung microbiome, impaired airway system, and unusual inflammatory response, this provides an ideal environment for it to survive in the lower respiratory area.

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How To Avoid Getting Sick

Now that you know a little bit about how the immune system works and how COPD impairs your immune system, you need to know what you can do about it. No matter what stage of COPD you are in, your age, or your overall health, you should adhere to a strict routine that will keep you from getting sick and keep you breathing freely and effortlessly. While you should be doing everything you can to prevent respiratory infection, you’ll need to know how to react if you do get sick.

Quit Smoking

Smoking cessation should always be your first step in getting healthy and preventing respiratory infection. Cigarettes are what’s called an “immunosuppressive drug.” What this means is that when you smoke cigarettes, your immune system is weakened, and your body will be less prepared to fight off harmful viruses and bacteria.

According to a study published in the Oncotarget Open Access Journal, cigarette smoke damages adaptive immune cells like regulatory T cells, B cells, and memory T/B lymphocytes while damaging innate immune cells such as natural killer cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells. What’s more, smoking increases mucus production and makes it more difficult to clear meaning harmful pathogens are more likely to build up in the lungs. 

Get Plenty of Sleep

A great night’s sleep every night helps ensure your immune system is working its best. According to the National Sleep Foundation, sleep deprivation mainly affects one protein in the body: cytokines. This protein targets and prevents infection and inflammation in the body and they’re mainly produced and released while you’re sleeping.

If that’s not enough, when you slack on sleep, you’ll be more sleepy and less prepared to handle any symptoms of breathlessness or fatigue related to COPD. Getting enough sleep will give you the energy you need to follow your treatment plan to a T without making any mistakes. 

Stay Hydrated

There’s no understating the importance of hydration for COPD patients. Although everyone, regardless of whether they’re healthy or sick should be getting enough water, it’s especially important for anyone with a respiratory condition. Every cell in the body needs water in order to function, including all of the immune cells that we discussed above. The human body is made of more than

Long term oxygen therapy (LTOT) is a common treatment administered to respiratory patients in the comfort of their home, and depending on their prescription sometimes 24 hours a day. Lung diseases like COPD are chronic, and so LTOT can be life changing and life saving for people who have these low blood oxygen levels, which is also known as hypoxemia.

Oxygen therapy in itself is a simple concept, however there is confusion about where and how a person should buy their oxygen device. Anyone who is administering their own treatments or medication should be aware of every detail when it comes to health and safety, but they should also be informed about their purchasing options. Purchasing an oxygen device can feel as if you are in a maze, at each turn you find a barricade forcing you to start at the beginning again, and the cycle repeats itself. This article guides you through this maze so you know what to look out for, how to make the right choice, and more!

This article will take you through all of the ins and outs of what you should look for when purchasing your oxygen therapy device. This is your all intensive guide into the buying process of a breathing device, what you should look for, and how to make the best choice for you.

What is long-term oxygen therapy

If you have ever experienced a respiratory emergency where you went to the hospital and they put tubes in your nose to help you breath, that is oxygen therapy. This is a necessary treatment if you have ever had trouble breathing on your own and it can be used to save your life.

The difference between this emergency treatment and long-term oxygen therapy is that LTOT is administered while you are at home while going about your daily life, According to International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease LTOT should be prescribed for at least 18 hours per day, although some experts suggest that 24 hours would be more beneficial.

Long term oxygen therapy, if done correctly, is proven to improve survival and other qualities of life for COPD patients with chronic respiratory failure.

LTOT doesn’t just help you live a longer life, it helps you to live more active and worthwhile life by:

• Reducing the number of hospitalizations
• Increasing your lung capacity
• Increasing your ability to exercise
• Helping you to get better sleep
• Improving your moods
• Improving your health-related quality of life

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LTOT would normally be administered in the comfort of your home, by you, therefore the delivery method should meet your oxygen requirements but also be accustomed to your lifestyle.

Most people are prescribed oxygen anywhere from 16-24 hours a day so, this means you should choose a device that fits into your daily routine. You have a few choices when it comes to an oxygen system. These include devices you use only at home and lightweight alternatives you can take with you when you go out.

You’ll choose a oxygen device based on:

• How often you leave the house or travel
• If you need to go up and down stairs
• Your size, endurance, and physical strength
• How much oxygen flow your doctor prescribes

Oxygen devices

Three of the most popular portable devices you can choose from, each have their own pros and cons, and you should pick the best options for you:

• Compressed liquid oxygen tanks
• Oxygen gas tanks
• Portable oxygen concentrators (POC)

This article should give you some insight into what option is best for you.

If you already know that you are interested in buying a portable oxygen concentrator, and you are curious about which brand and model you should get, please read our other blog about the pros and cons of the best portable oxygen concentrators in 2020 by clicking the link here.

Affordability

The upfront costs of portable oxygen concentrators tend to scare off oxygen patients all of the time. This is unfortunate because the prices that are posted online are, for the most part, not the price you would pay for your POC. Due to the manufacturer's advertising policies, oxygen equipment licensed distributors are required to post their prices. Even if the seller has a special, discount codes, or a sale.

So even when you simply search on google “portable oxygen concentrators prices” you will see them ranging from $2,000 to $3,000 depending on the brand, year, and model. To inquire about the real prices, you can call 1-800-946-1021 and speak with a respiratory specialist who knows these devices inside and out.

The other affordable aspect of portable oxygen concentrators is that you never have to refill the device, because it is extracting the air surrounding it, compressing and purifying it into the medical-grade oxygen that you are breathing int. At LPT medical we offer a 3 year long warranty on all our portable oxygen concentrators, so you won’t have to pay for a broken part or a malfunction!

Oxygen devices like the Respironics SimplyGo Portable Oxygen Concentrator have a compressor that is rated to last 20,000 hours. Others like the SeQual Eclipse 5 Portable Oxygen Concentrator were designed for the US Military, and it has the longest-standing track record for being durable and reliable.

All in all, a portable oxygen concentrator is going to last you a very long time, and there are no recurring costs, all you pay for is the device upfront. Also by purchasing a portable oxygen concentrator through LPT Medical you have the option to finance and pay monthly, or buy a used and refurbished device that is less expensive upfront.

For more information about your purchasing options and prices, please read this other blog that we have linked here, or call us at 1-800-946-1201

Portable oxygen canisters must be refilled multiple times per week, each time costing you money. The bigger tanks that you leave in your home to use are even more expensive to refill. While oxygen tanks are the most traditional form of oxygen, it is also the most outdated. Even with the low-initial costs, the recurring costs eventually add up, leading to higher costs over time.

Portability

Unlike portable oxygen concentrators, oxygen tanks are heavy and bulky. Their weight and lack or portability are one of the most commonly noted disadvantages of tanks. While wheel-mounted cart systems can help to make rolling oxygen tanks manageable, the tanks themselves are still rather heavy. Lifting the tank—for example, to put it in a vehicle or carry it up a staircase—can be challenging or even impossible for some simply due to the weight of the device.

Depending on the oxygen flow you need to fill your oxygen prescription, portable oxygen concentrators are very light weight, and small in size. Units like the Inogen One G5, Inogen One G3, and the Caire Freestyle Comfort, all range in weight from 4 pounds to 6. All are small enough to fit inside a purse or backpack, and come with their own carrying case. Having such a lightweight and portable breathing device is great for oxygen patients who want to be more active and do more things, and not to mention travel by plane.

Having a portable breathing device is essential for keeping up with a consistent exercise regime that is a necessary treatment for all COPD patients. You should be getting the right amount of exercise relative to your health and ability. Having a portable device can make it easier to go for walks, golf, or do any other activities you like to do as your daily physical activity.

Having a breathing device that is designed to be potable is also great for keeping your morale high. It is no secret that having a chronic illness like COPD can be hard for patients mentally. If you have COPD and a portable oxygen concentrator you have the freedom and independence you need to live a normal life without having to adjust your daily routine to fit your oxygen device. Instead your oxygen device fits into your lifestyle.

Battery life vs. tanks

Portable oxygen concentrators generate oxygen using a rechargeable battery, depending on the unit, you can have anywhere from 3-16 hours with oxygen until you must either switch the battery to your backup, or recharge the device. You can recharge any device using an AC or DC power source, meaning you can use a traditional outlet in your home, or the cigarette lighter in your car or boat.

An oxygen tank on the other hand does not need a power source. The tanks or canisters are filled with a finite amount of oxygen that you use up until it is empty and have to get it refilled or replaced. Normally, you pay an oxygen supply company to come to your home and deliver new tanks and take your old ones. The tanks that are heavy and are hard to move around don’t run low as often, probably once a month depending on your oxygen prescription, and the smaller travel canisters run out at least once a week.

Having a battery powered oxygen device versus refilling your oxygen tanks is a personal preference, most people find that charging their portable oxygen concentrators is as simple as charging your cell phone, and having an extra battery to replace one while it charges is the most efficient option.

Insurance

Obviously in a perfect world, insurance would cover all respiratory patients' oxygen devices but this is not the case. There are some very rare situations where Medicare or insurance will cover the purchase or rental of one of our portable oxygen concentrators. In order to qualify, you have to meet strict criteria, and each situation is evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

That being said, You will need to talk to your insurance provider to understand what kinds of oxygen supplies they cover and what requirements you need to meet in order to qualify.

Medical insurance companies have a notorious reputation of denying patients coverage for medical equipment and treatments including portable oxygen concentrators. Unfortunately, Medicare is no exception. They have strict rules that make getting coverage difficult and burdensome, and they often find reasons to deny approval for a treatment even when a doctor says that it's the best option.

If you want the best possible chance of getting insurance or Medicare to pay for your medical equipment, you need to be aware of your provider's criteria on the subject. You must follow their guidelines carefully, to avoid getting rejected on a technicality.

We have a very informative blog about medicare and oxygen equipment that you can find here

In this blog ,we offer a lot of insight into the healthcare system and what it means for oxygen patients like yourself.

One example of Medicare's criteria for covering supplemental oxygen and related equipment:

1. You have a serious lung disease (such as COPD, cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, etc.), or you have symptoms of low blood oxygen levels (such as pulmonary hypertension, erythrocythemia, congestive heart failure, etc.)
2. Your health is likely to improve with supplemental oxygen therapy
3. You have medical tests from your doctor to prove that you have low blood oxygen levels (and these tests were taken while your condition was stable, e.g. not during an exacerbation)
4. You have tried other medications and treatments, but are still unable to get enough oxygen
5. You need oxygen therapy 24/7 (Medicare will not cover supplemental oxygen therapy if you only need to use it at night)

This criteria has to be verified by your doctor in writing before you can receive Medicare benefits for supplemental oxygen. Your doctor will also have to write and submit a detailed report of your oxygen needs, called a Certificate of Medical Necessity.

Which method of oxygen equipment should you choose

While all of this information pertains to the oxygen user, it is important to note, that if you do not need oxygen therapy, meaning your blood oxygen levels are not chronically low enough that your doctor would recommend, let alone, prescribe you oxygen therapy, you should NOT administer oxygen therapy for yourself.

Who needs oxygen therapy

Even though long-term oxygen therapy can be beneficial for many people, not all respiratory patients need it. W

hen considering a lung disease like COPD, According to the American Thoracic Society, appropriate candidates for LTOT include:

• Patients who have an established medical regimen, with a 7.3 KPa (55 mmHg) partial pressure of oxygen measure by looking at arterial blood gases, and an oxygen saturation level of 88% or less.
• Patients who have a partial pressure of oxygen of 7.3–7.8kPa (55-59 mmHg), an oxygen saturation level of 89%, and also shows signs of hypoxemia, pulmonary hypertension, edema from right-sided heart failure, high red blood cell count or impaired mental status.

If you are unable to maintain healthy blood oxygen levels only while you sleep or when you exercise, you may also benefit from using supplemental oxygen specifically under these circumstances.

Moreover, because there are special cases, if you do not fall under these criteria but have severe shortness of breath or limited exercise capacity that may improves with supplemental oxygen you should still talk to your doctors about whether you would qualify for, and more importantly benefit from, long-term oxygen therapy.

Buying from a licensed distributor

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In order to be sure that you are getting an oxygen device, for example, a portable oxygen concentrator, from a licensed distributor, you can simply look on the company’s website and find their certification. At LPT Medical, you will be happy to know that we are a family owned and operated business .

LPT Medical knows what it means to serve the community and treat our customers like family and we are committed to quality and dependability. Our track record shows that we have become one of the most trusted names in the world of oxygen therapy products offering home oxygen concentrators, portable oxygen concentrators, CPAP and BiPAP machines, and all the education you need to make the most of your equipment and subsequently your life.

When you are buying oxygen equipment, something that is so life changing and a reasonably large financial decision, you must be sure that you are buying from a company that you trust. Quality is one of the first words that should come into your head when buying any medical device. If the equipment is designed to make your life easier, it is always important to take into consideration how long your equipment will last and how efficient the machine is.

LPT Medical offers products from the most reputable manufacturers in the industry including but not limited to Inogen, Philips Respironics, Drive Medical, and more. These are innovative companies that are exceeding the limits of what’s possible for patients suffering with a debilitating respiratory condition. By offering these brands, we are here to connect more people around the country with the most state-of-the-art oxygen therapy equipment in the world.

Flow settings

Depending on your oxygen needs, your doctor will either prescribe you pulse flow or continuous flow oxygen or a combination of both and you will be required to buy a device within those boundaries. It is important you do not take more oxygen and it is important that you do not try to go without it, both could do a lot of harm. If you are unsure about your oxygen prescription you should call your doctor and have them go over the process with you until you feel comfortable doing so on your own, and also during an emergency situation.

So the flow settings can be pulse or continuous, pulse gives off a bolus of oxygen every time you inhale and continuous flow settings exert oxygen constantly even when you are not inhaling.

The rate at which oxygen is flowing is known as the oxygen output, and it is most commonly measured in liters per minute. If you require more oxygen your oxygen output will be set to a higher setting and vise versa.

If you only need roughly 210- 630 mil/min of oxygen at a pulse dosage setting, you oxygen device must be able to emit that much oxygen per minute, and if you buy from a qualified company, the seller would advise for you to get a device that is capable of outputting even more oxygen than what is prescribed to you for a number of reasons.

You might be instructed by your doctor to increase your oxygen flow setting in the case of an emergency while you are experiencing an exacerbation or a flare up. In this situation you want to have a device that can increase its oxygen output so that you are able to manage the emergency how your doctor instructs you.

Also, the nature of a chronic progressive respiratory illness is that it gets worse over time. This means, that one day you might need a higher flow of oxygen than what was first prescribed to you in order to meet the demands of your body. In these cases, you want a device that will be able to adjust to your needs and increase its output before you have to buy an entirely new device that is powerful enough.

If you need both pulse and continuous flow oxygen, you can use an oxygen tank because there is a valve you can adjust to have the option to do both. If you still want a more portable option, the Respironics SimplyGo is one of the best portable oxygen concentrators that offers a powerful pulse dose setting, but also gives the user a continuous flow option for when they need to adjust to their prescription.

The most popular pulse dose units are the Caire Freestyle Comfort, the Inogen One G5, and the Inogen One G3, because all of these units are under 6 pounds, and they can produce oxygen 1050 -1260 mil/min, and have a long lasting battery life that can also be replaced with an extra so you never have to go without oxygen.

There are a lot of factors besides your oxygen prescription that go into choosing your oxygen device, but understanding your flow rate and your oxygen prescription is something your respiratory specialist will go over with you first before they ask you any other questions. Your oxygen requirement will weed through and narrow down your search, so be sure you have this information before you call us so we can assist you effectively and efficiently!

Overview

Oxygen therapy is a huge step in your life and it means that your disease has progressed to the point of severity where you can no longer survive without supplemental oxygen. Therefore, it is so crucial for you to take the necessary steps to find that best portable oxygen device that will allow you to continue doing the things you love, comfortably.

Oxygen therapy is not a bed rest sentence, you should still be able to enjoy everyday activities, and once you have adjusted to LTOT you will find that you are more capable of doing more things, even more than before you needed supplemental oxygen.

Every part of your body needs oxygen, every single organ and every single cell. If your lungs are unable to function properly and provide for your body, it will start to deteriorate. You will feel irritated, moody, tired, nauseous, and much more. Oxygen therapy assists your lungs in producing oxygen for your body so you feel better and live longer.

Both oxygen tanks and portable oxygen concentrators will help you get the oxygen you need, but one method will be better for you than the other depending on your lifestyle. For example, if you are an active person, you need a portable oxygen concentrator so that you can bring your oxygen with you wherever you go with ease.

If you need to save money, you can talk to a respiratory specialist about how to purchase a refurbished unit for less, or how you can set up a financial plan to help you pay for your oxygen device over time rather than up font.

You also have to take into consideration how durable your breathing device is, and how long it is rated to last. The longer you can have one machine the more money you can save by not having to get a new one every few years, whether yours breaks or you need to increase your oxygen intake.

There are still some things you need to know about oxygen therapy like, the functionality and tips to get the most out of your oxygen device, so be sure to follow our blog posts as we come out with more information like this is the near future!

For now we hope that this guide has given you some insight into buying your oxygen device whether it is a portable oxygen concentrator or another alternative. If you have any further question please comment on this blog post, or email us at info@lptmedical.com. 

As humans, one of the most important things we value is our freedom. Whether we’re young or old; poor or rich; sick or healthy, we can’t put a price on our ability to get out and enjoy life on our own terms. But if you’re someone who suffers from a debilitating condition like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), you might think that your freedom is a thing of the past — fortunately, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

COPD is characterized by chest pain, shortness of breath, and a chronic cough, all of which can keep someone immobile and homebound. In the past, COPD patients would be administered a standardized treatment plan that was limited to two different drugs: potassium iodide and ephedrine, neither of which offered significant relief for respiratory patients. 

However, all of this changed in the last several decades after researchers learned the importance of corticosteroids, oxygen therapy, exercise, and a refined diet, many of which were seen as “counterproductive” throughout the 20th century. Nowadays, COPD patients have a lot more control over the outcome of their disease than they did in the past.

One simple way to improve your freedom with COPD is to upgrade your old outdated oxygen tank to a new state-of-the-art portable oxygen concentrator. In this post, we’ll show you how one of the newest portable oxygen concentrators on the market — The Caire FreeStyle Comfort — will offer you significantly more freedom than a standard oxygen tank. If you need help choosing an oxygen concentrator that’s best for you, contact our respiratory specialists at 1-888-416-3855 or fill out the form to the right in order to receive your free guide to portable oxygen concentrators.

Improved Mobility and Maneuverability

Your lungs play a key role in your ability to get around. Every time you breathe, carbon dioxide in your blood is replaced with fresh oxygen that’s then sent out to every organ in your body. When you get moving and exert more energy, your body needs more oxygen meaning your breathing and heart rate will increase. Oxygen devices ensure that people with lung impairments are always able to get the oxygen they need in order to stay healthy.

One of the problems with oxygen tanks, however, is that they are so heavy and bulky, they can cause you to become exhausted even after small tasks like going for a walk or doing chores around the house. Using a rolling cart can help mitigate this a bit, but if you encounter a set of stairs, a curb, or any other obstacle, you might be left in a difficult situation. And trying to maneuver through crowded areas can induce a lot of unnecessary stress.

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The Caire FreeStyle Comfort is the exact opposite of oxygen tanks in terms of portability and maneuverability. The FreeStyle Comfort is one of the lightest portable oxygen devices ever made, so there’s no need to wheel it around on a cart. There are many options for carrying the FreeStyle Comfort, but most people prefer to simply sling it over their shoulder using the custom carrying case that comes with the device. 

When you upgrade to a Caire FreeStyle Comfort from an oxygen tank, you’ll find that you have much more freedom in the way that you go about your daily routine. Instead of constantly checking on your oxygen device to make sure you’re not bumping into anything, your FreeStyle Comfort will rest under your arm throughout the whole day so you can stay focused on what you’re doing rather than worrying about getting the oxygen you need.

Safety and Durability

Safety is a valid concern when it comes to traditional oxygen therapy devices like oxygen tanks or liquid oxygen tanks. Portable oxygen tanks are usually stored at around 3,000 pounds per square inch (psi), so you have no option but to handle them with care. Under certain circumstances, oxygen tanks have been known to explode or cause bodily harm in other ways due to their hefty size and weight.

Another safety issue with oxygen tanks is that they have the potential to leak. Oxygen is what’s known as an “oxidizer,” so anything that comes into contact with it is more likely to catch fire. You could have an oxygen leak and not even realize it, or if you drop your nasal cannula while it’s still putting out oxygen, you could be putting yourself and everyone around you at risk. 

The Caire FreeStyle Comfort doesn’t have these problems because it uses what’s called “pulse dose technology.” This closely monitors the patient’s breathing and only delivers oxygen when inhalation is detected. In other words, if you drop the nasal cannula, the device will stop putting out oxygen. There’s also no pressurized oxygen inside the FreeStyle Comfort so you won’t have to worry about walking around with a device filled with potential energy.

If safety wasn’t enough, you’ll be happy to know that the Caire FreeStyle Comfort is also very durable. In fact, it’s currently the only portable oxygen concentrator used by the military due to its outstanding reliability. While we don’t recommend trying to test its durability, you can rest assured that this device will be resistant to normal wear and tear, and in the rare chance that your device has a defect, you’ll have a 3-year warranty to fall back on.

More Customization to Suit Your Lifestyle

You can’t have freedom without options, and you can be sure that the Caire FreeStyle Comfort offers plenty of that! This portable oxygen concentrator was released alongside a whole host of oxygen accessories that help you customize your supplemental oxygen and make the most of it. First, let’s take a look at the accessories that come with the purchase of a new Caire FreeStyle Comfort.

8-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery

Lithium-ion batteries are some of the most state-of-the-art power supplies currently available on the market. They’re known for being extremely durable and being able to hold a charge longer than other types of batteries. The 8-cell battery that comes with the FreeStyle Comfort offers up to 8 hours of battery life on one charge using a flow setting of 1.

AC and DC Charging Cables

One of the biggest downsides of oxygen tanks is how much of a hassle it is to get them refilled constantly. Fortunately, since the Caire FreeStyle Comfort is an electronic device, you simply need to have access to some type of outlet. The AC charger will charge your device in a wall outlet and the DC charger will charge it in a car outlet.

Custom Carrying Case

The custom carrying case is simple but effective. Just slip it over the Caire FreeStyle Comfort and it will protect it from wear and tear. Use the shoulder strap that comes with it to sling it over your shoulder as you walk. You’ll have easy access to the device’s control panel wherever you go.

Additional Accessories

There are several additional accessories for that Caire FreeStyle Comfort that can be purchased separately including the 16-cell lithium-ion battery and the external battery charger. The battery is the same as the one that comes with the machine but it offers twice the battery life. And the external battery charger allows you to charge one battery independently from the FreeStyle Comfort. 

Easy to Use On-the-Go

There’s very little use in having a lightweight portable oxygen concentrator if it’s complicated and difficult to use. There’s nothing worse than being away from the home on vacation or doing errands and running into an issue with your oxygen device. This means you’ll have to drop whatever you’re doing and run home to try and fix the issue.

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Luckily, the Caire FreeStyle Comfort was specifically designed to be easy to use and reliable. Even compared to other pulse dose portable oxygen concentrators like the Inogen One G5 and the Inogen One G4, the FreeStyle Comfort takes the cake when it comes to simplicity. There are only three buttons on the top of the unit: one to turn the power on or off and two to change the flow rate up or down. That’s it! There are no other complicated functions you need to learn about.

Cleaning the particle filters is also very easy to do with the Caire FreeStyle Comfort. There are two of them located on either side of the unit and all you need to do is pop them off, wash and dry them, then replace them as soon as you’re done. The battery is attached to the bottom of the unit and all you’ll need to do is press the blue tab on the side to get it off. Remember that you’ll need to have the battery attached to the concentrator in order to charge it.

Telehealth Services

“Telemedicine” is a pretty new concept in the grand scheme of things, but it’s quickly changing the way that we see healthcare. Essentially what this implies is that medical professionals are able to provide medical services over long distances, rather than patients having to schedule an appointment and visit their office. One example of this would be a doctor and his/her patient discussing symptoms over the phone or through a video call.

Believe it or not, the Caire FreeStyle Comfort is one of the first portable oxygen concentrators to benefit from telehealth technology. A program called CaireVIEW comes equipped with every device that can be synced with your computer, phone, or tablet. It will upload data about your oxygen usage and can even send it off to your doctor or oxygen provider so they can provide you feedback. Don’t worry though, this is all done over a secure network so it won’t share any personal information.

CaireVIEW offers a lot of additional freedom and peace of mind to oxygen users. Rather than going about your day not knowing where your oxygen needs are being met, this program will track all of your usage so that you can know exactly what to fix if something is wrong. At the end of the day, this means you can focus more on enjoying your life and achieving your full potential rather than your health needs.

Approved by the FAA

Traveling has always been difficult as a respiratory patient. If you needed 24/7 oxygen, you were just about out of luck if you wanted to travel outside of the country or even long distances within the country. This is mainly due to the fact that oxygen tanks are strictly prohibited on all commercial aircraft. So, you were often limited to driving which is not always practical.

Portable oxygen concentrators like the Caire FreeStyle Comfort, on the other hand, are approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for use on commercial flights as long as you have access to 1.5 times the duration of the flight in battery life. This is to account for departure or arrival delays.

Make sure that you speak directly to your airline 48 hours prior to your flight to let them know you’re bringing oxygen, and it doesn’t hurt to remind them before you get on the plane as well so that there are no complications. The Caire FreeStyle Comfort is so small that you’ll be able to store it under a seat and walk through aisles on the plane without bumping into anyone and disturbing them.

There’s no understating the amount of freedom this provides oxygen patients. In the past, it was unimaginable that oxygen users would be able to travel out of the country. Taking a cruise was possible, but this is not a practical solution, and it’s a very expensive way to travel. Being able to fly with oxygen means that COPD patients have al the same freedoms as anyone else. Just make sure you have a charging adapter and you’ll be able to charge your Caire FreeStyle Comfort anywhere in the world! 

Little Maintenance Required

Oxygen devices are like a car in that, if they ever stop working, you really have no choice but to fix them if you want to get on with your life. COPD patients depend on medical-grade oxygen in order to feel normal and reduce the risk of experiencing life-threatening exacerbations and hospital visits. Much like with a car, it’s a pain having an oxygen device that needs to be repaired or tuned up regularly.

The Caire FreeStyle Comfort needs very little maintenance in order to work properly. You’ll want to wash off the particle filters regularly and clean the outside of the unit, but aside from that, the only real long-term maintenance will be replacing the sieve beds. These are special filters inside the device that remove nitrogen, argon, and other gases from the air so that you can receive pure medical-grade oxygen. Typically these should be replaced after a year or two, but be sure to consult the manual and your respiratory specialist for more information.

Final Thoughts

Everyone values their freedom and independence because it means being able to do what you want when you want. If you have COPD or another chronic respiratory disease, you may already be convinced that you’ll never have the freedom you once had, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Getting rid of your bulky outdated oxygen tank should be your first priority if you feel like you’re being held back from achieving your full potential. The Caire FreeStyle Comfort is our recommendation for the best pulse dose portable oxygen concentrator because it’s lightweight, small, very easy to use, and has a high oxygen output to keep your lungs saturated no matter where you are in the world.

There are many other ways to improve your freedom as a COPD patient. For example, you can join a pulmonary rehabilitation program that’s designed to improve the endurance and strength of your lungs. A healthy diet filled with valuable vitamins and minerals is also the foundation of an active life as a COPD patient. Before making any changes to your routine, be sure to consult your doctor.

Have you ever left a conversation with your doctor confused about their instructions or explanations? It may have been the complicated terminology they were using, or long instructions about a prescription  you need to be taking, or a lack of explanations for your treatment. Studies show that there is a gap between patient–doctor communication leading to decreased quality of care.

Education is a vital element of the patient care process and can contribute to successful and  effective management of COPD.

Educating yourself about COPD is your job as the patient. This comes down to understanding your COPD symptoms, the testing, and management and treatment options involved. Then, you will be able to effectively ask your doctor questions and confidently understand their answers. 

This is a clear and cohesive guide that you can study before your next visit with your doctor to ensure that you understand the information you doctor presents to you, and you can ultimately advocate for yourself!

Effective patient education will enhance your experience dealing with the uncertainties and confusions of having a chronic illness like COPD.

Patient education also lead to:

• Satisfaction with your overall health care
• Understanding COPD and your treatment
• Comfort and skill in managing and monitoring your COPD by yourself

Important aspects of COPD you need to know: Medication, supplements, oxygen therapy, and pulmonary rehabilitation 

If you or someone you know has recently been diagnosed with COPD the amount of information about the disease may feel daunting. But remember; information is power, and knowing what your options are will open doors to a personalized treatment plan that is crucial for living with COPD.

The 3 basics of COPD: 

1. COPD is a chronic illness. This means that you live with it every day.
2. COPD is referred to as chronic bronchitis or emphysema.
3. You can do a lot of different things to treat and help manage the disease. There are medications you can take, you might try supplements if you have a deficiency, you can start oxygen therapy, and pulmonary rehabilitation, and get involved with social support groups

Medications and Supplements:

Your medications should be geared towards keeping your airways open as much as possible by helping clear mucus from your respiratory tract, and decrease inflammation. No single strategy or medicine is "best" for everyone, so do not settle for a medication that gives you adverse side-effects.

Personalization is key to addressing your COPD and finding the best plan for symptom control. Always be search for the right medication and supplements to to ensure:

1. Better breathing
2. Participation in the activities you enjoy
3. Fewer flare-ups

Bronchodilators

Bronchodilators relax the muscles around your airways, opening your airways, and helping you breathe easier. Most of the time, you take bronchodilators through an inhaler or it can be converted into a fine spray as a nebulizer, so you breathe the medicine straight into your lungs.

Inhalers work in different ways, so make sure to ask your doctor shows you how your specific inhaler works. Be sure that you are getting a full dose of medicine with each breath.

Three main categories of COPD inhalers:

1. Rescue inhalers use short-acting bronchodilators, which work quickly so that you get relief from symptoms fast, and these wear off in a few hours
2. Maintenance inhalers use medications known as long-acting bronchodilators, they provide relief for many hours, but the effect may act slower.
3. Steroid inhalers contain corticosteroid medications, which target the body's immune system to suppress inflammation in the lungs. These are mainly prescribed to treat COPD exacerbations.

Anti-Inflammatory medications

Anti-inflammatory medications decrease swelling and mucus production within your airways making it easier to breathe. These medicines are known as corticosteroids or steroids. They are usually inhaled with an inhaler.

You could also take corticosteroids as a pill but these will usually only be prescribed for short periods of time in special circumstances when your symptoms are getting more severe.

Steroids have serious side effects, such as weight gain, diabetes, osteoporosis, cataracts and increased risk of infection, so you and your doctor should monitor your use carefully.

Antibiotics

If you have COPD, you are more susceptible than others to catching illnesses from bacteria that infects your respiratory system. If your illness is caused by bacterial or viral infections your doctor may prescribe you an antibiotic for you to keep on hand for if you get an infection.

Talk to your doctor about the prescription of your antibiotic. It is imperative that you finish the perception by taking all of the antibiotics for the duration of time it is prescribed, even if you start to feel better and are not experiencing symptoms. If you do not finish your perspiration, the infection and symptoms can come back in full-swing before it's ever really gone.

Vaccinations

If you have COPD, you are especially vulnerable to viral and bacterial pulmonary infections. Infections are major causes of exacerbations, hospitalization, disease progression, and mortality in COPD patients. Effective vaccines reduced the risk of contracting respiratory infections and reducing flare ups COPD patients.

Supplements

Using herbal and nutritional supplements for COPD can also help with managing your symptoms. Before taking any supplements, you should discuss their use with your doctor because it can interfere with some drugs and cause side effects.

All of these vitamins and nutrients can be found in the foods and drinks you consume, but if just eating more nutrient rich food still leaves you with a vitamin deficiency, taking supplements may be a great option for you to get the nutrients your body needs.

Here is a table of vitamins that have been shown to improve lung health:

Oxygen therapy facts for COPD patients

Oxygen therapy is a great option for you if you have moderate to severe COPD and it is something that your doctor will need to prescribe to you. Oxygen therapy can improve your quality of life in a number of ways and it is one of the few treatments that can extend lung health as COPD progresses.

Research shows that even though oxygen is the foundation of treatment for severe COPD patients, many people may not be using it as often as recommended because it can restrict your ability to do certain activities.

You should have a conversation with your doctor if you've been reluctant to use oxygen for any reason. And you should know that there are many streamlined portable oxygen designs available that allow you to get out of the house and be active with far less shortness of breath and risk.

You have a lot of different options when it comes to choosing an oxygen concentrator, and like your treatment for COPD your oxygen concentrator should be personalized to your needs, and meet your requirements.

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Some oxygen concentrators are lightweight, others have longer battery life, others have stronger pulse/continuous flow rates, and there are a few concentrators that embody a variety of these aspects in one

So choosing an oxygen concentrator is something that you should discussed in great detail with your doctor. This way when you get in contact with one of our specialists, they are able to accommodate all of your medical demands and physical goals with the best unit for you.

You and your doctor should discuss what type of oxygen concentrator you will need to full-fill your oxygen demands:

• Pulse Flow Oxygen Concentrators deliver oxygen in puffs of air called “boluses.” A bolus of oxygen is only administered when the patient is inhaling. Pulse flow units tended to be much lighter, allowing you to carry them on your shoulder or in a bag
• Continuous Flow Concentrators produces a constant stream of oxygen despite the patient’s breathing rate. continuous flow units are heavier but offer more options and often much higher oxygen output.
  

After you determine what type of flow will full-fill you oxygen needs bests, you can then make a list of priorities base on what you should look for in an oxygen concentrators. You can access this guide by clicking here.

Pulmonary therapy and rehabilitation 

Pulmonary rehabilitation can be an essential tool throughout your lifetime management of COPD. It requires the coordinated action of a multiple healthcare professional in order to deliver you a rehabilitation program that best fits your needs.

The most important components of pulmonary rehabilitation are exercise and self-management education. Studies have been shown that these are the most beneficial aspects for improving health-related quality of life.

By joining a pulmonary rehabilitation program, you are signing up for more than just physical therapy. The classes will often take place in a group setting, giving you the opportunity to meet others with COPD, you will develop physical strength while both giving and receiving emotional and mental support from and to others.

Social support groups

While this may not be a topic that comes up with your doctor, it is something you should consider if you are living with COPD. In the midst of a global pandemic its is ill-advised to spend time regular socializing with others, or joining group pulmonary rehab classes, however you are still not alone.

By joining Facebook groups or online forums, you are immediately welcomed into a community of people who are going through similar challenges and confusions as you. There may be an option to take a pulmonary rehabilitation classes online, and maintain connections with others through live videos and streaming. 

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