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The Benefit of Nebulizers

Pario Vios NebulizerPatients who have COPD and asthma can benefit greatly from using a nebulizer to administer breathing treatments at home.

There is a correct way to take these treatments to get the most benefit. Do you know these tips?
1) Breath in and out through your mouth. If you get light headed, you're breathing too fast.
2) Every third breath, take in a deeper breath and hold for an extra count.
3) Treatments using your Pari Neb Kit should take no longer than 8-10 minutes. Any longer than that and your compressor may be aging.
4) Stop several times while taking your treatment to make yourself cough. Use a tissue to cover your mouth and capture any mucus that moves up.
5) After you're done with your treatment, wait five minutes and then make yourself cough again.

If you only use a pocket inhaler, you may want to speak to your healthcare provider about using a nebulizer at home. You'll get much better results than with a pocket inhaler.

Pro2 LLC Buffalo NY Nebulizers and CPAP equipment

Winter & COPD

Proper Scarf Wear for COPD PatientsAlthough we're still at the beginning of 2014, we've already experienced some extremely cold, windy days.

Winter can be difficult for people with COPD. The cold air and wind are often a problem. A person with COPD may experience shortness of breath and could fatigue easily.

If you or someone you know has COPD, it's best to avoid exposure to inclement weather. But if you have to venture out, here are some tips that may help:
1) Wear a scarf or mask and try to breathe through your nose to warm the air you're breathing.
2) Wear several layers of loose-fitting garments so as not to constrict your breathing but allow protection against the cold.
3) If you're using oxygen, keep your tubing inside your clothes to warm the air.
4) Try to limit exposure to the cold as much as possible and not over-exert yourself.
5) Call your doctor and seek medical attention at the first sign of symptoms of infection such as increased shortness of breath, fatigue, wheezing, or coughing, fever, or chills.

Pro2 LLC Oxygen CPAP Buffalo and western NY

Pulmonary Rehab & COPD

Stretching Exercise Pulmonary RehabFormal pulmonary rehabilitation programs have been in existence since the mid-1990s, but a rudimentary form was used to treat tuberculosis as far back as the 1880s. Over the years, diagnostic tools and intervention methods have been refined and the therapy has expanded its use to a wide range of respiratory conditions from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to cystic fibrosis (CF) and many others in between.

For the most part, traditional pulmonary rehab programs serve the same patient population and follow a similar treatment protocol. Richard Novitch, MD, pulmonary rehabilitation director and director of the pulmonary function laboratory and blood gas laboratory at Burke Rehabilitation Hospital in White Plains, New York, explained that the treatment is directed toward patients suffering from a reduction in quality of life due to COPD or other lung diseases. "It's a way to help people develop coping strategies with the limitations of life activities," he said. "Regardless of age and underlying diagnosis, the quality of life issues are the same."

Shortness of breath often prompts a referral from a pulmonologist, internist, or primary care physician. Patients sometimes ask to self-enroll; however, in order to comply with Medicare guidelines, which drive pulmonary rehab protocols, the patient must have a physician referral.

Medicare Part B may cover the cost of pulmonary rehab if certain conditions are met. The patient must have a diagnosis of moderate to very severe COPD (validated by pulmonary function tests), and must be documented to meet Medicare's GOLD Classification II, III, or IV. Medicare also requires all pulmonary rehab programs to include physician-prescribed exercise, education, and training customized to each patient, along with psychosocial and outcome assessments. Moreover, the exercise plan must designate mode, target intensity, duration of each session, and frequency.

The physician must review the treatment plan every 30 days. A total of 36 visits are allowed with an additional 36 upon receipt of a letter recommending more rehabilitation. Other insurers may cover pulmonary rehab, and many often follow Medicare's protocol requirements.

Risks in pulmonary rehab programs are virtually nonexistent, said Novitch. "Patients exercise to tolerance of risk. The lungs act as governor on an engine. If the patients are sick, they don't show up. Also, Medicare guidelines require a doctor to be within walking distance- 300 feet- of a program," Novitch noted, adding that other clinical professionals are in attendance at all times.

To keep reading the full article, click here to visit RT Magazine online.

Pro2 LLC Oxygen CPAP Buffalo NY

Hanlon, Phyllis. (2013, October 14). Pulmonary Rehab: Expanding Its Clinical Impact. [Web log post]. Retrieved November 21, 2013, from http://www.rtmagazine.com/clinical/19206-pulmonary-rehab-expanding-its-clinical-impact.

The Holidays & Oxygen Use

Family Time with Oxygen Pro2 LLCThe holidays are approaching quickly. Here are some things to keep in mind for our oxygen patients and their loved ones.

Hydration & Moisture
Be sure to keep yourself hydrated. The best thing for helping to move mucus is to drink plenty of water. And as the furnace kicks on more, be sure to monitor yourself and not let your nasal passages dry out. This could cause a nose bleed.

Patients using blood thinners may require extra humidification at this time of year. First, start with an over-the-counter saline mist to use several times per day. Next, add a room humidifier to moisten the air. If you try these and you're still dry, call us so we can set up a humidifier directly to your oxygen concentrator. These humidifiers require some education but they will definitely help when all else has failed.

Safety
Our first goal is always safety. When oxygen is used not all of the oxygen goes in to your respiratory cavity; it also gently spills out onto your clothes, hair, chair, bedding, etc. making you and your immediate surroundings easier to start on fire.

Oxygen does not combust, but it does make something burn better. So please do not stand near a fireplace or put tubing or equipment within 10 feet of a space heater, fireplace, or even a candle. And absolutely no smoking with oxygen in use! Remember that you and your loved ones burn better while using oxygen.

Travel
If you’re traveling this holiday season to be with family, friends, and loved ones, call us to help with arrangements or answer any questions you may have. Remember that the airlines now require letters signed by your primary care physician stating the need for oxygen in order to travel with it.

Pro2 LLC Buffalo NY

Changing Seasons & COPD

This blog post was written by Joanna Murray.

Fall Foliage and Changing SeasonsIt amazes me how things can change with the blink of an eye when it comes to COPD. There were times when my mom could almost do summersaults and dance across the room, and then there were times when she was down for the count and couldn't move. Any effort to move was just too much for her. Her breathing would become labored and her lung function decreased and became difficult to control.

I remember times when Mom would come over to my house and help me clean. She was amazing! I had more energy than she did, but she would always out-do me every time. She didn't want her illness to get her down. No matter what, when I needed her, she was there with bells on.

Now that it's been almost seven months since Mom's death, I can really sit back and take a hard look at her illness. My mom became a daily part of my life. I did a lot for her and vice versa. Even if she was having trouble breathing- if it came down to her spending time with her grandkids or staying home, she would choose her grandkids.

Seasonal COPD was the hardest for her and our family. When the seasons changed, she would get asthma that would eventually turn into bronchitis, and then she would end up with pneumonia. She would be hospitalized sometimes four to six times a year. Anyone that has COPD or is a caregiver can understand this.

When taking care of Mom, some of the things that I noticed during seasonal changes were that she had more of an issue with her lung capabilities with both the outdoor climates as well as the temperature of the house. A fall or rise in either one of these could drastically change her need for oxygen. During the cold weather, she was more at risk of getting infections. During the summer months, she would get so over-heated that breathing would be difficult. When she moved in with me the last month of her life, I had central air conditioning. But for her, that was not enough and my husband had to install a portable air conditioner in the window to help keep her room cool.

I noticed over the years that there were certain things that Mom incorporated in her life to help her get through. One thing was she took a daily multivitamin and Vitamin D. She also would have a yearly flu shot. I realize now there were more things my mom could have done in her daily routine to help maintain her oxygen levels. I miss her dearly but am grateful she enjoyed her life.

Pro2 LLC Buffalo NY Oxygen COPD

Turner, Katelyn. (2011, May 13). The Changing Seasons and COPD. [Web log post]. Retrieved September 24, 2013, from http://blog.copdfoundation.org/the-changing-seasons-and-copd.