The Important Relationship Between an Oxygen Flow Meter and Breathing Pattern

Relationship Between an Oxygen Flow Meter and Your Breathing Pattern

Before you buy an oxygen flow meter, there is something to learn about in advance: your breathing pattern can affect the final oxygen dose you receive from your flow meter.

Many patients receiving oxygen therapy aren’t fully aware that various breathing patterns have direct effects on how they set their oxygen flow meter.

Your physician prescribes oxygen at a specific dose, one that is appropriate for your condition. However, even though your doctor has prescribed a set liter flow for you (usually 1–3 liters per minute), many variables affect that liter flow. And some can lead to dramatic shifts in the amount of oxygen you are receiving.

How does this happen? The main problem affecting your therapeutic oxygen level is air dilution.

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The Importance of How You Breathe

The Importance of How You Breathe

If you have Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, you are probably well familiar with being short of breath. In general, this is the reason why people with COPD often have a lower blood oxygen level – so low that you may need to use oxygen therapy, on top of other medications. Aside from a shortness of breath, breathing shallow can be a big problem. When we breathe shallow, we aren’t taking a complete breath, and our lungs can’t absorb the amount of oxygen we need to stay healthy.

With emphysema, your lungs have become damaged over time because of tobacco smoke. Commonly in this situation, hyperinflation of the lungs is to blame for shallow breathing and not being able to take a deep breath. Shallow breathing not only means you can’t breathe in deeply, you also can’t properly exhale all of the air in your lungs. The trapped air in the lungs is high in CO2, since that is the gas that we exhale. Your lungs know when you have a build up of CO2, and they attempt to get rid of it – this is when you experience quick shallow breathing and are short of breath.

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Breathing Exercises to Help Improve Your Oxygen Saturation

Breathing Exercises to Help Improve Your Oxygen Saturation

If you have COPD, your body has a hard time getting enough oxygen because of the damage that has been done to your lungs. Following instructions from your Doctor regarding taking your prescriptions, and utilizing oxygen therapy are incredibly important for maintaining adequate oxygen levels. Besides following your medical orders, there are a few other ways to help increase your oxygen levels.

Oxygen therapy is one of the most common treatments for maintaining your oxygen levels. In conjunction with an oxygen therapy regiment, your doctor might also refer you to pulmonary rehabilitation. At pulmonary rehabilitation you will learn a variety breathing and exercise techniques that can help to boost your oxygen levels naturally while being closely monitored by medical professionals. Many of the techniques taught to you can be used in everyday life, so that you may remain active longer and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

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What to Do When You’re Having Trouble Breathing

What to Do When You're Having Trouble Breathing

Having difficulty breathing can range from being terrifying and life-threatening to just seeming like an irritation that interrupts your life. In either case, you can’t let it go on, and you should never have to suffer from breathing problems. If you are having trouble breathing, you can’t ignore it – call your doctor as soon as you can so you can get the proper treatment.

If you ignore any breathing problems, you are essentially putting your life in danger. Shortness of breath is an obvious sign that something is wrong and is a sign of many different illnesses and diseases, both minor and severe. It’s very dangerous for people with COPD since an exacerbation ultimately causes the diseases to progress and decrease lung function even further. At the first sign of trouble, you should be seeking medical treatment.

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The Dangers of Black Mold, Prevention and Elimination

The Dangers of Black Mold, Prevention and Elimination

Black mold spores are very dangerous for anyone to breathe, and if you’re not vigilant, it can make its home in your home. People with COPD and asthma, as well as other types of chronic lung conditions and immunity issues, are more sensitive to any mold spore in the air, but the black molds that can grow indoors are especially harmful. If you have COPD or asthma, having black mold somewhere in your home can cause recurring exacerbations. If you keep having these exacerbations and you can’t figure out why you might want to check your home for black mold.

Black mold has been known to make its home anywhere that is dark and moist, even inside a human or an animals lungs. If you happen to breathe in enough of the airborne spores of the mold known as Aspergillus fumigatus, they can begin growing inside your lungs and cause pneumonia symptoms. These types of infections, if not treated quickly enough, can be hard to get rid of.

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Can Lung Function Be Improved After COPD Diagnosis?

Can Lung Function Be Improved After COPD Diagnosis?

Just because you’ve been diagnosed with COPD, doesn’t mean you should go ahead and give up on your lungs. Your lungs have been damaged over time, and most likely, you won’t be able to get them back to that of a person who has never smoked. Depending on the severity of your condition, however, you might be able to improve your lung function enough so that you won’t need to use oxygen therapy as often, or your doctor might find it safe to lower the dosage on your medication.

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What You Need to Know About Dust Mites and COPD

What You Need to Know About Dust Mites and COPD

Maybe you’ve stopped smoking and you’re using your medications and oxygen therapy the way you’re supposed to. You’ve started to make sure you’re getting the right nutrition, and you’ve even started to incorporate light exercise into your daily routine. For some reason, however, you’re having a hard time breathing, especially at night and in the morning. If you’re also sneezing and experiencing other symptoms of a respiratory-affected allergy, dust mites are the likely culprit.

Dust mites are microscopic arachnids that live in dust and eat the dead skin cells that we shed. Seniors are among the age groups most sensitive to dust mite and dust allergies, and at least 20 million Americans experience allergy symptoms due to dust mites.

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Ways You Can Help Clear Out Mucus From Your Lungs Without Medicine

Ways You Can Help Clear Out Excess Mucus From Your Lungs Without Taking More Medicine

Producing mucus is your lung’s natural reaction to a bacteria, virus or an irritant. Its function is to help clear out whatever it is in your lungs or airways that shouldn’t be there. Coughing is also something that has to occur to help clear it out.

Having a chronic lung disease causes excess mucus production in the lungs and makes you more susceptible to complications from the common cold. Being unable to clear out mucus can turn a chest cold into pneumonia for someone is elderly or for someone who has a chronic lung condition.

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Having Difficulty Breathing In Cold Weather?

Tips for Breathing in Cold Weather

For some people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and chronic bronchitis, breathing cold, dry air can have a drying or irritating effect on the airway causing bronchospasm (contraction of the smooth muscle that surrounds the airway). Bronchospasm decreases the size of the airway, thus makes it more difficult to get the air in and out of the lungs, increasing shortness of breath. The constriction of the airways may reduce the flow of air into and out of your lungs, which adds to the feeling of breathlessness and may even cause wheezing.

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