Summer Season

Taking Care of your Oxygen Concentrator in the Summer

Taking Care of your Oxygen Concentrator in the Summer

If you have breathing difficulties, you know that the summer brings some complications: high humidity and extreme heat can exacerbate conditions such as COPD. In fact, one study showed a strong association between weather-related heat and emergency hospitalizations related to respiratory distress, meaning that those who suffer from these conditions must take even better care of themselves when the temperatures rise.

In addition to taking care of themselves, though, they need to take care of their oxygen concentrators. Units aren’t made to withstand extreme heat, so it’s important to ensure you’re keeping it safe along with yourself.

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Scott Ridl

Oxygen Concentrators and Heat Don’t Mix – Summer Concentrator Safety

Oxygen Concentrators and Heat Don't Mix – Summer Concentrator Safety

Just like any other type of electronic, or piece of medical equipment that you depend on, there are things you should know about the proper safety precautions for your oxygen concentrators. With the approaching hottest months of the year for much of the country, you will need to consider how your oxygen concentrator will fair out in the high temperatures. High heat, and especially flames near your unit, can be extremely dangerous, as well as harmful.

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Ryan Anthony

Staying Safe this Summer With COPD

Staying Safe this Summer With COPD

When the weather changes, people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) will most likely notice it as a change in their breathing. Weather extremes can cause COPD exacerbations for different reasons, but even the typical summer heat can create poor conditions for anyone with a respiratory illness.

In this blog post, we will discuss why normal summer heat can be dangerous for people with COPD, and then we will go over some ways to stay safe.

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Ryan Anthony

Living with COPD: 5 Ways to Keep Cool this Summer

Living with COPD: 5 Ways to Keep Cool this Summer

When summer turns up the heat that can spell trouble for those with COPD or other lung/breathing related illnesses. Extreme heat can cause some COPD symptoms to worsen even faster than viruses will. Keep an eye on your local weather reports for upcoming heat waves and plan accordingly. Here are 5 simple things you can do to avoid COPD complications from the heat this summer.
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Scott Ridl

10 Popular Summer Hobbies For Those with COPD

People with COPD can do everything people with healthy lungs can do, and the worst thing you can do with your summer is let it pass you by. As long as your doctor gives you the okay you should partake in fun summer activities.

If you’re looking for something fun to do during the dog days of summer, here are some safe and fun hobbies for people with chronic respiratory diseases.

Scott Ridl

Staying Safe in the Summer Heat with Respiratory Problems

Staying Safe in the Summer Heat with Respiratory Problems

Summer can be a wonderful time of year, with family barbeques and outdoor fun, but it can also be dangerous if you have a chronic lung disease, like COPD or asthma. Just like the extreme cold can trigger an exacerbation of your lung disease, so can extreme heat and humidity during the warm months of the year.

If you know what triggers a flare-up for you, you know what to watch out for, and what to do if you start to have trouble breathing. You don’t need to let them ruin your summer, though! With a few precautions, you can stay safe and still have fun doing all the things you like to do during the lovely summer months.

Just as a reminder for the hottest days coming up, here is a list of things that are known to be dangerous for people with chronic lung diseases, and what you can do to stay safe.

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Scott Ridl

Safety Tips and Safe Summer Activities for People with COPD

Safety Tips and Safe Summer Activities for People with COPD

The heat of the summer months can be dangerous for people with chronic lung diseases, especially those with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Our bodies have to work much harder when the temperature is considerably higher or lower than what our core temperature needs to be at all times. When our bodies have to work harder to maintain homeostasis, we use more oxygen. This is bad for people who already have a hard time getting oxygen throughout their bodies, such as the case for those with COPD (emphysema or chronic bronchitis).

Don’t let these facts stop you from having fun this summer, though. There are many things you can do to have fun and protect yourself from exacerbations or other dangers in the process. Just make sure it’s safe to exert yourself in physical activity by talking to your doctor first. At the first sign of feeling fatigued or if you start having trouble breathing, stop what you are doing and take a breather. Be sure to keep applying your sunscreen if you are out in the sun. Remember that you can even burn on a cloudy day.

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Scott Ridl

Pneumonia and Respiratory Infections Still a Danger in the Summer

Pneumonia and Respiratory Infections Still a Danger in the Summer

Even though illnesses like respiratory infections, colds, the flu and pneumonia are all things that happen more often during the winter, they are still very likely to happen during the late spring and early summer months. People who already have respiratory conditions, such as asthma and COPD are naturally more affected than those with normally functioning lungs. This is even more dangerous with people who have compromised immune systems, on top of the lung diseases.

When anyone else catches a cold or a respiratory infection, they feel bad for a few days, take some antibiotics are are fine. Pneumonia and the flu can be dangerous for the elderly especially, no matter if they have a chronic lung disease or not. Even a cold can send someone with asthma or COPD to the hospital, because of the irritation and excessive production of mucus making it increasingly difficult to breathe. It can bring on acute asthma flare-ups and COPD exacerbations.

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Scott Ridl