2013 COPD8 USA Conference

2013 COPD8 USA Conference

Scott Ridl

The 2013 COPD8 Conference will be held at the Hilton in downtown Chicago, Illinois on June 14th and 15th, with the educational workshop on the ...

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2013 COPD8 USA Conference

2013 COPD8 USA Conference

The 2013 COPD8 Conference will be held at the Hilton in downtown Chicago, Illinois on June 14th and 15th, with the educational workshop on the 14th only. This workshop is for healthcare providers but is also open to anyone who wants to sit in and learn about the the newest developments in health care that have an effect on how Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD, can be treated, as well as clinical, research and care delivery. There will be a joint session in the morning from 10 am to noon, and the educational workshop will go from 1 in the afternoon to 2:30 PM.

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Scott Ridl
Respiratory Warning Signs

Symptoms and Warning Signs of Respiratory Diseases

Scott Ridl

Catch any disease in the early stages is extremely important, and lung diseases and maladies are no different. The sooner a chronic disease or an ...

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Symptoms and Warning Signs of Respiratory Diseases

Respiratory Warning Signs

Catch any disease in the early stages is extremely important, and lung diseases and maladies are no different. The sooner a chronic disease or an acute illness is detected, the easier and quicker it will be treated, and the higher chance you have of living through it. Unfortunately, the signs and symptoms of the early stages of diseases like COPD and even lung cancer are usually subtle and often overlooked until the disease has progressed into the advanced stages.

Since this is often the case, it’s important to consider family history of chronic diseases, so you will know to pay close attention to your physical state and to get tested for any diseases that run in your family. If you had relatives who died of lung cancer, you will need to pay special attention, and your doctor will likely order a regular screening to be done.

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Scott Ridl
Why Planting an Outdoor Garden is Good For Your Lungs

Why Planting an Outdoor Garden is Good For Your Lungs

Scott Ridl

They tell you that to stay healthy overall, you need to eat nutritious foods, get enough fresh air, get regular physical activity, and get enough ...

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Why Planting an Outdoor Garden is Good For Your Lungs

Why Planting an Outdoor Garden is Good For Your Lungs

They tell you that to stay healthy overall, you need to eat nutritious foods, get enough fresh air, get regular physical activity, and get enough sleep every night. Planting and maintaining an outdoor garden might be just what the doctor ordered. This would be an ideal activity for anyone to do during the spring and summer season; but for people with chronic lung diseases, it can improve your overall health, which makes a huge impact on how well you can breathe. With the warming months coming for many people, they are beginning to plan their gardens.

If you use an oxygen machine, this is an easy and gentle way for you to get the physical activity that you need, if you are using constant oxygen or not. You can wear your portable oxygen concentrator while you are tending to your garden, or wheel it around with you while you are working.

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Scott Ridl
Managing Your COPD Symptoms Without More Medications

Managing Your COPD Symptoms Without More Medications

Scott Ridl

Having mild to moderate COPD can be more bothersome than anything else. You might not need to use medications every day but you will most ...

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Managing Your COPD Symptoms Without More Medications

Managing Your COPD Symptoms Without More Medications

Having mild to moderate COPD can be more bothersome than anything else. You might not need to use medications every day but you will most likely have to deal with a cough that comes and goes, or a persistent one that won’t go away. You might try to exercise or just do normal chores around the house and have to take a break because you’ve become winded or fatigued. You will also have excess mucus that needs to be coughed up, and you will find yourself getting much sicker than people who come down with the same colds.

Moderate to severe COPD will require the use of drugs and oxygen therapy, depending on how low your blood oxygen level is. Most of the time, people with mild COPD don’t need oxygen therapy because they are still able to bring in enough oxygen and expel carbon dioxide without throwing off the levels of gases in the blood. Using supplemental oxygen when you don’t need it can be more harmful than helpful, so don’t try to help yourself. You should only be using oxygen therapy with a doctor’s prescription.

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Scott Ridl

How to Care For and Maintain Your Concentrator Batteries

Scott Ridl

Did you know that one of the most important aspects of caring for your oxygen concentrator is properly maintaining the batteries? These important power sources ...

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How to Care For and Maintain Your Concentrator Batteries

Did you know that one of the most important aspects of caring for your oxygen concentrator is properly maintaining the batteries? These important power sources allow your unit to run and if not cared for correctly you risk your unit not working properly, batteries draining far too quickly, or in many cases, your batteries no longer holding a charge!

Luckily, there are easy steps you can take to care for and get the longest life out of your concentrator batteries. Keep reading below for more!
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Scott Ridl
In-Depth Look at the Invacare Perfecto 2 Home Oxygen Concentrator

In-Depth Look at the Invacare Perfecto 2 Home Oxygen Concentrator

Scott Ridl

The Invacare Perfecto 2 is the smallest, lightest and most energy efficient 5-liter home oxygen concentrator available from Invacare. The streamlined Perfecto 2 incorporates a ...

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In-Depth Look at the Invacare Perfecto 2 Home Oxygen Concentrator

In-Depth Look at the Invacare Perfecto 2 Home Oxygen Concentrator

The Invacare Perfecto 2 is the smallest, lightest and most energy efficient 5-liter home oxygen concentrator available from Invacare. The streamlined Perfecto 2 incorporates a market-leading pressure-based system with a contemporary design. Patients prefer the Perfecto 2 over other home oxygen concentrator options for its lightweight, streamlined appearance and quiet operation. The Perfecto 2 also uses less energy than similar home oxygen concentrators, making this one of the best home oxygen concentrators available on the market.

Highlights:

  • 75% quieter than the Invacare Platinum XL Concentrator
  • Pressure based oxygen system is superior to timing based systems
  • Compact design provides for increased mobility throughout the home

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Scott Ridl
In-Depth Portable Oxygen Concentrator Comparison: Respironics SimplyGo vs. SeQual Eclipse 3

Concentrator Comparison: Respironics SimplyGo vs. SeQual Eclipse 3

Scott Ridl

The Respironics SimplyGo and the SeQual Eclipse 3 are innovative portable oxygen concentrators that simplify supplemental oxygen therapy for patients. Like most portable oxygen concentrators, ...

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Concentrator Comparison: Respironics SimplyGo vs. SeQual Eclipse 3

In-Depth Portable Oxygen Concentrator Comparison: Respironics SimplyGo vs. SeQual Eclipse 3

The Respironics SimplyGo and the SeQual Eclipse 3 are innovative portable oxygen concentrators that simplify supplemental oxygen therapy for patients. Like most portable oxygen concentrators, both the SimplyGo and Eclipse offer pulse dose oxygen delivery. These units stand out from other POCs on the market because they can also be used as continuous flow oxygen concentrators.

Here’s a closer look at the similarities and differences between the SimplyGo and Eclipse 3 to help you decide which portable oxygen system is best for you.

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Scott Ridl
In-Depth Look at the Oxus Portable Oxygen Concentrator

In-Depth Look at the Oxus Portable Oxygen Concentrator

Scott Ridl

The Oxus portable oxygen concentrator is a lightweight, supplemental oxygen system designed to give you the independence to live your life without worry about oxygen ...

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In-Depth Look at the Oxus Portable Oxygen Concentrator

In-Depth Look at the Oxus Portable Oxygen Concentrator

The Oxus portable oxygen concentrator is a lightweight, supplemental oxygen system designed to give you the independence to live your life without worry about oxygen tank refills, home filling systems, or running out of oxygen while you are away from home. The Oxus portable concentrator was created with every feature important to oxygen dependent patients in mind. With Oxus, you can have a compact and portable POC without compromising on battery life, decibel level, or oxygen output.

The Oxus Portable Oxygen Concentrator features one of the sleekest designs available on the market today. With a light gray molded plastic shell, the Oxus POC is a good looking solution for oxygen dependent patients seeking freedom to travel around town and even across the country. The Oxus has a sturdy carry handle made of dark gray molded plastic, contributing to the contemporary look of the unit with a modern two-toned design.

Standing at less than a foot tall, and just 7.6” wide and 5.6” deep, the Oxus is one of the most compact portable oxygen concentrators available on the market without compromising on battery life, oxygen delivery and output, and noise level.

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Scott Ridl
What to Do When You're Having Trouble Breathing

What to Do When You’re Having Trouble Breathing

Scott Ridl

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 ...

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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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Scott Ridl
How Oxygen Therapy Can Improve Poor Circulation

How Oxygen Therapy Can Improve Poor Circulation

Scott Ridl

If you have COPD or another breathing problem, you might find yourself getting cold when everyone else is hot, or getting numbness in your hands, ...

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How Oxygen Therapy Can Improve Poor Circulation

How Oxygen Therapy Can Improve Poor Circulation

If you have COPD or another breathing problem, you might find yourself getting cold when everyone else is hot, or getting numbness in your hands, feet, or other parts of your body in your extremities. These are classic signs of poor circulation, but if you haven’t been specifically diagnosed with this by your doctor, you will need to pay him or her a visit, since these symptoms can also be signs of other health problems, as well.

Even mild COPD can affect your blood circulation, so if you are not already on oxygen therapy, your doctor might decide that this will help your COPD, and your poor circulation at the same time, instead of putting you on more drugs. Keep in mind that when oxygen is prescribed to you by a doctor, it is considered a drug, even though it doesn’t bring with it the side effects of other medications. You have to treat it just like a prescribed medication, which means not changing the flow of the oxygen yourself.

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Scott Ridl