Organ Donation and Lung Transplants – What You Need to Know

Organ Donation and Lung Transplants – What You Need to Know

Scott Ridl

The medical technology of organ donation has saved many lives, but it’s estimated that around 100,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant, and it ...

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Organ Donation and Lung Transplants – What You Need to Know

Organ Donation and Lung Transplants – What You Need to Know

The medical technology of organ donation has saved many lives, but it’s estimated that around 100,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant, and it can be hard to find the right match. Organ donation is complicated and can be risky. The blood type has to be matched between the recipient and the donor, and the size and age have to be compatible.

If you have severe COPD or another lung disease, receiving a lung transplant might be an option for you. This might be an option so you won’t need to depend on an oxygen concentrator for the rest of your life, or need a battery of medications to keep your lungs functioning as close to properly as possible.
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Scott Ridl
Importance of Preventative Maintenance for Your Oxygen Concentrator

Importance of Preventative Maintenance for Your Oxygen Concentrator

Scott Ridl

Your oxygen concentrator, whether it is one that stays in your home or a portable oxygen concentrator that travels with you, you will need to ...

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Importance of Preventative Maintenance for Your Oxygen Concentrator

Importance of Preventative Maintenance for Your Oxygen Concentrator

Your oxygen concentrator, whether it is one that stays in your home or a portable oxygen concentrator that travels with you, you will need to perform some basic maintenance and upkeep. You depend on your unit to keep you healthy and keep providing that oxygen that your body needs to survive, so you must make sure that it will work the way it’s supposed to for as long as possible. Your oxygen concentrator is an investment in your life.

Preventative maintenance is simple, and you can do it yourself under most circumstances. Things like the cabinet filter, HEPA filter and humidifier are all made to be easily accessed and maintenance by almost anyone. Many oxygen concentrators are designed to require maintenance no more than once or twice a year.

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Scott Ridl
Using Oxygen Concentrators at High Altitudes

Using Oxygen Concentrators at High Altitudes

Scott Ridl

The higher you go above sea level, the thinner the air gets and less oxygen is available for you to breathe. Mountain climbers know this, ...

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Using Oxygen Concentrators at High Altitudes

Using Oxygen Concentrators at High Altitudes

The higher you go above sea level, the thinner the air gets and less oxygen is available for you to breathe. Mountain climbers know this, and will take portable oxygen equipment with them when they are climbing to altitudes near 10,000 feet, which is where the lack of oxygen starts to get dangerous. When we aren’t getting enough oxygen, especially when our bodies are being pushed to the limit (like during mountain or rock climbing), we can become very ill.

Fish need a certain amount of oxygen in the water to breathe. In a fish tank, they depend on the air pump to bring in the oxygen, since they are living in a small space and not the open water. If the air pump breaks, the amount of oxygen in the tank depletes quickly, and the fish will become sick and die. When you are climbing higher and higher up a mountain, the level of oxygen around you is decreasing, and you are like the fish losing oxygen. Unless you do something to make up for that lack of this life-giving gas, you could be in trouble.

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Scott Ridl
An In-Depth Look at the SeQual Eclipse 3

An In-Depth Look at the SeQual Eclipse 3

Scott Ridl

The third generation of SeQual’s Eclipse, the Eclipse 3, is a portable oxygen concentrator that provides the most reliable continuous flow oxygen along with a ...

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An In-Depth Look at the SeQual Eclipse 3

An In-Depth Look at the SeQual Eclipse 3

The third generation of SeQual’s Eclipse, the Eclipse 3, is a portable oxygen concentrator that provides the most reliable continuous flow oxygen along with a pulse dose option. This fully functioning, robust system fulfills clinical oxygen needs while simultaneously offering desired portability and freedom. Regain your freedom to move freely about your home, take trips to the grocery store, day trips with grandchildren, and even travel with the Eclipse 3.

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Scott Ridl
Inogen One G3 vs Invacare XP02

Inogen One G3 vs. Invacare XP02 Concentrator Comparison

Scott Ridl

The Inogen One G3 Portable Oxygen Concentrator and the Invacare XP02 Portable Oxygen Concentrator are both state of the art, compact and lightweight oxygen therapy ...

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Inogen One G3 vs. Invacare XP02 Concentrator Comparison

Inogen One G3 vs Invacare XP02

The Inogen One G3 Portable Oxygen Concentrator and the Invacare XP02 Portable Oxygen Concentrator are both state of the art, compact and lightweight oxygen therapy systems. Both portable concentrators are designed to give you the freedom to live your life and even travel without worry about tank refills or running out of oxygen.

Here’s a closer look at the similarities and differences between the Inogen One G3 and the Invacare XP02 to help you decide which portable oxygen machine is a better fit for your lifestyle.

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Scott Ridl
March is National Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Awareness Month

March is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Month – How Oxygen Therapy Can Help

Scott Ridl

Having Chronic Fatigue syndrome means being excessively tired for more than 6 months at a time, and having to deal with pain such as joint ...

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March is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Month – How Oxygen Therapy Can Help

March is National Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Awareness Month

Having Chronic Fatigue syndrome means being excessively tired for more than 6 months at a time, and having to deal with pain such as joint pains and headaches. Imagine not being able to get through a whole day of work or school because you simple can’t keep your eyes open, not matter how much sleep you get each night. It’s like having a severe case of the flu that never ends, or never getting any sleep for two or three nights in a row.

If you have been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, you don’t have to imagine this, but you are looking for a way to get through a regular day. Besides the medications that you might have to take, you can most likely benefit from one hour of oxygen therapy each day. Talk to your doctor to see if he or she thinks you should give oxygen therapy a try.

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Scott Ridl
How COPD Influences Brain Health and What You Can Do

How COPD Influences Brain Health and What You Can Do

Scott Ridl

If you stop breathing for a long enough time, what happens? Death will happen after around 5 minutes without air, with unconsciousness and brain damage ...

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How COPD Influences Brain Health and What You Can Do

How COPD Influences Brain Health and What You Can Do

If you stop breathing for a long enough time, what happens? Death will happen after around 5 minutes without air, with unconsciousness and brain damage occurring first. The rare exceptions are divers who have trained to hold their breath for up to 10 minutes.

There are also stories of children who have fallen into ice cold water and were without air for up to 1 hour. Their metabolism slowed so much because of the cold water that needed much less oxygen to survive. Once pulled out of the icy water and warmed up, they experienced no brain damage. Aside from these amazing cases, the average person’s brain function will suffer greatly without enough oxygen.

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Scott Ridl
Things You Can Do to Try to Recover Quicker From a COPD Exacerbation

Things You Can Do to Try to Recover Quicker From a COPD Exacerbation

Scott Ridl

If you have COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), you have mostly likely had to deal with one or a few flare-ups, also known as exacerbations. ...

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Things You Can Do to Try to Recover Quicker From a COPD Exacerbation

Things You Can Do to Try to Recover Quicker From a COPD Exacerbation

If you have COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), you have mostly likely had to deal with one or a few flare-ups, also known as exacerbations. Exacerbations take a toll on lung function each time you have one, and unfortunately, your lung function will never get back to where it was before the exacerbation.

COPD itself takes a toll on the body, the extent of which depends on how bad it is and if you have continued to smoke after being diagnosed with the disease. It’s true that early and aggressive treatment of this disease makes a big difference in how it progresses.

A COPD exacerbation can leave you feeling weak and exhausted. You might have a hard time concentrating and you will likely feel more anxious, depressed or easily angered. The way you feel, besides the way you breathe, should not be overlooked.

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Scott Ridl
All About Spring Allergies and Ways to Prevent Them

All About Spring Allergies and Ways to Prevent Them

Scott Ridl

With spring on its way and cold and flu season on its way out, you might still have plenty to deal with in preventing breathing ...

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All About Spring Allergies and Ways to Prevent Them

All About Spring Allergies and Ways to Prevent Them

With spring on its way and cold and flu season on its way out, you might still have plenty to deal with in preventing breathing problems. The Food and Drug Administration estimates that 36 million people in the United States suffer with hay fever – AKA allergic rhinitis – which can put a major damper on the onset of nice weather. We might be looking forward to more sun and the blooming of the trees and flowers, but must we suffer along with it?

If you have COPD or another chronic lung condition, allergy season can actually be dangerous for you if you them. The symptoms of allergies can send you into an exacerbation, caused by drainage from your sinuses down into your lungs. Extra mucus and inflammation occurs, and your doctor may find it necessary to increase the dosage on your medication or prescribed oxygen.

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Scott Ridl
A Quick Guide for Taking Care of Your Portable Oxygen Concentrator

A Quick Guide for Taking Care of Your Portable Oxygen Concentrator

Scott Ridl

Once you have your portable oxygen concentrator, your doctor will most likely go over its functions with you. You will also have a manual to ...

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A Quick Guide for Taking Care of Your Portable Oxygen Concentrator

A Quick Guide for Taking Care of Your Portable Oxygen Concentrator

Once you have your portable oxygen concentrator, your doctor will most likely go over its functions with you. You will also have a manual to consult when you need to know something specific to your model. Just in case you misplace your manual or you can’t get a hold of your doctor, here is a guide to the basics of taking care of and maintaining your portable oxygen concentrator.

Safety first! Shut the oxygen concentrator off and make sure it is not plugged in or charging before you start cleaning it.

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Scott Ridl