Respiratory News Archives

Study Shows CPAP Masks May Be Effective in Easing High Blood Pressure

A new study revealed results that many researchers were suspecting. CPAP, or Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, which is used to treat moderate to severe sleep apnea, can also help patients who suffer from high blood pressure and stiff arteries.

Sleep apnea is already known to be damaging to the health of your whole body, but especially your heart and circulatory system. Using a CPAP machine can help prevent these issues caused by sleep apnea. But what if you already have severe circulatory issues?

January 3, 2016September 11, 2018 Scott Ridl

What do a “Mini Cooper” and a SeQual eQuinox have in common?

In April 2015, Cooper Anglemyer appeared in the American Medical Showroom with his mother looking for a portable oxygen concentrator. Cooper was born at 26 weeks, weighing only one pound, eight ounces, he quickly earned the nickname “Mini Cooper.”

His first six months were spent in neonatal intensive care, where hospital expenses quickly reached the two million dollar insurance coverage maximum. When his medical insurance no longer provided coverage, Medicaid covered his final two months before he could finally go home. Cooper is now 6 ½ years old and requires supplemental oxygen therapy 24/7.

June 16, 2015August 27, 2020 Scott Ridl

Oxygen Therapy Equipment and the Special Forces

Portable oxygen concentrator use might be a new thing in the military and in the special forces specifically. Emergency oxygen use often becomes necessary due to injury, or when climbing into high altitudes to avoid altitude sickness. Having a portable oxygen concentrator on hand for emergencies is a necessity in the military, because anything can happen.

Liquid and gas tanks are widely used for portable emergency oxygen therapy because they are cheaper than portable oxygen concentrators. This is because they are simply tanks refilled with either compressed oxygen, which is still in its gaseous form, and liquid oxygen.

June 5, 2015August 29, 2020 Scott Ridl

Military Usage of Oxygen Concentrators

Oxygen therapy has been used to help treat a number of illnesses and injuries, not just chronic lung diseases and cardiovascular diseases. It’s no surprise that oxygen therapy in the form of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) and the kind used to treat COPD are widely used by the military and medical professionals to treat soldiers, as well as veterans who need medical assistance.

For example, hyperbaric oxygen therapy is being used to treat the most common injury known to military professions – Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Brain trauma is one of the worst types of injury, because it will negatively effect every part of the body, and every part of your daily life. This type of injury is so common in the military, because of the explosive devices that they have to deal with. Brain injuries like these are also called post-concussive injuries (from the concussion caused by explosives, and often go hand in hand with another common problem among soldiers and vets – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

August 21, 2014April 7, 2021 Scott Ridl

Recent Innovations in Stationary Oxygen Concentrators

Technology is changing and advancing all the time, and that goes for medical technology, as well. Oxygen concentrators are high tech electronics, and if someone can make a call on a very tiny cell phone to someone on the other side of the planet, then you can pretty much expect the same from oxygen concentrator technology.

Just like with computers and cellular devices, oxygen concentrators are managing to get smaller and smaller, and still be able to deliver medical grade oxygen. These sophisticated pieces of medical equipment have the ability to bring in the air around them, and filter it to a very high purity of oxygen.

August 13, 2014April 8, 2021 Scott Ridl

The Role Nurses Play in Oxygen Concentrator Use

In some cases, a patient will begin using oxygen therapy while in a nursing home, a hospice or a hospital. A doctor might order it and prescribe the dosage, but a nurse will be sent in to administer the oxygen. Nurses often play a major role in oxygen therapy use, not only because they are administering it on a regular basis, but they might also be educating the patient and the patient’s family on its use.

Doctors are busy people, and they have many places to go and patients to see. A nurse who works at a hospital and is on call is there much more often and tends to the patients with a lot more hands on work, and will often be the ones instructing a patient, especially if the patient needs to bring their oxygen therapy home with them. Nurses are usually the ones to describe how it works, how important it is to not change the dosage setting, and how to use it properly.

August 13, 2014April 7, 2021 Scott Ridl

The Future of Portable Oxygen Concentrators

All cells in the human body need oxygen to survive. In order for cells to get the oxygen they require, it must be transported via the airways that make up the respiratory system. Normally, the lungs absorb a satisfactory amount of oxygen from the room air, alone; however, some conditions and diseases can prevent enough oxygen from being absorbed by the lungs. In the majority of these situations, the airways are blocked either from mucus or a physical narrowing. This constriction prevents adequate air from reaching the alveoli, otherwise referred to as air sacs. These alveoli in the lungs are necessary to deliver the required oxygen to the cells.

June 24, 2014July 30, 2023 Scott Ridl

Then and Now – Oxygen Improvements Over the Years

As with all medical science and technology, we have seen huge improvements in the way prescribed oxygen has been able to help those who need it. Even in the year, we’ve seen significant improvements and new innovations in oxygen concentrators that are now widely available to oxygen therapy patients. The exciting newest oxygen concentrators have some new and even seemingly subtle tweaks, but these changes have brought an even bigger amount of convenience to patients and physicians alike.

The newest and most innovative oxygen concentrators would be the SimplyFlo by Respirionics and the SeQual Equinox. Each year manufacturers come up with something different that trumps the previous releases, even in a small way.

May 2, 2014April 7, 2021 Scott Ridl

National Mentoring Month – Being an Oxygen Therapy Mentor

If you’ve been using oxygen therapy for a while, you’ve most likely gotten used to it and know the basic ins and outs of it. While it’s not complicated and there isn’t much you really have to know, using your new oxygen concentrator and needing to use oxygen therapy in general can take some getting used to. When you first started using oxygen therapy, you may have felt strange and maybe a little upset with the fact that you now are relying on a machine to do something for you that your lungs can no longer do sufficiently. This can be the hardest thing to get used to.

Having someone to talk to in the beginning, beside a doctor who likely only covers the medical aspect of your diagnosis and prescription, can help you feel more comfortable with your new routine. Being able to relate to someone who also uses oxygen therapy can be nice, as well as having someone to answer general questions. Keep in mind that you should always double check medical things with your doctor before taking any major actions. Your oxygen therapy mentor is only there to relate to and to give moral support.

December 20, 2013April 7, 2021 Scott Ridl

How to Deal with Late Onset Allergies

It can be frustrating to find out that you are now allergic to something that you weren’t allergic to just a few years ago. It’s possible to go all your life without being allergic to dog and cat dander, mold or pollens, and develop one later in life. This is known as adult onset allergy, and it’s more common than you may have guessed. Many allergies are known to affect the airways, and this can be dangerous for those with a chronic lung condition, such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) or asthma.

What causes late onset allergies?

Experts have come up with several possible causes for why you would develop an allergies late in life, and it’s not always easy to pin point why for each individual case. One reason is, you can actually overexpose yourself to a certain allergen, like animal dander if you’ve had pets for a long time. Or maybe you live in a house with a mold problem, and now you’ve started having reactions to it.

December 10, 2013April 7, 2021 Scott Ridl

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