Respiratory News

August is Immunization Awareness Month – How Immunizations Help COPD

Immunization Awareness Month

Keeping your Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease under control is the first step in keeping you healthy. You should be doing anything you can to prevent exacerbations, including doing specific lung exercises, quitting smoking, taking your prescribed oxygen therapy and medication as directed, as well as getting the immunizations that will help keep you healthy.

If someone you know gets a cold or the flu, who doesn’t have COPD, they will be ill for about a week or two, and get better. If you were to come down with the flu, it can spell disaster and lead to an exacerbation. Getting the proper immunizations for things like influenza and pneumonia are important and will make a huge difference in your health throughout the year, and through the cold and flu season.

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Scott Ridl

10 Most Oxygen Friendly Cities in the US

Denver, an oxygen friendly city.

“Location location location.” – This old adage is even more important when you have a medical need, such as oxygen therapy, or if you have a disability. Going out for a night of fun and socializing shouldn’t be something that you have to give up, now that you are using oxygen therapy. You still need to get around, even if you are just visiting, and you deserve the accommodations that you need to be comfortable. That’s why we’ve put together a list of the 10 best oxygen friendly cities in the US.

This list has been based on the things you will need, such as easy public transportation, accessibility for those with disabilities, the best average climate conditions for people with COPD, and the best nearby pulmonary clinics. Keep in mind that the places with the best accommodations usually have a higher cost of living, and higher taxes. Very often, these things are worth it for being able to move about comfortably and easily. Although using oxygen therapy isn’t considered a disability, ease of access for people with disabilities is taken into consideration, because they often go hand-in-hand.

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Scott Ridl

2013 American Medical Respiratory Therapist Scholarship Essay Winner

2013 American Medical Respiratory Therapist Scholarship Essay Winner

We are proud to announce our winner for our 2013 Respiratory Therapist Scholarship! It was Amanda Baker of Fruitland, Maryland; a junior in Respiratory Therapy Program at Salisbury University located in Salisbury, Maryland. She plans to use her scholarship reward for a summer internship course.

Below is her winning essay:

I have been fascinated by babies since I was a young girl and know in my soul that I was placed n this earth to help them. I am pursuing a career as a Respiratory Therapist with the desire to work in a neonatal or labor and delivery unit so that I can help save the lives of newborns with breathing issues.

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Scott Ridl

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

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

Why Your Beauty Routine Might be Hurting Your Lungs

Why Your Beauty Routine Might be Hurting Your Lungs

You want to look good, of course. When you’re happy with your appearance, it can boost your mood and make you feel good in general. As we know, things that seem good sometimes have hidden dangers and pit falls. Sometimes these problems don’t outweigh the good effects, and it’s just a matter of how much we want to subject ourselves to.

If you have sensitive lungs, allergies or a chronic lung disease, however, there are a few things that you probably wouldn’t want to use at all. If you still want to use them, there are some things you can do to limit your exposure, and some alternatives to your favorite products.

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Scott Ridl

Arm Yourself This Cold Season – Best Cold Medicines and Ingredients

The Best Cold Medicines and Active Ingredients

Aside from your doctor, the best person to give you advice about medications is your pharmacist. If you’re coming down with a cold and need some relief, the pharmacist is the most readily available and qualified person to give you advice on which over the counter medicines to choose. Depending on your unique condition and the medications you are on, your doctor or pharmacist might advise against using certain over the counter medicines.

For example, if you have high blood pressure, you probably already know that over the counter decongestants aren’t safe for you to take because of the way they constrict blood vessels. If you have high blood pressure and suffering with a cold or allergies, your doctor may prescribe something safe for you, or tell you of an over the counter alternative. With high blood pressure, the over the counter decongestants that you should be avoiding are anything with ephedrine, naphazoline, phenylephrine, pseudoephedrine and oxymetazoline.

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Scott Ridl

AMSR Offers Concentrator Repair Services to Better Patient Health

Oxygen concentrators are increasingly prevalent in the health and medical market for patients who suffer from a variety of related illnesses, such as COPD, sleep apnea and emphysema. These devices are so crucial to quality of life that any broken pieces or malfunctions must be addressed immediately in order to preserve patient livelihood. American Medical Sales & Rentals is the leading company to provide repair services for the majority of makes and models of concentrators.

When patients suffer from conditions that result in a lack of oxygen, they must obtain oxygen therapy through concentrators. These machines help to deliver oxygen through a mask or a series of tubes, depending on the model of concentrator the patient chooses. Patients breathe easier with oxygen concentrators than on their own because the machines remove nitrogen that exists in the normal air people breathe.

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Scott Ridl

Western Colorado Lung Health Conference

Western Colorado Lung Health Conference

John More our Customer Service Manager had the pleasure of attending the first annual Thomas L. Petty M.D. Western Colorado Lung Health Conference held in Grand Junction, Colorado on September 29, 2012. The participants heard wonderful talks from the following speakers. Louise Nett RN, RRT, FAARC explained why the conference was named after Dr. Petty and explained some of the research Dr. Petty did which helped the medical community to understand the benefits of supplemental oxygen for lung disorder patients.

John Goodman BS, RRT explained the improvements in how oxygen is delivered to patients. John just lost his Mother recently and told a wonderful story about his niece surviving a double lung transplant. Dr. Joel Bechtel did a wonderful speech helping the participants to understand what lung disease is and how they can better live with lung disease. Dr. Bechtel spoke about a trip he made to India and an article he had published with a number of doctors from India for the International Journal of COPD.

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Scott Ridl