Life has a tendency to throw some curveballs from time to time. Whether it be a simple change to our daily routine or something more serious like the coronavirus pandemic that we’re currently dealing with, it’s important to always stay on your feet and be prepared for the worst, but hope for the best.

If you are a parent or guardian, then you know what it's like to worry about your children's health, whether it's concern about illnesses, unhealthy environments, or risk for future disease. This worry is natural, and even rational, as early childhood experiences can have an effect your children's long-term health.

If there’s one word to describe the time we’re living in it’s “uncertainty.” Ever since the first case of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the United States was reported back in late January, many Americans have struggled to make decisions about their health and financial well-being. With many cities across the country in a “lockdown” state and more and more people being encouraged to stay home and practice “social distancing,” it’s hard not to feel concerned about the future of the country.

When you have a chronic disease like COPD, certain drugs and medications can affect your body differently than they affect healthy adults. In fact, there is a huge number of medications that can be dangerous for people with COPD because they worsen COPD symptoms or have other adverse effects.

Around 1.5 million Americans use supplemental oxygen every day to treat respiratory conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis (CF), pneumonia, and more. Oxygen plays an important role in increasing oxygen saturation levels, maintaining pulmonary stability, and improving clinical outcomes for many patients. 

If you suffer from any number of respiratory ailments, you’re likely well aware of the important role oxygen therapy plays in your life. COPD patients, in particular, are able to significantly reduce chronic symptoms like breathlessness and chest pain by using supplemental oxygen on a daily basis. On the other hand, short-term oxygen therapy can assist patients in recovering more quickly after a hospital visit.

Oxygen therapy, also known as supplemental oxygen therapy, is the administration of medical-grade oxygen in order to treat a variety of medical conditions. While oxygen has been used as early as the 1800s, it wasn’t until the late 1900s that doctors were able to nail down the exact conditions that oxygen could treat, and equally as important, when oxygen therapy should be avoided.

Despite the fact that COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in America, it is, unfortunately, a condition that the average person knows next to nothing about. Many people have never even heard of COPD, let alone how it's caused or how common, serious, and deadly it can be.

Oxygen is essential for maintaining human life. Each time you inhale, your lungs begin a chemical process called cellular respiration where oxygen is removed from the air and is used to convert nutrients into energy that our bodies can use. Without oxygen in the atmosphere, our bodies would have no way to process and digest the food we eat.

If you’re a fiscally responsible person, you’ve probably trained yourself over the course of your life to avoid unnecessary financial spending. Maybe you limit the number of times you eat out per week, take public transportation, or avoid buying that expensive latte before work. This is a great quality to have because it means you’ll be able to save up more money for things that matter like paying off the mortgage or saving for your children’s or grandchildren’s education.