It is that time of the year again, the holidays are upon us. If you are looking into gift ideas for your loved ones already, and you are having trouble deciding on something special for the person in your life with COPD or another respiratory illness, this gift guide is for you!
In the midst of all the confusion and uncertainty in dealing with the global pandemic, time does not stop moving, the holidays are coming. The holiday festivities are limited, and maybe your travel plans have been canceled, but there are still plenty of opportunities to make the end of 2020 special for your loved ones. Giving your special someone a thoughtful gift can make a big difference this year when spending time together may not be an option.
This year has been especially hard for people with chronic illnesses including Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Fortunately, people with COPD are not at higher risk of getting the coronavirus however, people with COPD are at higher risk for complications and poorer outcomes if they do catch COVID-19, therefore, these fold have been very isolated and frighten for a long time.
We created this gift guide for people with COPD in 2020 that will give you some ideas into how you can make the holidays feel special, even if you are spending them apart.
Bear in mind, that this year has taken a great toll on small businesses around the world. If your favorite little shop in town hasn’t closed their doors for good, they still might be struggling to stay afloat due to stay-at-home mandates, limiting capacity in-store regulations, and other state mandated restrictions that are put in place to ensure the safety and health of local residents from the Coronavirus.
That being said, many storefront shops have developed an online platform where you can go to order gifts online. So remember that Amazon is not your only option, and some of your favorite local businesses would greatly appreciate your support in these trying times, even if you can’t go into their store to shop in person at the moment!
While LTP Medical has two locations: oxygen supplies out of Denver, CO and oxygen equipment in Boca, Raton Florida, we only have an one online store at the moment, and as a small family owned businesses we fully support the local companies in our two locations that are dedicated to bringing high-quaility products to their loyal customers. Depending on where you live, we hope you do the same this holiday season!
So let's get into it!
A CT mask is designed to give people with lung disease, such as asthma and COPD, the ability to breathe warm, moist air outdoors in cold dry weather. Cold weather and breathing in cold air can cause COPD symptoms to become exacerbated because the cold dry air removes moisture from the bronchial passages, creating inflammation which narrows the airways. It is always smart for people with COPD to minimize their exposure to certain irritates that will dramatize their COPD symptoms, this includes cold dry air.
The CT Mask is a perfect solution for this issue, but also keep in mind that it DOES NOT PROTECT AGAINST COVID-19. The Ct Mask is essentially a thermal exchange module, which initiates a heat exchange cycle each time there is an inhalation and exhalation. The heat and moisture from the exhaled breath is held inside the module and transferred into your next inhaled breath. So instead of breathing in cold dry air, warm, moist, fresh air is inhaled.
If you have a loved one with COPD or another lung disease that requires them to be on oxygen 24/7, their oxygen device is with them everyday all day. A portable oxygen concentrator is a battery powered medical device that does require a doctor’s prescription when you buy from a licensed distributor. These machines are lightweight and dynamic, and can even be taken on airplanes, unlike oxygen tanks and canisters.
With oxygen tanks, a delivery company comes and refills empty tanks or replaces empty tanks with filled ones. This process happens at least once every two weeks depending on how much oxygen they need. Every time oxygen is delivered it costs money and time. With a portable oxygen concentrator, all you have to do is charge the batteries while you are resting or sleeping, but you will never “run out of oxygen” because the device pulls ambient air from the surrounding area and compresses the gas into pure medical grade oxygen.
If your loved one still used an oxygen tank, but would qualify for a portable oxygen concentrator, there are a lot of benefits they could reap by switching from oxygen tanks to a portable oxygen concentrator. First and foremost, if they like to travel, having portable oxygen concentrators is much more reliable for extended periods of time and not having to re-fill the device is much more efficient for extended stays away from home.
There are two kinds of portable oxygen concentrators, one is a pulse flow and the other delivers continuous flow. The most popular pulse flow portable oxygen concentrators on the market are the Inogen One G5 and the Carie Freestyle Comfort. These are in high-demand because of the efficiency and lightweight designs. So they aren’t just easy to carry, either with the custom carrying case or in a backpack, they are also powerful and cover most oxygen patients that require a pulse dose and even have some wiggle room should their oxygen prescription increase over time.
If your loved one already has a portable oxygen concentrator, you could get them oxygen device accessories that makes operating, transporting, and breathing even easier. When you order a portable oxygen concentrator from LPT Medical, it also comes with a battery, a custom carrying case, tubing, filters, and the manual. But there are a few add on accessories that would make a great holiday gift!
Someone with COPD needs to breathe clean air as much as possible, this reduces symptoms and even helps slow down the progression of COPD. So how do you get someone you love clean air in a world filled with wildfires, pollution, dust mites, and some many other irritates?
A high quality air filter is renowned for its ability to remove almost all airborne particles from the air indoors. Having an air filter can relieve allergy symptoms, improve sleep and help improve overall health, for people suffering from COPD an air filter is a wise decision to improve their quality of life not just within their own home, but it will improve their health and wellbeing so they can spend more time outdoors if they chose to.
Keeping track of one’s health is crucial for someone with COPD. Because this disease is chronic and progressive, it is very helpful for doctors and the pulmonary health team to have updated notes on how the disease has progressed since the last time visiting the doctor.
One of the most important tests when measuring respiratory health is the pulmonary function test’s, which can be taken with a forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1). A Lung Health Meter can store up to FEV1 240 readings, so tracking pulmonary health over time is easy.
Another way to keep track of respiratory health is with a portable oximeter. This device helps respiratory patients to maintain healthy vitals and good health. They can be used for checking the pulse and blood oxygen saturation levels in a convenient and quick way, allowing users to closely monitor their health at all stages of the day.
It might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about what a respiratory patient needs- but exercise is necessary to maintain good health and slow the progression of COPD. Regular exercise is crucial to maintaining respiratory health, yet finding a balanced exercise that challenges COPD patients without exhausting them can be difficult.
A compact breathing exerciser boosts respiratory performance and it is a great device for those who suffer from shortness of breath by providing breathing resistance that is easily adjustable for varying lung fitness levels.
As we mentioned before, exercising is crucial for anyone who is looking to improve their muscular strength and endurance, and this includes COPD patients who want to better their respiratory health. That being said, for people with COPD, it can be very challenging to exercise.
An exercise bike gives them the opportunity to work out their cardiovascular system from the comfort of their own homes. An exercise bike does not have to be a demanding work out and it is especially gentle on the joints compared to other workouts.
.A nice pair of walking shoes is a great gift for a person with COPD because walking is just about the single most important activity a person suffering from chronic lung illnesses can possibly do.
Even if they walk indoors more than outdoors, having a supportive walking shoe with good traction can help them feel motivated and confident to walk safely around their home or neighborhood.
There’s no known cure for COPD but there are things you can do to live and breathe better and eating healthy is one. Healthy COPD oriented cookbooks can help someone you love, live better with COPD.
When you can't breathe, nothing else matters, what might help is knowing that about 16 Million Americans suffer from COPD as well, and there are a lot of resources, including books, available with tips and tricks on how to manage this disease.
Helpful books about COPD can be about how it affects the patient’s breathing, books about the most up-to-date medication and treatment options, self-help books about how to track symptoms and medications. Books that give the reader breathing techniques to improve oxygen intake or strategies for healthy nutrition and gentle exercise. Or, books about what to eat and what to avoid, with lists of key COPD foods. Lastly, books with stories from others who also have COPD can help pass the time spent in quarantine, and remind them that they are not alone in this.
Actions speak louder than words and kind gestures can make a very lasting impression as a holiday gift, especially something thoughtful.
If your loved one with COPD lives nearby, you could offer to reorganize their home for them. Moving and carrying heavy objects does not come easily for people with COPD, and a lot of time in isolation and quarantine can make things a little messy. This action can make a huge difference in a person’s life who struggles to get around their own home.
You can make sure to clear all of the hallways and walking areas so they can get around their home easily with their oxygen device
If you like the idea of organizing your loved one spaces,, it would be wise to get COVID tested and be sure it comes back negative and to self-quarantine before interacting with your loved one with COPD. You can also take added precautions to wear gloves and a mask while inside their home, and do your best to maintain distance from them. They could even go outside for a walk while you are inside, to ensure there is no contact.
Another idea for your loved one with COPD is too deep clean their home. Dust and dust-mites are greatly irritating for people with COPD and having an allergen free home can hugely benefit a person with COPD.
Having all natural cleaning products with no harsh chemicals is also very important. So if you notice they tend to use bleach and chemical-fill disinfects, you could collect a variety of COPD safe natural cleaning agents. You can use those products to clean their home, and then leave the safe natural products with them, and dispose of the harsh chemical products that they might not even know are harming them.
Examples of COPD safe cleaning products include variations of warm water mixed with:
Our last holiday gift idea for a COPD is a subscription to a home delivery meal service. Cooking can also be harmful and sometimes impossible for COPD patients especially if they have a gas stove.
Eating healthy is also expensive and requires a lot of time spent at the grocery store looking for COPD healthy foods that a lot of patients are not capable of handling on their own especially when they are trying to stay at home as much as possible and maintain social distance. If your loved one with COPD prefers to eat out or get delivery, you can order them a subscription to a meal delivery service that specializes in healthy foods that are easy to make.
We hope that we have given you some ideas for what you could get your loved one with COPD this year during the holidays. It is a particularly unique holiday season, where our spirt and acts of kindness go a long way in making someone feel less alone, and more connect than ever.
Look out for another gift guide coming soon that will be specific to our friends and family who use oxygen.