There are five big respiratory diseases that are the most common causes of severe illness and death worldwide- COPD, asthma, acute lower respiratory tract infections, tuberculosis and lung cancer. There are other forms of lung disease that also impact large populations around the world like occupational lung disease, pulmonary hypertension, sleep apnea, pulmonary embolism. 

Supplemental oxygen therapy is a foundational part of most COPD treatment plans. The ultimate goal of oxygen therapy is to provide the lungs with a higher concentration of oxygen which helps ensure that your blood oxygen levels remain normal. While most COPD patients need to use supplemental oxygen at some point in their lives, the experience tends to vary from person to person. 

If you tuned into our blog earlier this month, you know that we discussed COPD as a “systemic disease.” In other words, it’s a disease that affects every part of the body, not just the lungs. This is an important distinction to make because it enables both patients and medical professionals to detect systemic manifestations earlier on and treat them more effectively. One of the systemic manifestations that we mentioned in this post is osteoporosis, a disease that affects the density of the bones.

Some would say it is as certain as death and taxes... allergies.  They cannot be avoided, and it's something many people dread every year. If you suffer from any respiratory illness like COPD, asthma, or cystic fibrosis, allergy season is a bearer of bad news.

For the majority of people, summer is the best time for being active. No matter what type of physical exercise you like to do, everything tends to be more enjoyable and productive when it’s done outside rather than inside. What’s more, studies have shown many health benefits to being outdoors including lowering blood pressure, reducing stress, and preventing insomnia, a sleep disorder that often results from a lack of sunlight during the day. 

Mental illness is a growing problem in the United States. According to Mental Health America (MHA), 1.5 million more Americans experienced mental health issues in 2017 than the previous year. What’s more, surveys from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate a sharp increase in self-reported behavioral health symptoms since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. While there are many possible factors that are contributing to these issues, one of the lesser discussed factors is social isolation.

Getting enough sleep can help your well being in a number of ways, your mental health, your physical capabilities, and so much more. But if you have sleep apnea, falling asleep, let alone sleeping through the night is an impossible task. 

The medical term “localized disease” refers to a condition that is confined to one organ or system of the body. For example, an ear infection is a localized disease because it typically only affects the “middle ear” just behind the eardrum. While ear infections can spread to other parts of the body, this is very uncommon. A “systemic disease”, on the other hand, is one that has systemic manifestations. For example, diabetes is a disease that affects the level of glucose in your blood. Since every organ in the body is reliant on this blood, diabetes can have many systemic effects ranging from cardiovascular disease to nerve damage.

Supplemental oxygen therapy is vital for people with chronic respiratory conditions who experience low blood oxygen levels. When a patient’s blood oxygen level falls below what’s considered normal, this is known as hypoxemia, and it’s a potentially serious condition — especially when it prolongs over long periods of time. The longer you experience hypoxemia, the more likely you are to have heart or brain complications along with many other systemic issues.

Oxygen therapy is a life saving therapy that helps oxygen patients around the world treat respiratory diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD. Oxygen therapy is most commonly administered through nasal tubing called oxygen cannulas or with a face mask if you are using oxygen at night time while you sleep.