Here at LPT Medical, we’ve always taken pride in offering respiratory patients the resources they need to make educated decisions about their condition. With all the misinformation that’s out there on the web, it’s been our top priority to provide detailed, transparent, and factual information about issues that affect you the most such as oxygen therapy, diet, and exercise. 

The past several months have been challenging for many people across the world. With the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), most of us are filled with uncertainty about our health and financial well-being. While many people have lost their jobs, older adults, especially those with chronic health conditions like COPD or diabetes, have had to drastically adjust their lifestyle to avoid getting sick.

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 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.

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.

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.

Telehealth is defined as “the use of telecommunications to provide long-distance administration of healthcare services for patients.” if you’re having trouble putting this into perspective, you’ve likely already used some form of telehealth services in the past. Scheduling a doctor’s visit by phone or through the internet is one example because you’re using a digital medium to make healthcare more convenient and accessible.