Chronic respiratory disease is debilitating to say
the least, the nature of a chronic illness is that it is not curable, and it will progress if gone untreated. Treating a chronic illness is a battle in itself because it involves exercising, eating properly, quitting habits, and creating new healthy ones
Exercise is not easy for respiratory patients, but getting in daily exercise is essential for keeping your lungs working at their capacity and to maintain muscle strength. Unfortunately, even just a walk can feel overwhelming for many patients who struggle to breathe.
Eating properly for a respiratory disease, although, can be difficult, is an essential part of treating respiratory disease. Sugar is highly addictive, and sugary and foods with a lot of carbohydrates are bad for your breathing because it can cause bloating and gas that disrupts the respiratory tract, making a bad situation even worse.
Quitting bad habits most importantly means quitting smoking. Just about 85 to 90 percent of COPD patients have COPD due to their smoking habits or being exposed to second-hand smoke.
If you smoke and you have been diagnosed with a respiratory disease, it is NOT too late to quit, in fact it is more important for your well being than ever before to quit. Oxygen therapy and quitting smoking are the only treatment options that if accomplished correctly will add years to your life.
The other risk factors for respiratory illness include exposure to air pollution, so it could also be helpful to minimize exposure to allergens like pet dander, pollen, ragweed and other common allergens, pollution, and wildfire smoke.
Many chronic illnesses also require patients to take certain medications, some of which have side effects and require delicate attention to detail. For example chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients are often prescribed bronchodilators.
Bronchodilators are medications that usually come in inhalers — they relax the muscles around your airways. There are many forms of bronchodilators long-acting and short-acting, some should be taken daily, others only in the case of a COPD exacerbation.
Taking medication correctly can be the difference between treating your disease independently and frequent visits and pesky phone calls to the doctor’s office.
Lastly, and most importantly, oxygen therapy to be used as a treatment for COPD can add years to patients live’s if they suffer from a specific degree of hypoxemia.
This means that at a certain point in a COPD patient's disease, their blood oxygen level will be so low that they will require supplemental oxygen therapy to help them breathe and get their blood oxygen levels back to as normal as possible.
Long term oxygen therapy patients can get their oxygen in one of three ways- either utilizing a liquid or gas oxygen tank or by using a portable oxygen concentrator.
Understanding COPD as a condition that will affect the patient for the rest of their life is critical and this is a lifelong journey, meaning that once someone starts using oxygen therapy they will always need it, and they will not get better to the point where they can stop using it.
That is why experts and mental health professionals always advocate for oxygen patients to take advantage of the best oxygen therapy equipment available, because it is a tool that they will use for the rest of their lives. It will also save years of their lives if they are able to adhere to their prescription and maintain healthy oxygen levels during the day and at night.
Presently, there are two types of devices that oxygen patients benefit from the most, pulse flow and continuous flow portable oxygen concentrators. Pulse flow portable oxygen concentrators offer the oxygen patients doses of oxygen when they are inhaling, and continuous flow devices deliver a constant flow of oxygen to the patient.
Depending on the condition of the patient’s lungs and breathing capacity, they will be prescribed oxygen therapy; it is crucial for their device to meet their standards of oxygen output.
In this blog we are talking about the one and only Carie Freestyle Comfort pulse flow portable oxygen device to treat patients that require a pulse flow of oxygen during the day!
If you are a reader that is curious to know more about continuous flow oxygen devices, you can access these other resources by clicking on the links below:
The Ins and Outs of 3 Continuous Flow Portable Oxygen Concentrators
Pulse Dose vs. Continuous Flow Oxygen Concentrators: The Ultimate Comparison Guide
Upgrading From an Oxygen Tank to the Respironics SimplyGo Portable Oxygen Concentrator
The Caire FreeStyle Comfort vs. The Respironics SimplyGo Portable Oxygen Concentrator
10 Major Advantages of The Respironics SimplyGo Portable Oxygen Concentrator
The Caire Freestyle Comfort gives the oxygen patient not only what they need (oxygen) but what they want (freedom).
No matter what type of oxygen device you are using, whether it is an oxygen tank or the best portable oxygen concentrator on the market, the device will give you what you need- medical grade oxygen.
There is valuable evidence of the survival benefits long-term oxygen therapy offers patients with COPD and those with severe chronic hypoxemia.
It is well known that it is essential for oxygen therapy patients with COPD to use this therapy diligently for the long term in order to reap all of the benefits of the supplemental oxygen pumping through their bodies.
For starters, the most obvious benefit the pure medical grade oxygen gives patients is how that additional oxygen can be processed by their bodies and lungs more efficiently, making it easier for the patient to breathe.
Breathing deeper and easier is not the only benefit. With a healthier blood oxygen level the oxygen patient is also rejuvenating their muscles so they are able to be more active and build strength rather than degrade in muscle mass.
Once oxygen levels are back to normal levels, getting a good night’s sleep becomes easier. People’s moods and their attitude are less irritable and more positive because they are getting more oxygen to their brains and bodies are able to function more properly.
Long-term oxygen treatment has obvious benefits and it has improved many patients' quality of life. It can help people to live longer who have severe COPD and low oxygen levels. The most obvious benefits are less shortness of breath and having more energy. However, too much of anything is too much, and it is also important that patients are not over oxygenated.
There are also drawbacks of oxygen therapy, especially when it comes to the equipment and the limitations of the machines.
Long-term oxygen therapy should be used for at least 15 hours a day with limited interruptions, therefore your oxygen equipment should realistically be your companion all day long everyday.
In order to take advantage of oxygen therapy, it should be used 15-24 hours a day. Therefore, having a device that is going to take care of you all day, and for years to come is very important, you also want to have a device that is easy to use and doesn’t hold you back from reaching your potential.
This is when it is important to think about not just what you need- oxygen, but to start thinking about what it is you want.
Do you want to travel? Exercise more? Start a new hobby? Become more independent? And then think about whether or not your oxygen device will allow you to do those things, or if it is holding you back.
If you are thinking that you are not able to accomplish goals because of your oxygen device, it is time to think about buying a Caire Freestyle Comfort, and here is why!
The Freestyle comfort is one of the lightest oxygen therapy devices money can buy, and it doesn't sacrifice power! Compared to bulky and cumbersome oxygen tanks, the freestyle comfort is sleek, slim, and dynamic, so you can take it with you wherever you go.
Not feeling weighed down by the extra machinery attached to you, you will feel more motivated to go for walks or get into a new exercise regime!
The Caire Freestyle Comfort weighs a mere 5 pounds. For many people 5 pounds is not too much to carry with the Caire custom carrying case around their shoulder, but if that is still too hard to carry for you, purchasing a backpack to keep your portable oxygen concentrator is a great option. The backpack is also an easy way to get in a round of golf without being disrupted but your oxygen device!
Having a battery powered portable oxygen device is a game changer, but having a battery that also lasts all day long is life changing!!
Talk about freedom and carefree living, with the Caire Freestyle Comfort your battery could last you all day! Having a device that runs off battery allows you to go anywhere and everywhere without having to worry about running low on oxygen and no more depending on flaky and pesky oxygen delivery companies to come to your home and exchange your tanks.
All you have to do is plug in your device while you are at home as you would with your cell phone, or if you are in the car or RV plug your device into the DC charging plug for an hour or two! Charging your device is easy, and with the 16-cell battery option, you could get even more life out of your device before having to plug in.
The Caire small battery lasts 8 hours on the lowest setting of 1, and it lasts 2 hours on the highest setting of 5. With the Caire large battery your device will last twice as long on every setting.
The rechargeable aspect of the device is great for oxygen users who are looking for a solution to dependency on others.
Whether it is finding dependence from relying on an oxygen refill company or finally having independence and relief from relying so heavily on their caregivers, the long lasting battery life allows for the user to get out and accomplish their own errands and daily goals and simply be able to monitor their oxygen on their own.
Because the device is so easy to charge, you won’t have to ask for help carrying your filled oxygen tanks. If your battery is running low, you can always keep an extra battery handy for peace of mind!
If you would like to buy a second battery, call LPT medical and speak to one of our respiratory specialists by calling 1(800)-946-1201.
The Freestyle comfort competes with any Inogen system, even the newest model, the One G5 and it is one of the most efficient and effective machines on the market. The Caire Freestyle Comfort offers an ultra-sensitive breath detection feature.
Rather than providing you with a constant stream of oxygen, the Freestyle Comfort delivers oxygen only when a breath is detected. This “bolus” of oxygen is precisely synced with your breathing ensuring no oxygen is wasted.
The Freestyle Comfort offers you 5 oxygen flow settings with a maximum oxygen output of 1050 ml/min. This is enough oxygen for the vast majority of oxygen patients, and for some, it provides plenty of room to move up if their symptoms progress. The Caire Freestyle Comfort is one of the top-tier pulse flow oxygen concentrators when it comes to total oxygen output.
Remember that spending money on quality over quantity is good practice for saving money and improving your lifestyle. In the context of oxygen devices, it is wise to spend more money upfront on a device that will give you a higher quality of life rather than waste money monthly on an oxygen tank that will inhibit your ability to live life in the ways you want to.
Oxygen patients should take advantage of the best oxygen therapy equipment available because they will be using oxygen for at least 15 hours a day and more likely 24 hours a day, for the rest of their lives.
If you would like to learn more about the Caire Freestyle Comfort or any other devices that LPT medical carries, please comment on this blog post or call us at 1(800)-946-1201
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