31 Dec PERF Monthly Newsletter – December 2015
DECEMBER
2015
Here is a roundup of the articles, news & updates that we've published on the PERF blog site during the past month. Click on the "Read More" link at the bottom of each excerpt to read the full article.
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4 Quick Tips To Get the Best Benefits From Your Metered-Dose Inhaler (MDI)
- Use a spacer with your inhaler. This insures that as much of the medication as possible in each dose gets delivered to your lungs. Many people feel that their inhalers work better with a spacer than without.
- Wash your spacer at least once a week. You can use soap and water and wash it by hand, or put in on the top rack of your dishwasher. Always air dry your spacer – never heat dry, as the its shape may become distorted. Tip: Some people wash and rinse their spacers when they do dishes, making it a part of their everyday routine.
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Flying Over the Holidays? You May Need Supplemental Oxygen
You probably already know that, if you travel by airplane, you’ll experience some decrease in air pressure and lower than normal oxygen levels, but do you know by how much? The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires that the cabin pressure on commercial airplanes be maintained at levels equivalent to the atmospheric pressure below 8,000 feet above sea level. However, in some circumstances, such as when the pilot must take the airplane to higher than normal altitudes in order to avoid bad weather, air pressure could drop to a level equivalent to the atmospheric pressure at 10,000 feet.
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What to Know When Traveling With Portable Oxygen
The TSA will not allow you to travel with either compressed gas tanks or with liquid oxygen supplies. The only personal oxygen supplies they will allow are portable concentrators. Even if you have a portable concentrator, the TSA advises that you should contact your airline ahead of time, because not all airlines allow the use of portable oxygen concentrators. You also should check with the manufacturer of your portable system to determine whether the specific make and model of your oxygen concentrator is approved for in-flight use.
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“Take the Active Option” – Again
In early September, we wrote about the new program of the European Respiratory Society and linked to a video that they released in connection with the Society’s Annual Meeting. During the meeting, many of the 23,000 participants measured how many steps they walked on a particular day. This competition is very tough if you are sitting at a meeting all day long. Just recently, I was in Montreal at the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP – CHEST) and took part in two days of educating participants about cardiopulmonary exercise testing.
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You’ve Been Prescribed Oxygen. Great. Now How Do You Deal With It?
You’ve been prescribed oxygen, and your brain tells you that it’s good for you, but maybe your ego tells you that you hate the whole idea. Here are some things to keep in mind to help you cope with using oxygen.
Think about how your COPD has affected your life, and think about how oxygen will help minimize those effects. Using oxygen will help you catch your breath, have more energy, sleep better, and be more active. Most of all, if you have been prescribed oxygen, it will help you live longer.
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Please Donate to PERF and Help Keep Our Programs and Research Going
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