Although not everybody who needs a nebuliser has COPD, we do take a lot of calls from those who do as well as their relatives and friends. “My friend has COPD and I was wondering if they would benefit from a nebuliser if I bought one?” “My mother used a nebuliser in A&E and I was wondering would she benefit from having one at home?”
The first person to speak to has to be the medical professional who is helping with your COPD. It could be the COPD Nurse the British Lung Foundation Nurse the Respiratory Nurse or the G.P. They will decide if now is the right time for you or your relative to have a nebuliser at home. They will decide which medication to prescribe to use with it and advise on how often you may need to nebulise. For some people its a regular daily routine for others it's as and when.
We can help you choose the right nebuliser to suit your needs and there is lots of information throughout this blog to get you started. You can click HERE to view our range or call us on 01942 70120
COPD stands for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It is the name used to describe a number of conditions, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, where people have difficulty breathing because of long-term damage to their lungs.
If you want to read more about COPD then the British Lung Foundation have some excellent, simple to follow pages on their website which you can find HERE or by clicking on the link below and there are leaflets and publications available if your friend or family member hasn’t got access to the internet.
http://www.blf.org.uk/Conditions/Detail/COPD
Thursday 24 October 2013
Wednesday 2 October 2013
Pulse Oximetry. A quick re-cap.
Pulse Oximetry is a technology used to determine the amount of oxygen in your blood. Keeping levels within a normal range means oxygen is being delivered to the cells of your body to keep them functioning. Its application is simple and it provides information about low blood oxygen conditions and your pulse rate. However it should be regarded as only one aspect of your total assessment and if you have any concerns at all you should always seek medical help
Normally oxygen saturation percentage should always be above 97 percent. Readings below this indicate varying levels of low blood oxygen (hypoxia). The term "normal" however can be misleading. If you have a chest condition such as COPD you may always have a lower than average amount of oxygen in your blood which means a pulse oximeter reading of 92 to 95 percent may be "normal" for you, each person is different. Other factors can affect the readings, even nail varnish. It also monitors your fingertip pulse rate and for adults and adolescents when resting an average pulse is between 60-100 beats per minute but for those of you with a pre existing medical condition it can vary. It doesn't monitor your pulses rhythm or strength and you can read more about factors which may alter your pulse rate reading HERE
There are many breathing tests which may be done to assess just what's happening to your lungs and you can read more about them on the British Lung Foundation website http://www.blf.org.uk/Page/Breathing-tests and many reasons for breathlessness which you can read about here http://www.blf.org.uk/conditions/detail/breathlessness
Getting out of breath can be very frightening, which makes the breathlessness worse. In trying to avoid this, people often reduce the amount of activity they do. However, this does not help, as over time you become unfit, tired and more breathless. (http://www.blf.org.uk/Page/Pulmonary-rehab) A pulse oximeter can be an invaluable tool in helping you monitor your symptoms and if you you think you, a friend or relative would benefit then take a look at the PO 30 HERE
Normally oxygen saturation percentage should always be above 97 percent. Readings below this indicate varying levels of low blood oxygen (hypoxia). The term "normal" however can be misleading. If you have a chest condition such as COPD you may always have a lower than average amount of oxygen in your blood which means a pulse oximeter reading of 92 to 95 percent may be "normal" for you, each person is different. Other factors can affect the readings, even nail varnish. It also monitors your fingertip pulse rate and for adults and adolescents when resting an average pulse is between 60-100 beats per minute but for those of you with a pre existing medical condition it can vary. It doesn't monitor your pulses rhythm or strength and you can read more about factors which may alter your pulse rate reading HERE
There are many breathing tests which may be done to assess just what's happening to your lungs and you can read more about them on the British Lung Foundation website http://www.blf.org.uk/Page/Breathing-tests and many reasons for breathlessness which you can read about here http://www.blf.org.uk/conditions/detail/breathlessness
Getting out of breath can be very frightening, which makes the breathlessness worse. In trying to avoid this, people often reduce the amount of activity they do. However, this does not help, as over time you become unfit, tired and more breathless. (http://www.blf.org.uk/Page/Pulmonary-rehab) A pulse oximeter can be an invaluable tool in helping you monitor your symptoms and if you you think you, a friend or relative would benefit then take a look at the PO 30 HERE
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