Nebuliser basics, who should have one?

With the pollen count on the rise and in some areas hospitals struggling to cope we thought it may an opportune moment to revisit the basics of nebuliser therapy.

A nebuliser is a powerful drug delivery system that should only be used if your G.P. or health professional has recommended that you do. Using a nebuliser during an acute episode of your chest condition at a clinic, in A&E or on a hospital ward doesn’t always mean that you will be a suitable candidate to have one at home

For those of you who do have a nebuliser at home it is important to have management plan agreed with your doctor or nurse so you know what to do if your condition gets worse.

Relying on a nebuliser when you are feeling more breathless than usual and taking extra doses of nebulised relievers will only disguise and delay the need to seek medical advice

Nebulisers will not work without medication and your health professional will prescribe those which will be most beneficial for you. The most commonly nebulised drugs are relievers such as Salbutamol but there are many others such as Saline, Steroids and Antibiotics. Some but not all medications may influence the choice of nebuliser you decide to buy and one size doesn't suit all to view our full range click HERE

Other factors to consider when choosing a nebuliser for use at home are how frequently you may be nebulising? How portable it needs to be? Is it easy to maintain and clean? Are accessories readily available? And for some of you it can be important that it is simple and easy to operate

There are many pages and clickable links throughout this blog, you can click HERE for frequently asked questions and answers and HERE to check out our website, which will provide more answers to all these questions as well as quick links to independent help and advice and if you are still unsure or confused you can call us on 01942 701210 or click HERE to email.

Check out the new BLF website

The British Lung Foundation Website has had a make over. Its easy to navigate and full of lots of of useful information and all the latest news. It provides professional support as well as an online community forum where you can chat plus details of your local breathe easy group where you can talk to people who are in a similar situation face to face.

We often hear from many of our customers what a lifeline the British Lung Foundation has been over the years so, if you haven’t already, why not check it out here:

http://www.blf.org.uk/Home

What is Carers Week?

Nearly six million people in the UK are carers and of these there are 1.9 million people caring for more than 20 hours per week and 1.25 million care for more than 50 hours per week.

Most carers are aged over 18 and the peak age for caring is 50 to 59 but there are many many young people who are under 18 and provide care for more than 50 hours a week

Carers provide unpaid care by looking after an ill, frail or disabled family member, friend or partner. Carers give so much to society yet as a consequence of caring, they can experience ill health, poverty and discrimination

When is Carers Week? Carers Week is the 18th -24th June 2012

Carers Week is a partnership of eight national charities, who come together to fund and organise the largest national awareness week in the UK and to offer support in a wide variety of ways. 

If you are a Carer or know someone who is and would like to find out more then click on the link below.

http://carersweek.org/

The New Pari Turbo Boy SX

Not to be out done the Pari TurboBoy has been upgraded too

The Pari Turbo Boy SX nebuliser is the next generation of Pari TurboBoy with a compact design which comes coupled with cutting edge compressor technology

The high output from the smooth running compressor ensures shorter nebulisation times and, when used with the LC Sprint reusable medication chamber, a highly efficient drug delivery system.  This means that there is more medication delivered to your lungs when you breathe in and and less wastage when you breathe out. and you can see for yourself how this happens by clicking HERE

When manufactures continue to innovate and upgrade their already wonderful products without a rise in price who are we to argue? Click HERE to check the Pari Turbo SX out for yourself.

The New Omron C28 P

The Omron C28P although not drastically different in appearance from the C28E still comes in at a great value price. 

The Omron C28P now has a more powerful motor with a higher output and comes supplied with the new and improved VVT neb kit.

The new VVT neb kit has a shorter nebulisation times giving a respirable output rate of 0.5ml/min compared to 0.4ml/min produced by its predecessor, uses minimal parts to nebulise and leaves minimal medication residue in the chamber which means that the entire dose is inhaled by you. It offers everything necessary for efficient drug delivery at a realistic price.

With its simple one button operation, easily assembled and clearly marked parts the Omron C28 P “it does what it says on the tin” you can order and take a look at this ever popular nebuliser by clicking HERE

Out and about with your travel nebuliser

A hobby is a regular activity or interest that is undertaken for pleasure, typically done during your leisure time. Examples of hobbies include collecting,creative and artistic pursuits, making, tinkering, sports, adult education volunteering and fund raising. Engaging in a hobby can lead to acquiring substantial skill, knowledge and experience. Some of you enjoy participating in competitive hobbies such as athletics, golf, bowling and other team games, socialising or some of you enjoy a quieter pastime such as walking, gardening, travelling or fishing.

The key word is pleasure and hopefully for most of you who have been prescribed a nebuliser, it won’t mean that your favourite hobbies have to come to an end. Indeed for many of you being diagnosed with a chronic chest condition has spurred you on to turn your pleasurable pastime into a fund raising activity to help those who were there to help you.

Priority as always has to be safety and our kindred spirits and useful links have pages of expert guidance to help you. 

Throughout our blog and website you can find red clickable links, personal stories as well as hints and tips to help you choose the most suitable nebuliser to help you continue with your favourite hobby or pastime, be it a nebuliser for the car, for travelling long distances, or a nebuliser to pop in your pocket. You can still attend your book club, visit a gallery or concert, take a walk with the dog or perhaps the more daring of you fancy a a sky dive !

Have you taken the Triple A Test?

In the UK, asthma kills three people every day, and someone is admitted to hospital with a terrifying and potentially fatal asthma attack every seven minutes, yet spotting and treating early warning signs can prevent asthma attacks and hospital admissions.

As Kate H rightly pointed out May 1st was World Asthma Day. One aspect of this campaign is to encourage people with asthma to stay safe and out of hospital. The Triple A Test from 

Asthma UK could go someway to help you achieve just that.

The Triple A Test is aimed at people with asthma to help them find out their risk of having an asthma attack and advise them what they can do to reduce it. It asks simple questions about factors which have all been independently linked to an increased or highly increased risk of an asthma attack and has so far been taken by over 30,000 people. New data from Asthma UK shows that people with asthma considerably underestimate their risk of having an attack yet, more than a third of people with asthma are at a high risk of a potentially fatal asthma attack and 93% at a higher risk than perhaps they were aware

Six weeks after they had taken the test over half of those who were asked said it had made them think more seriously about their asthma and many had taken steps to change their behaviours, including avoiding their asthma triggers, knowing when to take their medicines and knowing what to do if their symptoms get worse

To take the Triple A Test you can click here:

http://www.asthma.org.uk/get-involved/our-campaigns/the-triple-a-avoid-asthma-attacks-campaign/take-the-triple-a-avoid-asthma-attacks-test/

For independent advice or to read further you can contact Asthma UK here:

http://www.asthma.org.uk/