blog - Asthma
Category: Asthma
Respiratory Care Week: Celebrating Therapists and Promoting Health
Celebrate Respiratory Care Week as we honor respiratory therapists and raise awareness about COPD, oxygen therapy, and the dangers of smoking and
Managing Oxygen Therapy in the Summer Heat
Summer is officially here, bringing longer days, sunshine and warm weather. For those using oxygen therapy, the heat can present unique
Pets and COPD: Can I own a pet?
Having COPD does not mean you are not able to own a pet however, understanding the pros and cons may help make the
Using the Metered Dose Inhaler (MDI) Chamber
Respiratory patients using a metered dose inhaler (MDI) can improve the effectiveness and accuracy of medication placement into their airways and lungs by incorporating a metered dose chamber with their MDI. The MDI attaches directly to the MDI chamber, providing a space for the medication to remain suspended in the air a few seconds longer, improving the amount and dispersion of medication into the airways and lungs. There are two different styles of MDI chambers. The standard chamber is usually a cylindrical device where the MDI attaches at one end and a mouthpiece is at the other. The second device is called a valved holding chamber. How to use both the standard and valved holding chambers: Remove the cap from the MDI and chamber. Shake well. If this is the first time using the MDI, prime the canister by pushing down on the MDI and pointing into the air. A second prime may be necessary. Insert the MDI into the open end of the chamber (opposite of the mouthpiece). Place the mouthpiece of the chamber between your teeth and close your lips tightly. Exhale all of your air out of your lungs. Press down on the canister one time. Breathe in slowly and completely through your mouth. FOR VALVED HOLDINGCHAMBER ONLY — If you hear a horn-like sound, slow your breathing down as you are breathing too quickly. Hold your breath for 10 seconds to allow the medication to be absorbed into the lungs and airways. If you cannot hold your breath for 10 seconds, hold as long as y
Using a Peak Flow Meter
A peak flow meter is a small handheld medical device that measures the fastest speed that air leaves your lungs during a forceful exhalation. This exercise is helpful to asthmatics as the results can help predict if your asthma is under control, or if an attack is eminent. Using the peak flow meter is simple to do and only takes a few minutes. It serves as an important indicator of how well your airways are open and if your breathing is under control—or if you are headed for problems. The peak flow meter can indicate that your airways are closing long before you begin to feel any tightness or shortness of breath, enabling to can take your medications and prevent an attack from happening. The peak flow meter has a mouthpiece that you place your teeth on and seal your lips tightly around so that no air escapes. The meter has a scaled set of numbers that begin low at the mouthpiece end and increase. Within the scale is a flow indicator and a spring-loaded push aperture. Taking as deep a breath as you can, forcefully exhale from your mouth as fast as possible—imagine blowing out birthday candles from 3 feet away. The spring aperture will push the flow indicator to the highest speed that your exhaled air reached and the spring aperture will return to it resting place and the flow indicator will remain at that high flow so that you can read the results. After looking at your results, manually slide the flow indicator back to the baseline. You should perform this baseline test
