What are the symptoms of IPF ?

Early symptoms of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis are usually similar to those of other lung diseases. Very often, for example, patients suffer from a dry cough and dyspnea (shortness of breath). As the disease progresses, shortness of breathy becomes a major problem. Day to day activities such a climbing stairs, walking short distances, dressing, and even talking on the phone and eating becomes more difficult and sometimes nearly impossible. Enlargement (clubbing) of the fingertips may develop. The patient may also become less able to fight infection. In advanced stages of the illness, the patient may need oxygen all the time.

Can IPF Be treated?

No known cure exists for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Unfortunately, no medication has been shown to improve the outcome of patients with this condition.

• For some people, medications such as corticosteroids and cytotoxic drugs may help reduce swelling (inflammation).
• Ongoing clinical studies are experimenting with new treatments that have been shown to help some people with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
• Oxygen may be necessary in patients who have low blood oxygen levels.
• Lung rehabilitation will not cure the disease, but can help maintain exercise capacity (the ability to exercise without breathing difficulty).

Some patients with advanced pulmonary fibrosis may need a lung transplant.

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease, which means that children are born with it. The term “cystic fibrosis” is often shortened to CF. Both boys and girls can be affected, but CF cannot be “caught” or passed from one child to another. Although there is no cure for cystic fibrosis to date, there have been important advances in diagnosis and treatment.

Cystic fibrosis can affect many organs in the body, especially the lungs, pancreas, liver and intestines. Normally, the lungs have a thin coating of mucus which helps them to keep out germs, but in people with CF, the mucus is thick and sticky. It can clog the lungs and block airways, making breathing difficult. It also makes it easier for germs to develop into infections and to cause inflammation. The thick, sticky mucus can affect the pancreas and digestive system, too. As a result, food is not properly digested, causing bowel problems and effecting energy levels and growth. People with cystic fibrosis are differently; some have more problems with the lungs, others with the digestive system.

Symptoms

The symptoms of Cystic Fibrosis can include coughing and wheezing, shortness of breath, frequent chest infections, problems absorbing food, bowel problems and poor growth and weight gain.

How is Cystic Fibrosis Managed?

Cystic Fibrosis is a lifelong disorder that needs daily therapy and medication; however most children with cystic fibrosis can live fairly normal and active lives. There are many different aspects to treatment, including medication, diet and chest physiotherapy. Children have regular health checks and tests to monitor their CF and to keep a check on their growth, development and well-being. As all children with cystic fibrosis are affected differently, they each have their own personal treatment programme. Parents and children work alongside CF specialists who manage CF care together as a team. A combination of medication and chest physiotherapy is needed to maintain nutrition and lung function and prevent chest infections developing. Children are also encouraged to exercise and take part in sports and active games as this helps lung function and bone and muscle strength.

Q: I have been told that I am a CO2 retainer. What does this mean?

A: When the small bronchial tubes become floppy, inflamed, or constricted, stale air becomes trapped in the alveoli. This air contains carbon dioxide that would normally be exhaled and eliminated. Over time, the carbon dioxide levels in your blood also become elevated, causing changes in the acid/base balance of your body.

These changes may also affect how your brain senses when to direct breathing. Those with CO2 retention may actually stop breathing when oxygen saturation levels become higher than 94 percent. Although this scenario is rare, it highlights the important of using home oxygen exactly as your health-care provider has prescribed.

Q: What causes shortness of breath? Does shortness of breath mean i need extra oxygen?

A: Most people think that low oxygen levels cause shortness of breath, but studies have shown that many people with hypoxia do not experience any shortness of breath at all until it becomes severe. Several factors can contribute to the feeling of shortness of breath.

These include:

• Increased work of breathing either due to weakened respiratory muscles or loss of elasticity in the lungs, which causes resistance.
• Chemical receptors in the brain that sense increased carbon dioxide levels
• Increased cardiac workload due to a weakened, damaged, or enlarged heart muscle.

Panic due to breathlessness may cause you to breathe more quickly and shallowly, making it difficult for your lungs to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide and tiring your accessory breathing muscles. Air trapping or bronchospasm may make it difficult to take a deep breath. Too much mucus trapped in the airways can cause shortness of breath or impaired gas exchange.

Learning new ways to breathe can help control your shortness of breath, decrease your respiratory rate, improve the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide, as well as retain your body to use your diaphragm for breathing rather than the less-effective accessory breathing muscles.

Many patients that rent or purchase a portable oxygen concentrator from Pure 02 inform me of their own personal experiences of dealing with COPD day to day.  I am inundated with questions relating to breathing techniques, here are two that many patients have found to be helpful.

Pursed-Lip Breathing

Pursed-lip breathing helps maintain positive pressure in your lungs when you exhale. This positive pressure not only holds floppy airways open, thereby allowing you to exhale stale air that may be trapped, but it also increases the amount of air you can take into your lungs. This allows for better gas exchange, increasing your oxygen and decreasing your carbon dioxide levels. It also helps you focus on your breathing, allowing you to control your shortness of breath and to relax. It is especially helpful for shortness of breath that occurs as a result of exertion or panic.

Technique

1. Breathe in slowly through your nose for a count of two and concentrate on relaxing. You may want to close your eyes and visualize a relaxing scene.
2. Purse your lips as if you were going to whistle.
3. Breathe out gentle and slowly through pursed lips for a count of four. Let the air escape through your pursed lips naturally. Do not force the air from your lungs.
4. Keep doing pursed-lip breathing until you are no longer short of breath. Try to relax as you practice pursed-lip breathing.

Abdominal Breathing

Abdominal breathing is another way to help you control your breathing and strengthen your diaphragm. It also helps to expand your lungs so that they can take in more air. This process will not only decrease your respiratory rate but also improves the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.

Technique

1. Sit in a comfortable chair, using good posture.
2. Relax your shoulders
3. Put one hand on your stomach. As you inhale through your nose, make your stomach push against your hand.
4. Suck in your stomach muscles and exhale through pursed lips. You should feel your stomach move inwards.
5. Repeat for three to four breaths. Then rest for two minutes
6. Repeat this exercise many times a day.

Don’t forget if you have any helpful tips or advice you would like to share with the research centre, please email us on info@healthoxygen.com we would love to hear from you.

A patient said to me recently; people with healthy lungs take basic tasks for granted, they can’t imagine how difficult simple things can be for someone with COPD.

After a very interesting conversation with this gentleman on how he deals with day to day activities, I thought it would be a great idea to share tricks and tips that not only from copd patients on oxygen therapy but from carers’ family members and experiences from myself.

Learning to accomplish these tasks more efficiently will help you to do more with less discomfort from shortness of breath and fatigue.  Try some of the ideas in this section, but remember always take your breathing medication and wear your oxygen.

Bedroom

• Do as much as possible while sitting this conserves energy.
• Lay your clothes out the day before on a dresser or nightstand.
• Get dressed whilst sitting on the bed or in a straight-backed chair.
• Invest in a long-handled shoehorn – bending may cause you to become short of breath.
• Be sure to buy shoes that are easy to slip on.
• Create a user-friendly bedroom
• Organize your clothes so they are easy to reach, avoid bottom drawers.
• Choose easy to fasten clothing or that slips over the head easily.
• Swap quilts, comforters, or pillows replace with Linen that is lightweight.
• If you get cold invest in an electric blanket rather than a heavy down-filled quilt.

Bathing and Showering

• If possible have your bathtub converted into a walk-in shower stall.
• Avoid lying down in the bath as it may be difficult to get up.
• A bath bench will allow you to sit while bathing, conserving energy.
• Installing grab bars will make getting in and out of the shower or bath.
• Purchase a shower or bath organiser-make sure all shampoos and soaps are at hand.

Grooming

• Try sitting at all times when applying makeup, doing your hair or shaving.
• Lower mirrors in the bathroom or purchase a free standing one for the kitchen table.
• Avoid aerosol grooming products.
• Avoid strong fragrances, as they may irritate the lungs.

In the Kitchen

• Store utensils, plates, cups and other used items in cupboards within easy reach.
• Use electrical appliances such as can openers to conserve energy.
• The addition of a microwave will allow you to heat food up, saving time.
• Making extra food and freezing simple meal portions saves time and precious energy.
• Do meal preparation while sitting at the kitchen table.
• Do slicing, grating, chopping and peeling sitting down at a table using a tabletop board.

House work

• Devise a plan – remember you are not running the one hundred yard dash.
• Divide your tasks into manageable blocks – bathroom on Saturday – Kitchen on Monday
• Purchase a little pushchair to help carry your cleaning products.
• Be careful using cleaning products – fumes may irritate your lungs.
• When dusting wear a mask – to prevent dust particles causing bronchospasm and shortness of breath.

Take small steps to have a better overall quality of life.
Learning to work with your condition rather than against it

Now that you have made the decision to quit smoking, there are many tools available to assist you in becoming nicotine-free. Your health-care provider can help you in choosing the best method that best suits you.

For example –

• Nicotine-replacement therapy
• Nicotine Gum
• Nicotine Patch
• Nasal Spray
• Lozenges
• Medication

There are also Smoking Cessation Programs are also available in nearly every city in the country. They are sponsored by a wide variety of organizations, such as hospitals, churches, and community organizations, most cost very little or are free, and they typically consist of a series of structured classes that provide education as well as support. When used with other tools listed above, these programmes provided can increase your chances of staying smoke free.

There are also smoking cessation support groups which again are widely available and typical do not have the formal support group such as AA, they involve regular meetings of people who have made the decision to quit and are going through similar experiences.

SO ………….what to expect when you quit!!!!

Did you know it only takes seventy-two hours for your body to become nicotine-free?. If you are not using nicotine replacement therapy, your blood pressure and pulse will probably drop to normal levels. The oxygen levels in your blood will increase, and within just twenty-four hours your chance of a heart attack decreases significantly. Your ability to smell and taste me be enhanced and your bronchial tubes will relax, making breathing easier.

In two to three months, your circulation is improved, walking becomes easier, and your lung function may be improved. By the end of nine months, coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breathe decreases, as does your risk for lung infection. You may find your energy levels increased, and you may be able to do things you have not been able to do in years.

By the end of one year, your risk for heart disease is cut in half. At five years your risk for lung cancer is decreased significantly, and in ten years it is reduced to that’s of a non-smoker, as precancerous cells are replaced with healthy ones.

The BIG plan to QUIT

Your plan to quit should be a personal one and based on what will work for you. There are, however, some methods that will increase your chances of quitting successfully.

Set the BIG date – Once you are ready, set that date to quit, make sure that the date chosen doesn’t revolve around a wedding or a huge social event, – this may increase temptation.

Identify YOUR Triggers – Triggers are a HUGE part of your psychological addiction to nicotine. Triggers are things you always do with a cigarette…. like Drinking coffee, alcohol, stressful situation. By identifying these triggers they will help you to prepare to change from having that cigarette, like going for a long walk after a meal.

Make a List – Making a list of reasons why you want to quit smoking. Try and make these as personal as possible, by doing this will help create a picture ijn your mind the next time you may be tempted to light up.

Get Support – It is very difficult to quit smoking on your own. Make sure you let your family and friend know as well, the extra support goes a long way. Check local papers, internet for any support groups that may be held in your area, these groups are an excellent way to help you feel that there is support available if you do require it.

What to do if you RELAPSE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just remember quitting smoking is hard work, if it weren’t, there wouldn’t be thousands of people who try to quit and fail every year. If you relapse, consider your past efforts as practice and learn from them. If one method does not work, try another. The main thing is not to become discouraged. Research shows that it may take several tries before you are completely smoke-free. You may want to reevaluate your reasons for quitting, identify what triggers caused you to relapse and light up, make changes in your environment or routine to increase your chances of success next time you try again and quit.

It is simple fair to say that smoking is hazardous to your health and not forgetting those around you. Smoking has become socially unacceptable that laws have been passed to ban smoking from the workplace, restaurants, bars and even casinos.
This huge movement, while well intended, has done very little to address nicotine addiction itself.

Most people who use tobacco in any form, whether is be through cigarettes, a pipe, or chew, have a physical addiction to nicotine. Nicotine stimulates “feel good” chemicals in the brain called dopamine and serotonin. As nicotine use increases, the body depends on receiving a certain level of it to feel normal.

When nicotine levels decrease, the body has a negative reaction to its removal called withdrawal. Classic symptoms of physical withdrawal from nicotine include.

• Tingling in the hands and feet
• Sweating
• Stomach problems such as nausea, cramping, or constipation
• Headache
• Cold symptoms, such as sore throat and couching
• Weight gain

In addition to the physical symptoms of withdrawal, there may be psychological symptoms as well such as:

• Anger
• Boredom
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Insomnia

You can rest assure that these symptoms are normal, and they occur for a good reason.  That cigarette has been your best friend for a long long time. It has always been there for you through thick and thin. It is normal to mourn the loss of that friend. You may feel angry or depressed, which are both signs of mourning your loss.

Tobacco use may also be linked to events or habits, making it even more difficult to quit, for example:

• Eating and drinking
• Coffee
• Alcohol
• Social situations
• Stressful situations

An excellent example is it may be more difficult to resist a cigarette with your morning coffee or after a lunch out with friends. Stress at work or at home may trigger a desire to smoke because the body craves those brain chemicals that temporarily make you feel better.

So how do you prepare to QUIT ??

Click HERE to find out.

You have perhaps or probably used yourself, a host of excuses to avoid stopping, here are some that we hear regularly, together with the counter-arguments

Do not let any of these excuses weaken your resolve!

My uncle /father/grandfather smokes 20 a day and lived to 75?

We all know someone like that, but we forget all the many others who died long before their time. The chances are that’s you will be one of the many, not one of the rare lucky ones.

People who do not smoke also have lung disease

True, but more than 98 per cent of all people who have serious COPD are smokers or ex smokers, and for the few whose disease is inherited, smoking makes it much worse.

I can cut down rather than stop

You can, but it will not help. People who cut down usually take more puffs from each cigarette, leave a smaller butt, and end up with the same amount of carbon monoxide and nicotine in their blood stream. The only answer is to stop completely.

Moderation in everything is my rule: i only smoke moderately.

To assume this will save you is foolhardy to say the least. There is NO safe limit to cigarette smoking; one a day is one too many.

I will change to a pipe or cigars – they are safer.

Lifelong pipe and cigar smokers are still ten times more likely to have COPD than non –smokers. Further, cigarette smokers who change to pipes or cigars do not reduce their chances of severe lung disease, probably because they continue to inhale.

When stopping smoking it is vital to realise that, no matter how long you have smoked, it is never too late to stop, let us explain the benefits of stopping smoking…….

Normal blood oxygen levels are usually 90 to 100 percent. Health-care providers typically prescribe supplemental home oxygen when your blood oxygen level is less than 88 percent.  Pure o2 cannot stress to all patient how important it is to use your oxygen exactly as prescribed. If left untreated, low oxygen levels can cause the following problem.

• Decreased mental function

• Decreased exercise tolerance

• Fatigue

• Headaches

• Decreased life expectancy

• Decreased quality of life

• Quicker progression of the disease

• Development of heart disease

• Increased risk for a stroke

Supplemental home oxygen is not a death warrant. It is simply another medication used to treat the symptoms of COPD. Everyone needs oxygen. People with low oxygen levels just need a little bit extra than those with healthy lungs.

There are three common ways of providing home oxygen therapy: Oxygen concentrators, Compressed Gas, and Liquid oxygen.

To help you understand the differences, let us explain……

Oxygen Concentrator

An oxygen concentrator is an electrically powered machine that separates room air into nitrogen and oxygen. The nitrogen is discarded, while the pure oxygen is stored, concentrated, and delivered at 90 to 95 percent purity. Concentrators or portable oxygen concentrators are a very good choice if you need oxygen all the time or while sleeping. The Sequal Eclipse3 can provide patients with both continuous flow and pulse flow options, a popular unit with Pure o2 providing patients with ambulatory and travel needs.

Compressed Gas

Oxygen is stored under pressure in a cylinder equipped with a regulator thats contraols the flow of the gas. An oxygen-conserving device may be attached to the system to avoid waste and increase the life-time of your cylinder.

Liquid Oxygen

Oxygen once again is stored as a very cold liquid in a vessel similar to a thermos. When released, the liquid converts to a gas and you breathe it just like you would with compressed gas.

There are many oxygen solutions available to help each and every patient with their oxygen requirements; here at Pure02 we can provide the latest in oxygen technology allowing oxygen users the choice to focus on their quality of life.

Take a look at our portable concentrator range……

People with healthy lungs take breathing for granted. However, when your lungs become damaged or diseased, it takes more work to obtain the oxygen your body needs. This increased work and energy can cause tiredness, weight loss, depression and other negative factors.

Because having lung disease requires more work to breath, good nutrition is important to replenish the extra energy used in the process. A well-nourished body is better equipped to fight infection.

Taking steady steps to good nutritional Health!

Keep yourself hydrated
Drinking at least six 8oz glasses of water a day (unless your GP recommends otherwise) will keep you hydrated and make mucus thinner and easier to cough up. If you don’t like to drink plain water, try and drink the same amount but try a no caffeinated beverages. Remember to limit your caffeine intake because it can interfere with some of youir medications.

Eat a balanced diet!
We are told time and time again to each a healthy balanced diet….but what does this actually mean?? Eating a balanced diet consists of selecting a wide variety of foods that are facked with nutrition. Our everyday diet should include Meat, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, bread and cereals. Meat and dairy products contain protein, the building bloacks of muscle. Fruits and vegetables are filled with vitamins and minerals. Breads and Cereals contain fiber, which helps maintain a healthy digestive system, and carbohydrates, which provide energy to your entire body. Always keep in mind that different people have different needs

Watch your salt intake.
Too much salt causes the body to retain water, which makes it harder to breath. The recommended daily intake of salt (sodium) is less than 2,000mg.

Here are some tricks to reducing your salt intake:

• Remove the saltshaker from your table .
• Use herbs and spices rather than salt
• Dont add salt when you are cooking at all.
• Always read food labels.
• Try and use a salt substitute.

Avoid Overeating
Always try and avoid overeating or eating foods that may cause bloating. A full stomach not only makes you feel uncomfortable, but it also puts pressure on your diaphragm, making it more difficult for you to breath. Reported by some of our patient getting to full at meal times we recommend breaking them up. If you are eating three big meals a day, break them down into six smaller ones.

If gas or bloating is making you uncomfortable, avoid the following foods. – Carbonated drinks – Apples, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Corn, Cucumbers, Beans, Melons, Onions, Peppers and Deep fried foods.