Editor’s Note On a beautiful day in Virginia recently, my youngest son Julian married Meredith, making our family a bit bigger and a lot happier It was a wonderful celebration that made me very grateful that my son had found the love of his life and was surrounded by his friends who shared…
The Art of Happiness Psychology Today tells us philoso- phers, theologians, psychologists, and even economists have long sought to define happiness. More than simply being in a positive mood, happiness is a state of well-being that encompasses living a good life, that is, with a sense of meaning and deep satisfaction. Research shows…
Respiratory News A drug to treat certain cancers may also protect against cigarette smoke-induced lung injury according to research in the American Journal of Physiology – Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology. Plerixafor is a med- ication that stimulates the immune system to release a type of stem cell (hematopoietic progenitor cells, or HPCs) from the…
The Ryan Report Home Oxygen Guru – The HO2G Pen Understanding the Oxygen Regulator One of the most common pieces of oxygen equipment is the oxygen flow regulator. These devices fit on top of your oxygen tanks/cylinders, and to which you connect your cannula to receive oxygen. We’re going to discuss the basic operation of…
Fibrosis File The American Lung Association has expanded their Better Breather support group meetings to include those dealing with pulmonary fibrosis (PF). To prepare to welcome new members with PF, health educators with the Lung Association are working closely with club facilitators to extend both educational and emotional support programs to include PF. You might…
Editor’s Note Recently had the opportunity to get in the car and drive across the country without really having a plan. It was truly an unforgettable experience and made me appreciate the beauty of our country. As you go about your daily activities, try and plan a visit to some place you have never been…
Summer Considerations As you play outside this summer, be aware of weather that could affect your breathing. Relative humidity is the amount of water vapor present in air expressed as a percentage of the amount needed for total saturation. As humidity increases, the density of the air increases. More dense air creates more resistance to…
Pulmonary Hypertension News Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) affects around 133 million Americans. People from Scotland with PAH can now be treated with Actelion’s Uptravi® (selexi- pag) through the country’s National Health System. The use of this will be restricted to adults whose symptoms are not manage- able or do not tolerate other available PAH therapies.…
Airline Travel, Altitude and Oxygen Saturation On a recent cruise vacation, an oxy- gen user who lives in New Mexico at a high altitude, was able to go without his oxygen at sea level. His oxygen saturation stayed above 90 percent during the trip. On the other hand, people who travel to altitude have to…
The Ryan Report Home Oxygen Guru – The HO2G Pen Ryan Diesem is Research Manager at Valley Inspired Products, Apple Valley, MN. Contact Ryan at [email protected] com with questions or comments. 2018 Portable Oxygen Concentrator Guide Welcome to the 2018 version of our annual Portable Oxygen Concentrator (POC) Guide. One of the many questions we…