Sharing the Health! - July 2019

Sharing the Health!

Dr. Noah Greenspan, Director of the Pulmonary Wellness and Rehabilitation Center in New York, NY, along with our own Mark Mangus RRT and Ryan Diesem (newly graduated Respiratory Therapist) all collaborated on the article Oxygen Manifesto, Part 2: The Devices. You may read at this link, https://copdnewstoday.com/2019/06/19/oxygen-manifesto-part-2-devices-advice-respiratory-specialists/

Dr. Greenspan also hosted a webinar on “All Things Oxygen” that you may see at https://vimeo.com/327196321

Remote and self-monitoring can increase CPAP usage for people with sleep apnea, according to a study presented at American Thoracic Society’s Annual Conference. Average adherence to positive airway pressure use is approximately 50 percent. Re- searchers found significantly higher rates when the devices were connected to the internet where daily usage could be monitored.

 

Nancy Behrendt of EFFORTS (Emphysema Foundation for Our Right to Survive), shares information on their web site about the location of pulmonary rehabilitation programs across the country. Visit www.emphysema.net/bindex.asp

You will also find the latest lung health news, along with many other subjects of concern to people coping with COPD.

 

Walmart will stop selling tobacco or e-cigarette products to anyone under the age of 21 in the United States. The changes took effect July 1 at all American Walmart and Sam’s Club locations. They will also stop selling sweet-flavored e-cigarettes, which have become popular among teenagers.

The policy shift comes after Walmart received a letter from the FDA for not fully prohibiting kids under 18 from buying tobacco products at its stores.

 

A recent study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine raises valid concerns about vaping adding to the growing list of health problems facing those who use e-cigarettes, including popcorn lung, wheezing and nicotine addiction.

The researchers found that e-cigarettes with nicotine hampered mucus clearance so not only are your lungs filling with toxic chemicals when you vape, but it also makes it harder to clear them. The nicotine impairs the lung’s ability to raise the secretions, dehydrates airway fluid and creates more viscous phlegm. This “sticky mucus” can get trapped in the lungs, which could leave your lungs more vulnerable to illness and infection.