Destination: Grand Canyon

John Z. of Hanover Park, IL is a real explorer. This past summer he took his portable oxygen concentrator on a road trip across America. Starting in Illinois, John made a 2,000 mile drive along historic Route 66 until he reached his destination, The Grand Canyon. "It was a long, but beautiful trip," says John. Along the way he made stops at many restaurants, museums, and other national landmarks like Meteor Crater in Arizona and the Continental Divide.  The whole drive was possible due to his portable oxygen concentrator.  

With his portable concentrator he didn’t need to worry about driving with dozens of oxygen tanks. Instead, all he needed to do was plug it into his car’s cigarette lighter and begin his day’s drive without worrying about running out of oxygen. "We averaged about 400 miles a day for 5 days. I don’t see how I could have done that using oxygen tanks."  Open-Aire is happy that we could help John on his amazing road trip, and look forward to hearing about where he goes next.

November is National COPD Awareness Month.

This observance is a time to raise awareness among those afflicted, healthcare providers, and the communities in which we live.

Did you know?

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third-leading cause of death in the United States. The disease kills more than 120,000 Americans each year – that’s one death every four minutes – and causes serious, long-term disability. The number of people with COPD is increasing. More than 12 million people are diagnosed with COPD and an additional 12 million likely have the disease and don’t even know it. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute recommends the following:

1. Be aware of the risk factors
2. Recognize the symptoms
3. Ask your physician or healthcare provider about a simple breathing test
4. Follow treatment advice

Key risk factors for COPD:
If you…

• have shortness of breath, chronic cough, or have trouble performing simple daily tasks like climbing stairs, grocery shopping, or laundry;
• are over age 40 and currently smoke or used to smoke;
• have worked or lived around lung irritants like chemicals or fumes; have certain genetic conditions;

… you could be at risk for COPD.

If you are at risk for COPD:

• Talk with your healthcare provider about shortness of breath, chronic cough, or decline in activity level.
• Get a simple breathing test, also known as spirometry.
• Quit smoking. Need help? Talk to your physician or healthcare provider.
• Avoid pollutants or fumes that can irritate your lungs.

Manage your COPD:

• Take medication as directed by your physician or healthcare provider.
• Use oxygen therapy if prescribed by your physician or healthcare provider.
• Enroll in a pulmonary rehabilitation program.
• Avoid pollutants or fumes that can irritate your lungs.
• Get flu and pneumonia shots as directed by your physician or healthcare provider.