N E W S

Vol 15, No. 1        LINCARE is a National Supplier of Home
Winter '03            Oxygen and Respiratory Therapy Services

Tips on Living well with COPD

 Avoiding shortness of breath

Take your medications as prescribed by your health professional. If you use a metered-dose inhaler (MDI), be certain you know how to use it properly. · If you have severe COPD, learn breath training techniques to improve airflow in and out of your lungs. · Take rest breaks. · Modify your sexual activity. · Stay as active as possible and participate in an exercise program or in pulmonary rehabilitation.

Helpful Hints:

Keep a List! Keep a list of all the medications you have to take. Note the name, strength, and frequency. Keep the list in your wallet for every doctor or hospital visit. It will help medical personnel care for you more effectively.

• If for some reason you find a shower or bathtub too demanding, a great solution is to get a bath stool. This is waterproof and goes right into the tub. It can be removed easily and make a nice seat when giving yourself a pedicure or just drying your feet and legs. For bathing, use a hand spray which may be attached to the tub faucet or shower head. You may find bathing this way so pleasant that you will wonder why you didn't always do this.
• A nice, long terry robe will eliminate the effort of drying altogether, just blot.
• When excess humidity bothers you, leave the bathroom door open and be sure to use your bathroom exhaust fan if you have one. If you feel weak, don't take a bath or shower when you are alone.
• It is not necessary to get wet all over, all at once to be clean. A "basin bath" can be taken in place of a tub bath and is a lot less taxing.
• Those using oxygen through a long tube may find it makes bathing easier if the tube is passed over the shower curtain rod and thus out of the way.
• Shaving or making up is much easier if you have a low mirror so that you can sit down while doing either.
• ·Incidentally, it is OK to remove the nasal cannula briefly to wash your face, shave or apply makeup.

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Traveling with Medical Devices

Since the tragedies of September 11th, the Department of Transportation has limited carry-on luggage to one piece plus a personal bag such as a purse or briefcase. However, the Department of Transportation has noted that the new "limit of one carry-on bag and one personal bag (e.g., purse or briefcase) for each traveler does not apply to medical supplies and/or assistive devices."

The CPAP is a medical device and as such it has never been advisable to check it as luggage (it may be damaged or lost). The National Home Oxygen

Patient Association continues to be active in its efforts to make traveling with oxygen easier.