Keeping the pace after Pulmonary Rehab Just graduated from Pulmonary Rehab? Congrats! Now you need to keep up all the gains you’ve earned. I’m sure your rehab therapist harped on you every possible moment- join a gym! Join a walking group! And for good reason. Before I go one character further I want to drive…
My pager goes off again, calling me to ER to assess a patient who is short of breath. As I grab her chart to have a look before I go see her , Oh……. wait, this lady was just in last week. For the same thing. Turns out she has a doctor across town, but…
“Cigarettes cause Cancer”! -That’s what we heard growing up, as a reason not to start smoking. But I’m going to tell you a better reason in a minute. Smoking can also cause COPD, Emphysema, Bronchiectasis, all of which can lead to oxygen dependance. This in turn leads to more problems- social isolation, and eventually what…
Study after study shows the benefits of Pulmonary Rehab programs. Most PR programs at major medical centers follow the guidelines laid out by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehab: Six to eight weeks of supervised exercise 2-3 times a week, coupled with education on a variety of topics, shows improved 6 minute walk…
[Announcer voice] : “And, Live from [insert your city here], Event number 276: Olympic Holiday Shopping!” Let the the start of spending some close and cozy time around lots of people you don’t know begin! Lines at the mall, crowded buses and subways, theaters full of people watching the Nutcracker, and the kids’ Christmas plays….
Inhalers work by depositing tiny particles of medication right onto the lungs. You may have heard that all inhalers should be used with a spacer, but not all inhalers are manufactured that way. Standard MDI’s should always be used with a spacer device. Most MDI’s and DPI’s (Dry Powder Inhalers) are meant to be inhaled…
Long, long, ago, in a faraway city, I worked at an Independent Pulmonary Rehab program. We had an interesting mix of patients. At this particular facility, I did all the initial intake assessments. First, everyone was on inhalers. Albuterol inhalers work great only if you have what’s called a reversible component. This is determined by…
In my last post, I talked about oxygen safety. One of the things I do as a Pulmonary Rehab therapist is optimize patients’ medication regimes and oxygen usage. Some people need oxygen only at night, while others need it only during the day when they are active. I get asked all the time, “If I…
I discovered a cool product the other day… but let me tell you this story first. My mom suffered with asthma for years. She always felt better when she was by the ocean. She briefly moved inland, but as soon as an exacerbation would hit, someone would have to drive her over the hill just…
It all starts here…. What do you think is the number one thing that helps COPD ? And ILD? It’s not oxygen… it’s not medications…. it’s EXERCISE. Now, I want to ask you a question and I’d like an honest answer. What was your first reaction to the word exercise? For some people , their…