Avoiding a lung infection may have become easier with new drug
Many COPD patients suffer from acute exacerbations where their symptoms suddenly get a lot worse and can result in hospitalisation. 75% of the time it is due to a lung infection whether bacterial or viral. The most common culprits are the influenza virus and Streptociccus pneumoniae, which cause the flu and pneumonia.
Bacteria and viruses cause infections in different parts of the lung and cause bronchitis if it occurs in the larger bronchial tubes or cause bronchiolitis if in the smaller bronchial tubes. An infection in the alveoli or air sacs of the lungs can cause pneumonia. Antibiotics are only effective against bacterial infections and viruses are more difficult to treat. Often a patient will acquire a secondary bacterial infection from having a viral one. This is due to the build up of mucus and inflammation in the lungs which create the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. This is why antibiotics are normally prescribed whether the infection is viral or bacterial as to protect from a secondary bacterial infection from occurring.
The other common causes of exacerbations are sinus infections, air pollution, heat failure and blood clots. It is so important that COPD patients try to avoid any of these triggers and try to prevent picking up any viruses or bacteria in order to prevent exacerbations.
The disease compromises the lung's ability to defend against bacteria and a new study has shown that even when a patient isn’t experiencing an exacerbation, the bacteria that are colonized in their lungs are causing respiratory symptoms for them. Having bacteria in the lungs increases the inflammation and significantly increases the shortness of breath, cough and sputum in COPD patients. Doctors are aware that most stable patients experience daily fluctuations in respiratory symptoms but the reason why has never been understood until now. These fluctuations can sometimes be fairly intense and often qualify as exacerbations but go unreported to their doctor.
The study shows that medicine needs to alter its approach to treating stable COPD patients and not to focus on just the flare-ups but to understand that COPD is based around a chronic infection and treat accordingly.
“The lungs are constantly being exposed to microbes ‘with every breath you take’ as well as from aspiration of small amounts of secretions from the throat, especially during sleep,” Dr Sethi says. “If the persistence of these bacteria contributes to increased symptoms and inflammation in the lungs in stable COPD, we should regard this as a chronic infection, not innocuous colonization. For that reason, more must be done to reduce chronic infections in COPD.”
However due to resistance, long-term antibiotic treatment is not the way forward and “we need to put more emphasis on developing therapies that can decrease bacterial colonization in COPD.”
At the end of last year a company announced that the drug AB569 had been successful in trials and appears to be able to treat lung infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a common culprit of lung infections in COPD and CF patients. This bacteria is common however it is also difficult to treat as it survives without oxygen and it has the ability to develop resistance against antibiotics as it holds a lot of resistant genes. It causes 40% of infections in children with CF and up to 75% of cases in adults with CF as well as a high percentage of COPD infections. If this drug can treat this bacteria and passes human trials then perhaps it can be used to help dramatically cut the number of infections and the resulting exacerbations suffered by COPD and CF patients and also ease their daily fluctuations of respiratory distress.
Here are eight tips that can help you reduce your risk of developing an infection:
- Wash your hands. Regular hand-washing is one of the most important things you can do to reduce your risk of infection.
- Avoid infections. Ask people who are sick not to visit until they are well again, and wear a face mask if you do have to come in contact with someone who has an infection.
- Clear your airways. It is important to keep airways free from mucus. Your doctor can give you devices and teach you manoeuvres to ensure your coughing is productive at shifting the mucus.
- Stay hydrated.
- Clean your equipment. All equipment that you use, including humidifiers, oxygen masks, and flutter valves, should be properly cleaned and maintained to ensure that they don't harbour infectious organisms.
- Get vaccinated. Talk with your doctor about which vaccines you should get. In general, people with COPD should get a pneumococcal vaccine once, as well as a flu vaccine every year.
- Stay away from crowds. When possible, avoid large crowds, especially during cold and flu season.
- Treat infections as early as possible. Call your doctor at the first sign of infection, so it can be treated before it progresses to a more serious infection of your lungs.
- Breathe clean air if possible. Breathing in air from your supplemental oxygen unit and air that has been filtered in your home will be a lot cleaner and free from irritants such as pollen, dust and germs and will help to reduce the risk of an exacerbation.
References: www.webmd.com and www.buffalo.edu and http://lungdiseasnews.com and www.everydayhealth.com
COPD awareness: Nadia Sawalha experiences life as a COPD patient for a day
Many people would not volunteer to spend a day living their life in the shoes of a COPD patient, however TV presenter Nadia Sawalha did take on the challenge. She spent a day as a COPD patient with a very tight corset around her waist and a mask over her mouth in order to simulate the constrained breathing conditions of a COPD sufferer and having oxygen equipment to take around with her. She then tried to go about her normal daily activities such as shopping and cooking.
She found it difficult even doing the little things such as walking up stairs and manoeuvring around the kitchen. She found it difficult to reach up and down for things, constantly stopping to pause for breath or to hold onto a wall. She had great difficulty getting around as the wheezing and gasping for breath always seemed to get in the way.
“It's as if, when your airways narrow, so does your very life,” says Nadia. When asked about how she found the experience, she said that it was “truly horrific.” She recounts the feeling of “trying so hard to open your lungs” and being unable to have a conversation “because all you can think about is your next breath.”
Part of the reason that she undertook the challenge was because her nan suffered from COPD and she feels like she's become a bit closer to her nan as she understands a bit more now the daily challenges that she went through. It has also made her understand the challenges COPD patients go through everyday and that she is fortunate to still have normally functioning lungs. Being a former smoker, she is now a strong advocate of early COPD diagnosis, especially after knowing how it feels like to lose a percentage of your breathing capacity. She realises now why patients need to be on supplemental oxygen just to get around but also how having the equipment attached to you all day can infringe on your mobility. She encourages people to get checked immediately if they think they may have COPD, saying that “it is not something you always get tested for, so it’s good to ask your doctor.”
Even though there are many challenges to overcome, exercising and keeping active is one of the best things COPD patients can do, other than quitting smoking. Keeping active will pay off and prevent the disease from worsening quickly and improve your mental well-being and quality of life.
An understanding of COPD is much needed in today’s society, especially where we see patients walking around with portable oxygen equipment. Becoming more aware of this condition helps us be more considerate toward our involvement in producing pollutants like cigarette and exhaust smoke or in the use of chemical irritants like cleaning solutions.
At the end of the challenge when Nadia could remove the corset she breathed a huge sigh of relief and it made her realise how lucky she was. Though people with COPD cannot do the same and just take off any virtual corset to feel better, with the right treatment and proper daily habits, there is hope to feeling much better and being able to breathe more easily. Hopefully Nadia has helped raise awareness of COPD and the daily struggles that patients go through and hopefully will encourage people to stop smoking and polluting the atmosphere so that fewer people suffer in the future.
References: https://lovegoservice.wordpress.com
Regular exercise and help survival of COPD and asthma patients
COPD includes emphysema, chronic bronchitis and asthma and is often related to smoking. Common symptoms include difficulty breathing, chronic coughing, wheezing and phlegm production and over time can prove fatal.
Regular exercise could help boost the survival of people who've left the hospital after being admitted following an exacerbation. The risk of hospital readmission and death is especially high after a person has been hospitalized for COPD.
"We know that physical activity can have a positive benefit for people with COPD and these findings confirm that it may reduce the risk of dying following hospitalization," says Dr. Marilyn Moy from Harvard Medical School.
Having a difficulty to breathe often leads to a more sedentary and immobile lifestyle for patients and results in de-conditioning of multiple organ systems including the heart and muscles. It also results in a greater reliance on supplemental oxygen and medications and a general decrease in health. Improving muscle function with exercise has been demonstrated to decrease the chance of readmission to hospital. Exercise can avoid microscopic lung collapse and sedentary patients have a greater risk of developing blood clots.
Researchers in a Californian study found that those who did any amount of moderate to vigorous physical activity were nearly half less likely to die in the 12 months after hospitalisation than inactive patients. Even low levels of exercise reduced the risk by over 25%. The researchers believe that tracking physical activity levels might be a good way for doctors to pinpoint those COPD patients at high risk for death after hospitalization.
According to Dr Mensch, "COPD has now joined other chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular conditions, where exercise has been shown to decrease mortality and prolong life." This is particularly important for COPD as GPs have little to offer patients to help lower disease-linked death risk.
Another study in Australia has also shown that physical activity undertaken in small intervals spaced throughout the day can safely and markedly improve the health of people with COPD. The study established that 150 minutes of exercise per week is
most effective in reducing cardiovascular and metabolic disease, the development of cancer, and overall mortality.
Evidence shows that exercise can greatly improve the physical state and quality of life of COPD patients, reducing their breathlessness, and improving energy levels. Setting feasible exercise goals that incorporate physical activity into everyday tasks is a recommended option for COPD patients. The use of portable oxygen concentrators can help patients achieve these goals as these oxygen units allow the patients to move around with their oxygen supply whether indoors or outdoors and not be tethered to their oxygen tanks so they can move around, go for walks or exercise.
Researchers suggested that, in addition to trying to perform light exercises everyday, patients should focus on the reduction of sedentary behaviour, such as trying to spend less time sitting and taking short walks. Minor walks taken after sitting for a considerable time without breaks is highly recommended as for people with severe disease simple goals like this may be a more realistic place to start that trying to go for a 30 minute walk each day.
References: http://health.usnews.com and http://copdnewstoday.com
Science behind sighing
According to recent scientific findings, sighing—a universal expression of exhaustion, relief, or melancholy—is more than simply a reflex; it's an essential part of lung function.
Science behind sighing
Although sighing may appear to be just a deep breath, scientists have shown that certain brain cells are in charge of triggering this reflexive behaviour. A sigh is essentially two breaths taken quickly after each other, the second on top of the first. People usually sigh once every five minutes or so, and this seemingly insignificant action is actually very important for lung health.
Fact that sighing important
Sighing is mostly used to expand the alveoli, which are little air sacs in the lungs that are prone to collapsing. For the exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen to be facilitated, these alveoli must stay open. Sighing adds twice the volume of air compared to a regular breath, so it effectively "pops" them open again. Lung failure would eventually result from collapsed alveoli that do not exhale.
Sighing is necessary for lung function, but too much of it can be harmful, especially when it's in reaction to psychological stressors like anxiety and despair. People suffering from respiratory disorders such as COPD may also find it difficult to exhale deeply, which can further impair their breathing. Comprehending the brain's function in controlling the rhythm of breathing and sighing is essential for creating focused interventions for those exhibiting irregularities.
Recent research has illuminated the complex mechanisms underlying this seemingly natural act by identifying certain brain areas and neurological networks involved in the production of sighs. Leading expert in this area Dr. Krasnow explains that the respiratory centre of the brain regulates not just the speed but also the kind of breathing, including coughs, yawns, sighs and more.
Better respiratory care
In the future, pharmaceutical therapies that target the processes that produce sighs may be possible. Further research is necessary to understand the underlying mechanics of conscious sighing and how it relates to emotional states.
The significance of using appropriate breathing strategies for those with respiratory disorders like COPD is highlighted by these findings. Good management includes both the inhalation and utilisation of oxygen, not only the addition of extra oxygen. The complex dance between the mind and body becomes more understandable as we dig deeper into the science of sighing, which eventually opens the door to better respiratory care and a higher standard of living.
References:
Iron could be the leading cause of COPD and its symptoms
Researchers have discovered that one in five people who suffer from chronic lung and respiratory conditions, such as COPD, have an iron deficiency. This may be causing worse symptoms for patients. About three million people in the UK have COPD and one dies every 20 minutes from the condition in England. People normally associate iron deficiency with anaemia but in fact iron is essential for many other processes in the human body and not just for making red blood cells.
Those with iron deficiency have much lower levels of oxygen in their blood, have greater difficulty exercising, require more supplemental oxygen therapy, suffer more frequent flare-ups and a worsening of shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing.
The Oxford study revealed a surprisingly big difference in oxygen levels between those patients with low iron and those with normal iron levels. “The amount of oxygen in the blood is a strong predictor of life expectancy in COPD, so these findings are potentially very significant for patients.”
Currently smoking cessation and treatments that target the air passages in the lungs are the main treatments for COPD patients. However some patients are still left with troubling symptoms that interfere with their daily lives and lead to hospital admission. Iron deficiency works in multiple ways to worsen the impact of COPD, hopefully establishing a new treatment regime with iron could improve things for these patients.
Excessive iron build-up in the lungs could be a major cause of COPD. A gene has been found to make certain individuals more susceptible to the lung disease. This gene regulates iron uptake in cells and is called IRP2. In mice those that lacked the gene remained healthy and those with the gene were symptomatic for COPD. A drug given to these mice however prevented additional lung damage and even reversed COPD's effects.
This study goes some way to prove that people may have a genetic predisposition to developing COPD. If this gene is expressed then there is an excessive build-up of iron in the cells, particularly in the mitochondria. Iron is needed by the cell but in a delicate balance and too much can cause haemochromatosis and leads to mitochondrial dysfunction and they cannot utilise oxygen effectively and cannot produce energy for the cell. This leads to inflammation and damage to the lung's air sacs and cells in the airways. When mice in the study were given a drug 'DFP' this drug binds to excess iron and relocates it to other cells in the body that actually need it and in doing so prevented and reversed the lung inflammation. This drug is already approved to treat thalassaemia and therefore could quickly be incorporated into a new treatment regime for COPD patients.
Therefore too much iron could be the cause of COPD and too little iron could worsen the symptoms. If further studies continue to prove these findings then it could not be too long before COPD could become a more treatable and reversible condition.
References: http://weill.cornell.edu and www.telegraph.co.uk
PARENTAL SMOKING WHEN YOU ARE YOUNG CAN INCREASE RISK OF COPD IN LATER LIFE
A new study has shown how people whose mothers smoked when they were young have a significantly increased risk of breathing problems and developing COPD later on life. The pulmonary disease consists of a group of lung disorders including chronic bronchitis and emphysema that harmfully affects airflow and breathing, to the point where the patient needs artificial oxygen supplement in order to breathe normally. The study was based on 50 years of follow-up on 8,000 youngsters and their parents which included lung function tests and questionnaires about their smoking habits.
There was no link between mothers who smoked less than 20 cigarettes a day, nor with whether the fathers smoked or not. However parents whose mothers smoked more than 20 cigarettes a day had nearly 3 times the risk of airflow obstruction in middle age compared to those who were not exposed as a child. Men seem more susceptible however and have nearly 4 times the risk of developing COPD compared to women who have 2 times the risk. Also interesting was that these figures are not impacted by the individual's smoking habits as they grew up.
It suggests that mothers smoking is linked to a reduced lung function in offspring when they get to middle-age and that a reduction in lung function in childhood may predispose to having a lesser lung function in adulthood.
The efficiency of oxygen transfer to the blood is also more significantly impaired in smokers who had mothers that smoked heavily.
It was already known that smoking when pregnant resulted in the baby having smaller lungs and that your maximum achieved lung function usually developed by 25 years is lower if parents smoked. The lungs continue to grow for a few years after birth, the number of alveoli increases and smoking exposure limits this growth. This study shows that in addition to affecting growth, parental smoking also leads to lung disease in later life for the offspring.
In addition second-hand smoke causes irritation and inflammation in the airways and chronic scarring of the airways makes them stiffer and smaller contributing to the development of COPD. Children who had parents who smoked are also more likely to be frequent smokers later on in adulthood, which also significantly increases the risk of lung damage and developing respiratory diseases like COPD.
It is becoming even more important that pregnant women and mothers do not smoke around their children as it harms their lungs from the start and predisposes them to a greater risk of lung disease in the future.
References: www.foxnews.com and www.pulseheadlines.com
Sleep apnoea can encourage cancer growth
A new study has shown how patients who suffer from sleep apnoea may leave themselves open to encouraging the growth of cancer tumours. The hypoxia caused by the condition results in blood vessel growth in tumours.
Sleep apnoea is a disorder whereby the patient has shallow breaths and pauses in breathing during sleep, which can last from a few seconds to a few minutes and can happen up to 30 times in an hour. This can be due to the airway becoming blocked or collapsing during sleep. Risk factors include a small upper airway, smoking, alcohol use, being overweight and having a large neck. Many patients who suffer respiratory disease also find that they suffer from sleep apnoea, especially COPD patients as a large proportion of COPD patients still continue to smoke.
Previous studies have linked sleep apnoea to an increase of death from cancer but this recent study has made the mechanisms a bit clearer. It seems that the intermittent hypoxia (reduction of oxygen in the blood available to the tissue cells) suffered by the patient during episodes of sleep apnoea encourages mechanisms that result in tumour growth. Mice that had tumours and experienced intermittent hypoxia (like with sleep apnoea) showed an increase in vascular progenitor cells and endothelial cells. These cells than can mature to create blood vessels in tumours. This increase in blood vessels within the tumour will allow the tumours to receive more oxygen and nutrients from the blood to encourage growth and for them to metastasise and spread throughout the body.
Also these mice showed an increase in levels of VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) which is a protein known to boost blood vessel formation. Overall the team behind the study believe that the findings indicate that sleep apnoea may worsen the outcome for cancer patients.
Dr. Vilaseca says "patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnoea usually suffer from intermittent hypoxia at night. This work shows that intermittent hypoxia has the potential to promote the formation of blood vessels within tumours, meaning that the tumours have access to more nutrients.”
Prof. Arnulf Stenzi comments that the findings are remarkable and shows how oxygen deficiency can really influence the body in many ways and especially in this case with tumours. "It may be postulated that increased oxygenation of the blood may be the underlying mechanism why not smoking or giving up smoking, regular sport activity, reducing the body mass index (BMI) and other lifestyle changes that increase tissue oxygenation have a supportive beneficial effect on better outcomes in….cell cancer.”
Further studies will be carried out as it opens up the question as to whether this only happens during sleep apnoea episodes or whether it could happen during the waking day with patients who suffer from shortness of breath with respiratory conditions such as asthma and COPD. It could make it even more vitally important that patients who suffer from conditions where blood oxygen levels drop ensure they are monitored and take their medication and supplemental oxygen regimentally both day and night to ensure that they are not risking an increase in tumour growth. Cancer can go undetected and you may not be aware that you have it but allowing your body to become hypoxic could be encouraging tumour growth; whether malignant or benign and worsening the condition and your outcome.
References: www.medicalnewstoday.com
Mesothelioma explained
Mesothelioma is a tumour of the mesothelium which is the thin lining that covers the outer surface of most of the organs in our body. More than 2,500 people in the UK are diagnosed with this disease each year.
There are different names depending upon where in the body it develops, for example in the chest it is called pleural mesothelioma and in the abdomen it is called peritoneal mesothelioma. The tumours can be malignant or just benign cysts. The main cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos.
Asbestos is a natural mineral found in many countries and it acts as an insulator and was used to protect against fire and corrosion until it was banned in the 1980's. Mesothelioma doesn’t usually develop until many years after exposure to asbestos. It can take any time from 10–60 years, although the average is about 30–40 years after exposure. Construction workers, plumbers and electricians are more likely to have been exposed to asbestos and as these jobs were traditionally done by men, males are five times more likely to develop mesothelioma than females. Occasionally, mesothelioma develops in people who have never been exposed to asbestos. Mesothelioma has been linked to exposure to radiation and also to a mineral called erionite, which has been found in Turkey and North America. Mesothelioma isn’t infectious and can’t be passed on to other people. It isn’t caused by inherited faulty genes, so family members don’t have an increased risk of developing it, unless they have also been exposed to asbestos.
Pleural mesothelioma is more common and makes up 90% of cases. The pleura is the smooth outer lining that covers each lung. There are two layers of this lining; the inner and outer and they normally slide over each other as we breathe aided by a fluid that the layers produce. When mesothelioma develops here the layers become thickened and press inwards on the lung and sometimes excess fluid collects between the two layers which is known as a pleural effusion. It can sometimes spread to lymph nodes throughout the body. When asbestos is disturbed or damaged, it releases tiny fibres that can be breathed into the lungs and can make their way into the smallest airways of the lungs. The body’s defence mechanisms try to break them down and remove them but this leads to inflammation in the lung tissue. The asbestos fibres can also travel through the lung tissue to settle in the outer lining of the lung (the pleura). Over many years they can cause mesothelioma or other lung diseases to develop.
Symptoms include:
- shortness of breath
- heavy sweating (especially at night)
- fever
- chest pain that feels heavy and dull or aching
- weight loss
- loss of appetite
- a cough that doesn’t go away, although this is unusual.
Also a pleural effusion may cause shortness of breath and chest pain.
The peritoneum is the outer lining that covers the organs in the abdomen and helps protect the organs and keep them in position. It also consists of two layers; the inner and outer layers. Peritoneal mesothelioma causes a thickening of the peritoneum and sometimes excess fluid will collect and cause swelling of the abdomen, which is known as ascites. Asbestos fibres can be swallowed, and some of the fibres can stick in the digestive system. They can then move into the outer lining of the abdomen (the peritoneum). Here, they cause swelling and thickening of the lining and can lead to peritoneal mesothelioma.
Symptoms include:
- swelling in the tummy
- tummy pain
- loss of appetite
- weight loss
- feeling sick
- changes to your normal bowel pattern, such as constipation or diarrhoea.
Also ascites may cause swelling in the tummy, pain, sickness and loss of appetite.
Sometimes early symptoms of mesothelioma mirror those of other diseases or physical issues such as congestive heart failure, emphysema, weight gain, or constipation. These symptoms may include shortness of breath, constant chest pain or cough, night sweats, weight loss but fluid gain, bowel obstruction, swelling of the feet, and a build-up of fluid on a chest X-ray.
Treatment will depend upon the location and stage of the tumour but there are drugs, minor and major surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and supplemental oxygen that can help to relieve symptoms and fight the cancer.
A custom-made walker has been designed by mesothelioma specialist Dr. David Sugarbaker and is known as the 'Sugarbaker Walker'. It was designed to help patients recover quicker from surgery and to get them back on their feet and become more mobile. It includes everything that a patient needs; an oxygen tank, chest tube vacuum, IV pole, catheters and space for monitors. Its also on wheels with adjustable arm rests. It helps patients to be able to manoeuvre around with all their medical equipment and become mobile, resulting in improved and faster recovery from surgery.
References: www.macmillan.org.uk and www.mesotheliomasymptoms.com and www.asbestos.com/news
What is all the hype around meldonium?
Although medonium, also known as mildronate, has been produced lawfully in Latvia since the 1980s, the FDA has not given it approval for use in the US.
What is Medonium used for?
Being an "anti-ischemic" medication, it is used to treat organs—particularly the heart—that do not receive enough blood flow. It is mostly used to treat people with cardiac issues that interfere with the body's ability to absorb oxygen. It aids in preventing tissue damage from angina attacks, persistent heart failure, and circulation issues in the brain. It is also advantageous to healthy people and athletes because of its power to enhance oxygen intake, which improves mental clarity, physical endurance, and physical capacity. This is why it was banned by the anti-doping authorities at the beginning of the year and caught out a number of athletes who have tested positive, such as the tennis player Maria Sharapova.
How does it work?
Meldonium reduces the amount of oxygen that is needed to keep tissues alive by changing the way the muscle cells metabolise substances in the blood. It alters the mitochondria to utilise carbohydrates for energy instead of fatty acids, a process which requires less oxygen to carry out. Therefore in people with less oxygen in their blood they can still produce energy in the cells and the tissue and organs remain healthy. In athletes this reduction for the need of oxygen can enhance their performance. During exercise our bodies use oxygen at a faster rate than the lungs can replace it but this drug can reduce the amount of oxygen being used up allowing athletes to work out for longer. Processing carbohydrates instead of fatty acids also means that there is less lactate and urea produced, which would normally cause stiffness and pain in the muscles after a workout and so an athlete can workout out for longer and more frequently. Due to its ability to allow an athlete to work out more efficiently and for longer by altering the way the cells metabolize substances for energy, and diminishing the need for oxygen it has been considered as an unfair advantage over other athletes and has been banned.
There are other benefits
But the medication has more advantages, and when used with other medications, it can help cure diabetes by lowering blood glucose levels because it forces cells to metabolise carbohydrates, which include glucose molecules. Along with improving mood and motor abilities, it can help lessen dementia and improve cognitive function in people with neurological illnesses and circulation issues in the brain.
How can it support an oxygen user?
Patients with respiratory disorders like COPD may benefit from adding the medication to their therapy regimen. These individuals may have extremely low blood oxygen levels, for which they are receiving additional oxygen therapy in an attempt to treat it. As a result of the low oxygen, these patients may have extreme weakness and fatigue. By rerouting oxygen from the cells' energy metabolism to other areas where it is also required, medonium may enable the body to use less oxygen in the cells. Patients would benefit from having more oxygen in their blood and experiencing less weariness, both of which could slow the disease's course. Patients are urged to maintain their health and fitness and to engage in as much activity as they can.
Reference TechInsider
Your medical oxygen in Gran Canaria, Tenerife and other Canary islands
For nearly 22 years we have been arranging medical oxygen on the Spanish Canary Islands Not only Gran Canaria and Tenerife but also the smaller islands like La Palma de Gran Canaria, Hierro, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and Gomera.
OxygenWorldwide provides Gran Canaria & Tenerife with LOX Liquid oxygen (LOX), concentrators (CON), portable concentrators (POC) and large cylinders (GOX /BOT).
For all other islands we can arrange concentrators (CON) and/or portable concentrators (POC) in combination with a stationary concentrator (CON) for use indoors and/or during the night.
OxygenWorldwide provides our own 'Airport Service' (A.S) in the 100 countries where we are active. We provide an Airport Service at all Canary Islands but in principal only during weekdays (Monday – Friday). But if you requires this service during the weekend please contact our 24/7 helpdesk (in 5 languages) to check whether we can still accomodate you and make this possible.
An Airport Servcie means that we have, on your arrival, someone at the door of the aircraft to hand you over a portable oxygen device so you can make your way to your hotel etc. with oxygen. On your departure we will again have someone at the door of the aircraft who will collect the equipment again from you. In case, due to custom regulations, we can not meet you at the door of the aircraft we will have someone to meet you in another place within the airport.
Mainly due to the perfect climate, especially in the winter time, many people spend their winters at one of the Canary Islands. As we at OxygenWorldwide have been in the medical oxygen business for over 22 years we know more than anyone else that being mobile is the most important thing when it comes to holiday making. Therefore we constantly strive to try to improve the provision of mobile oxygen equipment. For years only liquid oxygen was in demand and needed to be made to be mobile by means of a stroller, which was filled on a base unit. However currently many oxygen users prefer the portable concentrator.
In cases where you may want to bring your own portable oxygen concentrator but a back-up is required in case the POC might break down or is not suitable to use 24 hors per day, OxygenWorldwide can arrange a back-up cylinder for inhouse use and/or during the night.
For more info please contact OxygenWorldwide on info@oxygenworldwide.com or call us on +34 96 688 28 73
We hope you have a great stay on the Canary Islands.
