If your oxygen concentrator has kept you from enjoying an outdoor picnic with family and friends, consider the very portable, Inogen One. Slender and featherweight at only 4.8 pounds, the Inogen One allows you to approach the summer season head-on by giving you the gift of mobility that traditional oxygen concentrators don’t.

As you prepare for International Picnic Day, here are a few things you may want to include on your packing list:

Don’t forget the sunscreen – Prolonged exposure to sunlight, while often enjoyable, does not come without a downside. People who spend too much time in the sun are at greater risk for skin cancer.[1]  The Centers for Disease Control and prevention recommend using sunscreen with a sun protective factor (SPF) 15 or higher, and both UVA and UVB protection [2] when exposure to sunlight is inevitable.

Remember a wide-brimmed hat – In addition to sunscreen, wearing a wide-brimmed hat will reduce your risk of heat-related injury by protecting your face, head, neck and ears from the harmful rays of the sun.[3]

Drink plenty of water – Infants and children, the elderly and those with chronic illnesses are at greater risk for dehydration and heat-related injury, especially when exposed to extreme heat.[4]  Symptoms of dehydration range from mild to life-threatening, but initially manifest as excessive thirst, headache and dizziness.[5]  Reduce your risk of heat-related illness and injury by packing plenty of bottled water in addition to your beverage of choice.

Use insect repellant generously – It’s not surprising that the tasty treats in your picnic basket attract more than just your family. Unfortunately, bugs like picnics too! Although most insects pose little threat when they bite or sting you, certain bugs, like mosquitoes, can transmit disease. Additionally, people who are allergic to insect bites or bee stings can suffer severe, life-threatening reactions when bitten or stung by certain insects.[6] Protect yourself and your family by applying insect repellent generously before leaving for your picnic. Remember to re-apply if your picnic includes a dip in the pool or swim in the lake or ocean.

Pack more power with an extra battery – Nothing cramps your style more than running out of oxygen in the middle of a good time. Equipped with an optional double battery, the Inogen One gives you the opportunity to extend your time away from home up to an additional 8 hours. You can’t get any better than that!

Now that you’re ready to go, dust off your picnic basket, grab your Inogen One portable oxygen concentrator and head to the nearest park, beach or lakeside retreat to commemorate International Picnic Day.  Whether a romantic meal for two or an edible feast for family and friends, picnics are the perfect excuse for a pleasurable outing.

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This year’s theme – “Unleash the Power of Age!” – couldn’t be more appropriate as older Americans join together to share their many special talents, life experiences and a wealth of wisdom with friends, family members, co-workers and the entire nation.

The Administration on Aging reports that 41.4 million people reached the age of 65 in 2011, an increase of 6.3 million (18%) since the year 2000. By 2030, this number is expected to grow to 72.1 million, more than double of what it was in 2000. This means in the years to come, that older Americans will play an even larger role in shaping the communities in which they live. That’s why it’s important, if you’re an older American with a respiratory illness, that you have the Inogen One in your corner helping you achieve everything you’re destined to achieve.

As Americans age, health problems often abound. Respiratory illnesses like COPD and lung cancer can literally take your breath away, not to mention put a damper on an otherwise active social life. The Inogen One portable oxygen concentrator helps older Americans maintain their independence so they can remain active in their communities as productive members of society.  For many older Americans, this alone can mean the difference between life and death.

With the Inogen One, you can continue to work, travel and go about your daily life without worrying about running out of oxygen. With a single battery that lasts over 4 hours and a double battery that lasts up to 9 hours, you can get more done in one day than you ever knew possible.

If you’re an older American with a respiratory illness, embrace your ability to make healthy choices. Rest assured, the Inogen One portable oxygen concentrator will support your healthy, active life-style for many years to come. With the Inogen One, unleashing the power of age has never been easier.

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According to the National Garden Association, Americans consistently rank gardening as one of their favorite, all-time hobbies. And that’s great news, because the health benefits of gardening are plentiful and well documented. Let’s take a look at just a few.

An Alternative to Traditional Exercise

Forget about going to the gym anymore! Did you know that digging in the garden for just an hour burns an average of 372 calories?  Reaching to pull weeds, bending to plant flowers, lifting a bag of mulch, extending a rake, pushing a wheel barrel  — gardening involves using all your major muscle groups to perform maneuvers that are similar to those you do in the gym, such as stretching, weight lifting and aerobics. Working in the garden on a regular basis will help you increase flexibility, strengthen your joints, burn off calories and best of all, lose weight.

Lowering Your Risk of Osteoporosis 

Literally meaning porous bone, osteoporosis is a disease that weakens your bones, placing you at a higher risk for fractures. Although men can get it too, osteoporosis most commonly affects post-menopausal women and can be prevented by eating healthy and staying physically active. That’s where gardening comes in. Research conducted by the University of Arkansas found that women 50 years and older who gardened at least once a week had stronger bones than those who were inactive or performed other types of exercises, such as walking, jogging or swimming.  Study results concluded that only two activities — weight lifting and yard work — were strongly associated with higher bone density and a lower risk of osteoporosis.

Stress Relief

Getting in touch with nature has significant restorative benefits, most importantly, stress relief. A 2011 study published in the Journal of Health Psychology found that subjects who were assigned to outdoor gardening had a greater reduction in the stress hormone cortisol and experienced a more positive mood than those who were assigned to indoor reading. Additionally, a Swedish study found that having access to a garden in the workplace had a positive impact on stress and comfort. With the increase of stress-related illnesses, donning gloves and a wide-brimmed hat may be just what the doctor ordered to reduce the stress in your life.

How the Inogen One Can Help

Lightweight and portable with a single battery that lasts over 4 hours, the Inogen One makes it easier than ever to spend time outdoors reaping the many rewards of gardening. Whether you want to pay a friendly visit to your local Farmer’s Market, plant an herb garden in your own backyard to promote wellness and healing, join a community garden project or sit quietly amidst an abundance of lettuce and arugula, the Inogen One is right there with you as it allows you the freedom and independence to enjoy life, each and every day, to the fullest.  If gardening sounds like something you’d enjoy, grab your Inogen One and head over to the nearest dirt patch. Getting your hands dirty will never be more enjoyable.

Author: Deborah Leader RN, BSN, PHN

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Studies consistently show that the majority of Americans are living with moderate to high levels of stress in their daily lives. In fact, results from a recent Stress in America Survey show that many American adults feel that their stress levels are increasing, rather than decreasing. Why are we so “stressed-out”? The most frequently cited sources of stress are money, work and the economy; however, 53% of Americans report that personal health problems top the list of major stressors, with 66% believing their stress has a significant impact on their physical health and 63% believing the same for their mental health.

Stress, to a certain degree, is healthy — even necessary — for survival. When faced with a dangerous situation, for example, your pupils dilate, your pulse and rate of breathing increase, your muscles tense; essentially, all your body’s systems support its effort to either fight or flee to safety. Indeed, many events can trigger this “fight or flight” stress response — getting married or divorced, commuting to work every day in heavy traffic, even taking your driving test.

Under normal circumstances, once the stressful life-event is over, your body should return to normal functioning. When the source of your stress is constant, however, all those hormones and brain chemicals that were called upon to get you through that stressful situation end up doing more harm than good. Eventually, chronic stress takes a toll on your health, weakening your immune system and increasing your risk for a number of chronic illnesses, including heart disease, stroke, hypertension, depression and obesity.

For many people, having a chronic illness means having to use supplemental oxygen. This, in and of itself, can be a significant source of stress, especially when you’re faced with the additional challenge of having to plan your daily life around your oxygen supply source.

The Inogen One G3 portable oxygen concentrator takes the stress out of worrying about oxygen. Less stress means more time for you to enjoy the freedom and independence that’s afforded you when you use a portable oxygen delivery system that is lightweight, dependable and versatile.  Weighing in at only 4.8 pounds, its portability and ease of use means that, never again, will you be stuck at home, tied down to endless miles of tubing and heavy machinery.

In light of National Stress Awareness month, give your stress a holiday with the Inogen One G3 : a portable oxygen concentrator that takes the stress out of using supplemental oxygen.

Author: Deborah Leader RN, BSN, PHN

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Spring Has Sprung 

Spring is finally here after a long winter, and that makes it easier to take in fresh air. Studies show that fresh air benefits people with COPD by improving breathing and opening up airways. Additionally, fresh air was found to improve the perception of relaxation, further helping the breathing process.

Hit the Road

Get out on the open road for a trip now that snow and cold are not looming large over the weather forecast.  Make your own plans and enjoy the warmer weather, and take advantage of the portability that is allowed by a portable oxygen concentrator.

Month Long Observances

April is a month full of different observances and causes. Get connected in some way if these observances affect your life or are something that you believe in. You can get involved over the internet from the comfort of your own home, or you can get out to organizational events within these communities.

Keep America Beautiful Month

Keep America Beautiful month is an awareness month for Keeping America Beautiful, an organization whose mission is “engaging individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community’s environment.”

Autism Awareness Month

Autism Awareness Month is part of Austism Speaks effort to raise awareness for Autism and for a national plan that addresses Austism.

National Poetry Month

National Poetry Month is put on every April by the Academy of American Poets, and urges schools, libraries, and other organizations to come together in celebration of poetry and its place within society.

Earth Day & Arbor Day

Arbor Day is a celebration of trees and an effort to get people to plant more trees. Earth Day is a day for participation in “green acts” that will better serve our environment and create a sustainable future. The common thread between both? The outdoors. Both days hark to a cause that urges people to get more involved outside and to interact with the environment. Inogen shares that mission and urges people with COPD to get outdoors and take their portable oxygen concentrators with them.

Enjoy the warmer weather and all the events & activities that April has to offer by taking full advantage of the freedom and mobility that portable oxygen concentrators allow you to have.

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Photo Credit: Corridor, Flickr, @Nicholas_T

Photo Credit: Planting Trees, Flickr, @vastateparksstaff

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You can take comfort in the fact that a long and cold winter is officially over, and only warmer weather lies ahead, even if it doesn’t arrive tomorrow for some regions of the country. With warmer weather and more daylight in the future, now is a great time to start planning more things outdoors to take full advantage of the mobility that an Inogen One oxygen concentrator allows you.

A portable oxygen concentrator allows you to get outside and take in fresh air. A study on stagnation vs. movement in people with COPD found that:

Fresh air was the single most important issue to participants, and was strongly related to feelings of movement, leading to feelings of open airways and improved breathing [...] The perceived benefit of fresh air was mainly related to relaxation and opening of airways, thus relieving perceptions of breathlessness.

Getting outside and moving was found to not only help the participants’ breathing, but was also found to relieve stress levels and improve overall mood.

Inogen One oxygen concentrators are extremely portable, making it easy to get out of the house and breathe the fresh air. And with a single battery that lasts over 4 hours, and a double battery that can last up to 9 hours, your time won’t get cut short by the need to go inside and plug in. The proof in the power of fresh air is there. Once your corner of the country thaws out to your liking, get out and enjoy the spring, it will help your breathing and your overall health tremendously!

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Photo Credit: Buds, Flickr, @nvainio

Photo Credit: Spring, Flickr, @scuglik

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Inogen One makes traveling with oxygen a breeze. Each member of the Inogen One family of oxygen concentrators is lightweight and small. The Inogen One G3 system weighs 4.8 pounds, about the weight of a half-gallon of milk. It is 8.75 inches long, 3 inches wide, and 7.25 inches tall, which makes it compact for carrying. In addition, concentrators come with a carry bag with a strap.

Additional accessories also make it easy for the winter-weary traveler to escape. A DC Power Cable can be brought along to charge in a car. As for the batteries themselves, a single lithium ion battery lasts up to 4.5 hours, and a double lithium ion battery lasts up to 9 hours. Depending on the length of your trip, you will need any combination of battery and charger to ensure your concentrator is up and running for the duration.

All Inogen One portable oxygen concentrators are approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for in-flight use on flights starting or stopping in the US. However it is still recommended that you contact your airline for any specific requirements and read through our air travel checklist before your flight.  Inogen One concentrators are also approved for long train rides.

Cold weather can limit a lot of activity, so if you’re looking to break out of that winter spell a little early on a trip, be sure to do the following:

1. Inform your doctor

2. Ask the commercial travel companies, if you’re using one,  if a letter from a doctor is necessary

3. Make sure the total time of the trip (flights, buses, layovers) does not exceed the amount of oxygen supply you’re bringing. Sometimes people just consider a flight time or train time without all that “extra” time.

It’s been a long winter for everyone. Congratulations on ending it a little early and taking full advantage of the freedom and mobility that Inogen One allows you.

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Photo Credit: 2012.winter.vacation 338, Flickr, @WalkingGeek

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International Women’s Day – Why limit a day of recognition just to mothers? This is a day that sees men around the world “honoring their mothers, wives, girlfriends, colleagues, etc with flowers and small gifts”. Mother’s Day is a time honored tradition in May, but International Women’s Day is another great opportunity to show appreciation to women in your life!

St. Patrick’s Day – March 17^th is annually one of the biggest days for celebration and merriment, when everyone has the luck of the Irish for a day. It’s not luck that allows Inogen One users the freedom to do as they please; it’s the small, lightweight concentrators. Don’t miss out on your local parade, or corn beef and cabbage dinner, because of medical oxygen worries. Grab your portable oxygen concentrator, and an extra battery or car charger, and take in all the fun.

Tip: to find out what’s happening for St. Patrick’s Day in your area, perform a Google search for the day and include your city/town.

Spring Has Sprung – It may be hard to believe, but winter is behind us. Daylight Savings Time is Sunday, March 10^th, the Spring Equinox, or the first day of spring, is Wednesday March 20^th. Take advantage of the (slightly) warmer weather and the extended daylight and spend some time outdoors with your portable oxygen concentrator and carry case.

Easter & Passover – Easter Sunday is March 31^st, and Passover begins Monday, March 25^th. If you are planning on observing either of these holidays, you should be able to do so on your own terms. That means attending the services that you’d like to, and being with family for the traditional feasts. As with every religious holiday and national holiday, these holidays can be observed to the full extent using Inogen One concentrators, so take your medical oxygen on the go.

Enjoy the warmer weather and all the events & activities that March has to offer by taking full advantage of the freedom and mobility that portable oxygen concentrators allow you to have.

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Photo Credit: Spring, Flickr, @morning_rumtea

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Great Strides CF Walk Check-In

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is the number one funder of research for CF. The CF Foundation’s website is a fantastic resource for all constituents whose lives have been affected by Cystic Fibrosis. It includes features such as:

-Nutrition

-Staying Healthy

-CF At School

-Get Involved

-Knowing your CF

-Scholarships

-And much more…

The CFF website can truly be customized to each user. By putting in your zip code, entering in other information, and visiting age-specific portals and other specific portals, you can create a resource tailored to your needs.

(Knowing Your CF PDF)

‘Living With CF’ is the CFF’s portal for its efforts to improve the quality of life for people with CF, and the motto of this section is “Adding Tomorrows”. They have specialized care, therapies, and tools for different age groups, and they cite that ‘more than 45 percent of the CF patient population is now age 18 or older’ as evidence that these measures do work, and that “adding tomorrows” is a realistic and attainable proposition.

Check back with the Inogen One blog and Twitter periodically for news and resources not only related to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, but for all things related to this condition.

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Some information courtesy of:

http://www.lung.org/assets/documents/publications/solddc-chapters/cf.pdf

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_131823.html

Photo Credit: Food and registration, Flickr, JoelK75

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Have you talked with your doctor about or researched independently the correlation between COPD and heart health? Unfortunately, it’s not just your lungs you need to think about if you live with COPD. When it comes to breathing, your body relies on an intricate system in order to get oxygen in and carbon dioxide out, and at the center of it is your heart. The heart and lungs are inextricably connected, for better or for worse, and as a result, COPD can have an effect on heart health. The good news is that there are a multitude of resources out there, including extensive research that address this connection and provide next steps for anyone with COPD.

Johns Hopkins provides a clear explanation of the connection between the heart and lungs in delivering oxygen and pumping blood:

“What’s the connection? The heart and lungs work together to deliver oxygen to and remove carbon dioxide from the body’s tissues. When you inhale, oxygen enters the blood via little sacs in the lungs called alveoli. The oxygenated blood travels through the pulmonary veins to the left side of the heart, where it is pumped throughout the body. The deoxygenated blood then returns to the right side of the heart and is pumped through the pulmonary arteries to the lungs. When you exhale, carbon dioxide exits your body and the cycle starts again. 

 But this process can go awry in people with COPD. Low oxygen levels in the alveoli cause the pulmonary arteries to constrict (narrow) and the normally low pressure in the arteries to rise. If the pressure in the pulmonary arteries rises to a sufficiently high level, a condition called secondary pulmonary hypertension develops.”

-Johns Hopkins Health Alerts

Given the role that the heart plays, it should be no surprise that COPD can affect the heart. A revelatory study done in 2010  showed that even mild forms of COPD can “adversely affect heart structure and function”. It had previously been believed that only severe COPD could affect the heart.

Additionally, a study in the American Heart Association Journal Report  was able to pinpoint certain issues in the right ventricle of the heart related to COPD and lung problems. Abnormalities such as right ventricular hypertrophy or dysfunction should “heighten the suspicion” of cardiopulmonary disease. Conversely, if such diseases are related to heart abnormalities, then the heart should be monitored extra carefully in cases of COPD.

So what is someone with COPD supposed to do with all this information? Certainly don’t assume too much. COPD does not automatically mean heart problems. But it is reason to be concerned. If you have not researched the topic further, do so. If you have not had conversations with your doctor, do that as well. Having the knowledge that the two are so intricately connected is a step in the right direction. This issue is ongoing and continues to be researched, so it is important to stay informed as more studies are completed and we learn more about COPD and the heart.

There is even one study that finds a way to treat the connection. Researchers from Switzerland found that heart-related therapies could improve quality of life for COPD patients . By monitoring both aspects of this complex system, you will be that much more prepared and ready to treat any issues that might arise.

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