Life Tethered to a Concentrator — Caroline Gainer

I’ve been suffering from a bad case of thrush, which has brought to the front of my mind the importance of correct procedures when taking my inhaled medications — as I must because…

May brings sunshine and Mother Nature’s renewal with the blooming of flowers and the greening of leaves. This month has also brought the parting of the clouds of my oppressive thoughts, and the sunshine…

When living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), it can be hard to keep a sunny disposition. When you have trouble breathing, it’s hard to feel positive. One of the best ways I…

Tools that make life easier for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are prized possessions. One of them is the recently updated version of the COPD Pocket Consultant Guide from the…

For years, I got up in the morning and coughed and gagged, feeling like my throat was closing. Then I’d get a prickly feeling in my arms and back, like when your circulation gets…

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with corticosteroids. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. At some point, most people…

I recently received a call from my oxygen provider asking if I’d be home the next day. They wanted to bring me a new stationary oxygen concentrator, also known as a home oxygen concentrator.

Having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) makes us patients more susceptible to lung infections. These infections can creep up on us quickly and progress to a severe condition in just a…

Those of us with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often complain of fatigue, which is much different from simply being tired. Tiredness can be addressed by a good night’s sleep. Fatigue is…

Oxygen therapy is required for many of us with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). My column’s name, in fact, comes from my need to be connected to an oxygen concentrator. I have…

Pulmonary rehabilitation can help to significantly increase exercise tolerance in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Many hospitals have pulmonary rehabilitation programs, but some patients have difficulty getting to them because…

It’s not uncommon for those of us with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to suffer from cachexia, or wasting disease. A 2019 study found that people with cachexia or pre-cachexia had…