PULMONARY REHABILITATION – HELPING BODY AND MIND TO COPE WITH LUNG DISEASE
Breathing is the greatest pleasure in life.
Giovanni Papini.
Lung diseases (such as COPD and asthma) affect both body and mind of sufferers. Pulmonary Rehab (PR) addresses these needs as nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals help lung disease sufferers cope with their health issues. We celebrate the importance of this rehab service as March 8-14 marks National Pulmonary Rehabilitation Week.
According to healthypeople.gov*, in 2014, in the United States, approximately 142,000 individuals died from COPD, and even more died from lung cancer (approximately 155,500) in the same year.
As the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation** references on their website, pulmonary rehabilitation can assist sufferers in the following ways:
- Teach breathing retraining.
- Emphasize the importance of proper exercise.
- Assist in understanding and using oxygen therapy.
- Since people with chronic lung diseases are more prone to depression and anxiety, many PR programs offer counseling and support groups.
- Education in diet, nutrition, and weight management.
At Graham-Field, we offer a comprehensive line of adult and pediatric nebulizers which provide a source of compressed air for aerosol therapy. These nebulizer compressors are used in conjunction with a jet (pneumatic) nebulizer to produce medicated aerosols for inhalation by pediatric and adult patients with respiratory symptoms. Under a doctor’s care and prescription, this therapy can be a part of a pulmonary rehab program.
Everyone deserves to be able to breathe as easily as possible. We are happy to join in wishing everyone in the field of pulmonary care, and everyone who benefits from that care, a happy Pulmonary Rehabilitation Week!
*https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/respiratory-diseases
