Respiratory care involves making lifestyle choices that do not affect lung health in the long term. This can include eating right, exercising, avoiding an unhealthy lifestyle, and other tips. But if you are dealing with any respiratory issues, some devices and products can help manage the symptoms of these illnesses. Let’s take a look at some tips for management of respiratory issues and also note opportunities in the respiratory care service industry.

Respiratory care and management tips

Practicing good hygiene
This may seem unrelated, but practicing good hygiene, like washing hands regularly before touching your nose or face, is recommended. It is also important to keep your hands clean when handling any respiratory devices and equipment. This helps in the prevention of any transfer of injections that could cause respiratory complications.

Exercising regularly
Being active is extremely important when it comes to good lung function and overall health. Doing cardiovascular exercises is known to improve heart health as well, which, in turn, helps in keeping the lungs functioning properly. Exercising 3-5 times a week is recommended to ensure the body is moving enough to ward off the development of any chronic diseases.

Managing environment
Air pollution is a huge problem in today’s environment, so it is important to take the right measures that will keep you safe. This involves wearing face masks when stepping out in crowded places with a lot of vehicle traffic. There can also be other allergens in the air, which can cause a reaction and lead to some respiratory complications, so beware of these pollutants. During pollen season, make sure you are not stepping out too much and keep your face covered and hands clean.

Proper breathing technique
Breathing is natural; however, there are some deep breathing techniques that can be helpful in keeping the lungs healthy. Yoga is an excellent way to learn deep breathing through exercise, which can help the lungs. All exercises in yoga focus on breathing; however, there are some specific poses, like pranayam, which focus on breathing techniques. Introducing this exercise into your daily routine will be helpful.

Maintaining a sustainable lifestyle
Eating the right kinds of food and not exposing yourself to unhealthy habits will be a game changer in restoring respiratory health. Following a healthy lifestyle, which can be sustainable for the long term, is key to maintaining good health instead of going for short-term solutions and trending lifestyle changes.

Annual check-ups
Getting a yearly check-up to understand important vitals, like respiratory performance and such, are important factors in staying healthy. It is also important to be aware of various early warning signs and symptoms of any diseases that may develop. Always seek a health professional’s help every time you notice an unusual symptom that has lasted for a while or any specific respiratory infection symptoms that need immediate care.

Respiratory care devices
Aside from lifestyle changes, individuals may be in need of devices that help them get the necessary respiratory care. There are several such devices available in the market for at-home use as well. This includes products like:

Oxygen concentrators
This is a device used to provide extra oxygen to anyone who is having difficulty breathing due to low oxygen levels in the blood. There are two types of these concentrators, one that can be used at home and two, which can be used on-the-go. They all come in various sizes and models, so the right product is chosen for the patient depending on the need. The at home device needs 24×7 electricity at home as it needs to be plugged in to work efficiently. The portable ones run on rechargeable batteries.

Portable oxygen cylinders
While this serves the same purpose as the oxygen concentrator, a portable oxygen cylinder or a tank is made out of metal and contains a fixed amount of pressurized oxygen. Once this amount is over, it needs to be refilled or replaced.

Nebulizers
This is a device used by those managing asthma symptoms. A nebulizer helps in administering oxygen directly to the lungs in just a couple of minutes. This is a liquid remedy that turns into a mist when taken and helps reach the lungs fast.

If you are looking to do a course in respiratory care, there are respiratory therapy courses available in various colleges, including community college. The American Association for Respiratory Care also holds some courses in this. Career and job opportunities in this field of work can be explored after you have completed the appropriate degrees and have gained all the credentials needed for the job. The American Association for Respiratory Care also has a career page where you can explore any job opportunities in this field of work and apply your learning. While working in the caregiving space, it is also important to stay updated on any new respiratory care products or devices that are introduced and developed to help the patients so you can make an informed recommendation, if needed.