Respiratory Equipment

💡TL;DR: Most people with COPD benefit from a HEPA air purifier that removes fine particles like smoke, dust, and pollen. A HEPA air purifier can help reduce COPD triggers, but it will not cure COPD or replace your prescribed treatments. Choose True HEPA, ozone-safe (CARB-listed), and a CADR sized

💡TL;DR: Hospital-grade nebulizers produce a fine, consistent mist (~3–5 microns) and finish most treatments in about 5–10 minutes. Modern mesh and compressor units for home can match clinic performance when used correctly, and many are FDA-cleared medical devices. Expect quieter operation and durable, cleanable parts that keep

💡TL;DR: Do not nebulize distilled water. It is not guaranteed sterile and its very low salt content can irritate your airways. Use sterile 0.9% saline or prescribed medications in unit-dose vials; use 3% to 7% hypertonic saline only if your clinician prescribes it. For cleaning, you may rinse

💡TL;DR: ALS gradually weakens the breathing muscles, so most people start with noninvasive ventilation (a BiPAP mask) when symptoms appear. A tracheostomy with a ventilator can extend life by a median of about 21 months after surgery, but it usually means 24/7 dependence on the machine and caregivers

💡TL;DR: Incentive spirometers are devices you slowly inhale through to exercise and reopen your lungs, while peak flow meters are devices you blow into to measure how fast air leaves your lungs. Use a peak flow meter mainly for day-to-day asthma or lung function monitoring, and an incentive spirometer

💡TL;DR: Chest percussion therapy machines use vibrations or gentle thumps on your chest to loosen thick mucus so you can cough it out more easily. They are usually prescribed for chronic lung or neuromuscular conditions when coughing alone is not enough. Vest systems and handheld percussors can cost from

💡TL;DR: High flow oxygen therapy is a hospital-only treatment that delivers warmed, humid oxygen at very high flow (often up to 60 liters per minute and close to 100% oxygen) through soft nasal tubing to treat dangerously low blood oxygen. It sits between regular oxygen and a breathing tube,

💡TL;DR: A nebulizer delivers prescription medicine directly to your lungs as a fine mist, while a humidifier adds moisture to the room air. For dry-air discomfort or colds, a humidifier is usually enough; for asthma, COPD, or wheezing that needs medication, you need a nebulizer. Expect humidifiers to cost

💡TL;DR: Most home nebulizers last about 3–5 years; compressor (jet) models often reach ~5 years, while mesh handhelds average 2–3 years. They do not have a fixed expiration date, so replace when performance drops or purchase replacement components. For coverage, Medicare treats nebulizers as DME with a