Helping Millions Breathe Easier

Quick, take a breath. Easy, right? Most of us breathe in and out without thought or effort a thousand times or more every day. But for the 1.6 million Americans who require therapeutic oxygen, taking a breath can be difficult and finding up-to-date, easy-to-use information about oxygen therapy can be even harder.

'There's just not that much information out there about oxygen therapy,' said Hilde Hanson of Lakeland, Florida, who suffers with emphysema and chronic bronchitis, which are types of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 'And what is available doesn't give you much hope for getting your life back.'

Leading experts focused on this lack of information at the 6th Long-Term Oxygen Therapy Consensus Conference, prompting a call for easy-to-use and readily available educational resources for oxygen-dependent patients, their families and caregivers.

Unique Web Resource

To address this information deficit and help those on oxygen make the journey back to an independent life, OxygeNation.com was recently launched to serve as a central resource for oxygen-dependent people and their families. A completely unique resource, OxygeNation.com offers educational tools that include disease information, types of equipment available to patients, tips for traveling with oxygen, and locations of support groups.

'Oxygen patients need a one-stop, comprehensive resource for information and a community to connect with others afflicted by respiratory and lung diseases. OxygeNation.com meets these needs,' said Dr. Jeffrey Kupperman of the Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, and President of the California Thoracic Society.

Having found renewed freedom with a new type of oxygen therapy she discovered by searching online, Hilde is excited about the availability of OxygeNation.com. She hopes it will encourage other people needing oxygen to leverage such a resource to find the therapy that best fits their lifestyle. 'I wish others would go to OxygeNation.com to learn about the choices they have and take an active role in their treatment,' Hilde said. 'There's more out there than you think!'

Available Options

Today, oxygen-dependent patients have more options than ever. OxygeNation.com gives easy access to information about these options, such as the device Hilde uses, called the Inogen One, which uses filters to remove nitrogen from room air, resulting in medical-grade oxygen, instead of using tanks. These devices give oxygen users the independence, flexibility and freedom to live their lives to the fullest, whether they are traveling to visit family, going for a walk or shopping for groceries.

'Staying active is critical to slowing the progression of respiratory illnesses like Hilde's,' Dr. Kupperman added. 'Patients should visit OxygeNation to learn more about oxygen therapy devices that support an active lifestyle and speak with their doctor about their choices.'