Oxygen Patients Enjoy Increased Freedom with HomeFill II

from Airway Oxygen

Studies have shown that oxygen patients who are able to increase their level of activity and become more mobile enjoy a 50 percent higher survival rate than low ambulatory oxygen patients.

Airway Oxygen, home of medical and rehabilitation equipment in Muskegon and beyond, offer the HomeFill II oxygen system, allowing people the ability to fill their own portable oxygen tanks in one efficient system, creating new independence for oxygen patients.

The system allows portable tanks to be filled easily in a little over one hour. Patients who have been dependent upon a weekly delivery of portable oxygen tanks will now be able to fill their own portable tanks in the comfort of their own home.

The HomeFill II system includes an oxygen conserving regulator that is attached to the portable tank. The portable tank can easily be filled without even having to remove the oxygen conserving device. The oxygen conserving device will allow an oxygen patient increased mobility and a greater level of freedom as it will last up to 5.2 hours at a liter flow of two lpm.

Patients are encouraged to come in to any of the many Airway Oxygen locations, including the store at 850 Harvey Street in Muskegon, so they can be shown how the system allows them to regain independence and enhance their your quality of life. With HomeFill II, once-homebound oxygen users can get on with their lives in fairly normal fashion.

Registered respiratory therapists and customer service representatives have more information about the HomeFill II system at Airway Oxygen, Inc. In Muskegon, visit 850 Harvey Street or call (231) 767-9825.

The Importance of Flossing

by Monica J. Lakatos, D.D.S., Northshore Dental Associates

During this time of New Year's resolutions, resolve to do one important thing for your oral health.

Everyone brushes their teeth and wouldn't think of leaving the house without doing it, but when it comes to flossing, it's a different story. Most of us were raised with parents who stressed brushing, but never mentioned flossing. As adults, it seems like too much to add to our daily routine. Flossing is one of those activities that will benefit you in numerous ways.

You know how gross your teeth feel when you need to brush? You know that furry, yucky feeling? Your teeth are just like that in between when you don't floss. Brushing removes 65% of the bacteria in your mouth. Imagine only washing 65% of your body! Would that be okay? Some people do not floss at all. Just think of the bacteria that lurks in their mouths! Flossing is important for a number of reasons.

Flossing helps your breath. Flossing is the only way to remove the bacteria and their waste from between your teeth. Brushing alone never touches the area between the teeth. Flossing will decrease the numbers of bacteria in your mouth which in turn helps your breath.

Flossing makes your teeth look better. We have all seen people with food particles stuck between their teeth. The only way to remove all food debris is with flossing prior to brushing. Brushing cannot do it all. If you absolutely cannot floss, use a water pik, a toothpick or "go-betweens" to remove the debris and then follow with brushing to maintain your optimal oral health.

Flossing will help your existing dental work last longer. Removing bacteria regularly makes your teeth more resistant to decay. Decay requires a tooth, bacteria and a sugar source to occur - eliminate one of these and decay will decrease. Very few people enjoy their time in the dental chair. Put simply, floss more, sit less!

Flossing helps prevent periodontal disease. Without flossing, the bacterial plaque between your teeth harden into tartar. Tartar can only be removed by a dental professional. A continual build-up of tartar causes the bone and gums that surround your teeth to recede. As a result, the teeth become loose and fall out.

Flossing benefits your teeth and health in several ways. It is a simple exercise to add to your daily routine that will help in many ways. If you can't floss in the morning because you're too busy, do it at night. If you're too tired at night, do it at lunchtime. It doesn't matter when you do it, as long as it gets done daily. Ask your dentist for advice if you have difficulty flossing. There are numerous ways to help those who have limited dexterity. Your teeth will thank you for it!

Remember - you don't have to floss all your teeth, only the ones you want to keep!

Monica J. Lakatos, D.D.S., at Northshore Dental Associates, 1179 Whitehall Road in North Muskegon, can be reached at (231) 744-6100.

After All the Parties, Start the New Year with a Body Cleanse

by Eric Johnson, Manager, Health Hutt

Although Modern times have made our lives more convenient, modern living has increased the many toxic chemicals we are in contact with every day, with harsh pollutants and pesticides in our environment and food.

Our bodies are constantly creating their own toxic byproducts as a result of the many toxins attacking us at a cellular level. When these build up in the body over time, these toxins can have an impact on our overall health.

So to rid ourselves of toxic burden, the lungs, liver, lymphatic system, kidneys, skin, blood and bowel (or colon) work together to filter and eliminate toxin substances and waste, but because of the increasing number of both internal and external toxins to which our bodies are exposed, the cleansing organs can be overloaded. By addressing the seven channels of elimination this can help support the body's natural detox and cleansing process.

Keep these general guidelines in mind to help you when choosing from the many products at our three Health Hutt locations.

Step One:  General Total-Body Cleanse - Includes all channels.

Step Two:  Enhanced Specific Cleanse - Such as just the liver, lymph system, kidneys, etc.

Step Three:  Microbial Cleanse - Intestine, parasites, colon, etc.

If this will be your first time cleansing or have already, Health Hutt recommends starting with a basic program that can be done with a general total-body cleanse formula that is designed to support the body's natural detox process and promote healthy digestive function. 

With ongoing maintenance after each cleanse, Health Hutt suggests you use beneficial oils, enzymes and probiotic supplements. Increase your fiber intake as this will support in the cleansing process. Fiber works in the digestive tract to bind with toxins and help eliminate them via the stool.

Although exposure to harmful chemicals may be unavoidable in today's toxic world, there are simple things you can do every day to help you take back control of your body and your health. The right internal cleansing program, combined with a healthy lifestyle, can be the first step toward a lifetime of good health. Stop in today at one of the three Health Hutt locations!

To ask about natural remedies or other vitamin supplements phone the Health Hutt closest to you. In Muskegon call (231) 739-1568. Be sure to watch "Forever Young" Wednesdays at 3:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. and Thursdays at 3:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. on Comcast Cable 97.

Mother and Child Reunion

from LifeCare Hospitals

Irene Tayak was as vibrant an 80-year-old as you might meet. She had just moved to a new apartment and was enjoying a busy life with family and friends. But one night, as her daughter Sharon Naumoff was arriving at Grand Rapids airport, Irene fell in her bedroom.

When Sharon arrived later that morning she found her daughter administering CPR to her unconscious mother. Paramedics arrived and administered electric shock three times before they got a heartbeat.

Upon arrival at the community hospital, Irene remained in a coma in the ICU for days. Doctors advised the family that survival was unlikely and recommended they stop artificial measures that were sustaining her life. The family replied, "It's too soon." One day, great-grandchildren were sitting with Irene when she opened both eyes and smiled.

Irene had not had a heart attack or stroke, but a heart fibrillation, where her heart raced and slowed in abnormal rhythm. She had experienced a loss of oxygen to the brain and had some abnormalities in speech and movement.

Irene Tayak, still on a ventilator, was transferred to LifeCare less than two weeks after her cardiac event. The very next day, a LifeCare nurse accompanied Irene on an ambulance ride to the hospital, where a pacemaker/defibrillator was implanted in her heart. "My mom was back in her bed at LifeCare that evening," marveled Sharon. "(The nurse) was not only a medical support to my mother, but gave us strength, assurance and friendship."

Because one of the unique features of LifeCare is a fully monitored intensive care unit, Irene received skilled, high-tech post-operative care, but in an intimate, "family-like" setting. In a few days, she had recovered sufficiently to be moved to a private bedroom, and her daughter began to add personal touches to the room to make it her own for the duration of the stay.

Over the succeeding days, Irene was weaned from the ventilator and received a comprehensive course of respiratory therapy, physical therapy to help her walk again, speech therapy to restore her normal speech, and occupational therapy to help her relearn the activities of daily living. Meanwhile, family visited regularly, encouraging her as she made daily improvements. "Things we take for granted, like making a cup of tea, adding, subtracting, my mother had to learn how to do again," explained Sharon. "The occupational therapists were wonderful with her, so patient and encouraging."

With a history of drug sensitivity, a variety of new medications and a near death experience, Irene experienced mood changes. The LifeCare pharmacist, said Sharon, listened to her, spoke to the doctors, "and they were able to regulate her medications and literally give us back the wonderful lady we knew."

By November, Irene had regained her "sparkle" and zest for life. Although she requires the assistance of a walker and a wheelchair, she is living in her own apartment in an assisted living center. She remains at the center of a large and loving extended family, a family who wouldn't give up on her, who turned to LifeCare Hospitals of Western Michigan to give her back to them.

Families and physicians are welcome to visit LifeCare. Contact Carol Johnson, RN at (231) 777-6479 for more information or log on to www.lifecare-hospitals.com.