Starting supplemental oxygen therapy is both an important and complex decision. Given its complexity, understanding what this entails (including why and how it’s prescribed) and the pros and cons of using oxygen may be helpful. Your doctor, and often your lung specialist, should advise you why oxygen is recommended, and provide basics about what to expect, how to use it, and when to get a medical follow-up. This article describes some key areas related to using oxygen therapy for COPD and resources that may help you feel more prepared.

A recent article in the New York Times reported that as well as relapsing in our diet and exercise habits, the pandemic has seen a change in our smoking habits – and not for the better. Over the past 16 years, smoking rates in the US have declined from 21% of Americans who smoke to 14%. During the pandemic, this decline has stalled. Lots of people who had cut down or quit seem to be smoking again, or more, during the pandemic, if preliminary sales figures for tobacco products are any measure.