Don't know if it's just a coincidence. My 93 year old father has dementia, CHF, AFib, PAD. I swear when he gets these treatments on a daily basis his mental state improvements. Not to the point where he could function and drive again but he is more lucid and more himself.
I'm just curious if others have found this to happen. It makes sense to me. The more oxygen to the brain, the better the brain functions.
Hm. What's PAD? Oh - pulmonary artery disease?
Sandy, it makes complete sense that your father's brain functions better when it gets enough oxygen. So would yours! :) Normally, our hearts pump blood efficiently enough to carry the oxygen around. Given your father's many circulation problems - occluded arteries, poor pumping - not enough oxygen gets into his bloodstream from ordinary atmospheric air, and then not enough blood get upstairs, so it's a double whammy. The O2 helps to correct the blood oxygen saturation; I'm not sure what the nebuliser is for but I'm guessing it's to improve his airways?
Pam is of course correct; and I'm sorry - we're in a similar position, though without the A fib - to think that these treatments can only relieve symptoms, not treat the underlying disease; but on the other hand it is some consolation to remember that all of this support makes your father infinitely more comfortable than he would be without it. And that's not always the case - there are a few palliative treatments that do make you wonder if they're not worse than the problem they're supposed to solve.
So, no, no coincidence. Wishing you many more conversations with him to treasure x
It's all a matter of balance: if your loved one is oxygen deprived for some reason - poor breathing function, poor heart function, poor circulation, that sort of thing - then increasing the amount of oxygen in the air that he breathes will help return his blood oxygen level to *normal*. But you should never just up the oxygen in the vague assumption that the more oxygen he has, the better. If you suspect he might be oxygen-deprived, seek to have that checked. They'll use a finger meter to start with, then if necessary confirm with a quick, minimally uncomfortable blood test.
My sample is only 3 people, But in all three cases, it seems their bodies quickly became dependant on the added oxygen...then in quick succession required greater and greater concentration. My Dad was only 1 month on oxygen. My Great Aunt lasted 3 months. my grandma was less than a month. All of them struggled with CHF for years...but ended quickly once oxygen was introduced.
I thought my dad was the only one. But once he needed oxygen he only lived another month. I know everyone is different, but here I thought it would help him live longer. It still breaks my heart.
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