While many of us have family and friends using oxygen therapy, we don’t all know everything we should about their condition. Thankfully, we’ve come up with a few ways to give your loved one better assistance. Read on to learn what you can do to support someone on oxygen.

Educate Yourself

The first step to supporting someone going through anything you’re unfamiliar with is to learn more about their condition. Do some research about COPD and oxygen concentrators (the device they use for oxygen therapy).

If they’re comfortable with it, you can even ask to borrow their oxygen concentrator’s user manual. Learning how the device works as well as what various blinking lights mean can allow you to offer assistance if they need help with their machine.

Treat Them Normally

Next, remember to treat them as you did before you learned about their condition. It can feel alienating and dehumanizing to experience a change in all your relationships because you need a device to help you breathe—they haven’t changed at all as a person. You can still invite them over, or even out! If an activity sounds too taxing for them, they’ll tell you.

Lend a Hand

While treating them normally be your default state, you can also extend a standing offer for help with anything they need. A simple task such as vacuuming can become a significant strain on oxygen therapy, so help around the house is often appreciated. If they don’t accept your offer, you don’t need to push—they know their limits better than you.

Encourage Lifestyle Changes

Finally, there are a few lifestyle changes that can have a massive impact on their symptoms. From eating right to doing light exercises, there are several ways that people with COPD can find relief as long as they alter their routine a little. Do your best to encourage them and show that these changes are for the best.

Now that you know what you can do to support someone on oxygen, educate yourself on COPD and oxygen concentrators and give your loved ones the care they deserve.