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Post by gerald on Sept 19, 2018 14:09:46 GMT -5
Some interesting tips ----------------- Showering, Personal Hygiene & COPD By Barbara Moore · September 14, 2018 Most of us with COPD end up showering and taking care of personal hygiene at night or in the middle of the day because mornings are spent like a sloth, going very slowly until our breathing catches up with our puffers and meds. COPD and chronic illness can make you tired and short of breath, leaving you with very little energy, even though it is still necessary to maintain a certain level of personal hygiene. In my experience, if you use oxygen for exertion, you can use it while showering. Talk to your doctor about whether you should increase you oxygen saturation while showering. There is no danger to using O2 in the shower and water will not get into the tubing. If you are worried about it, have the O2 tubing hanging down from the shower curtain rod and insert cannulas in your nose as normal. Always speak to your doctor with any questions or concerns. Planning ahead before showeringThink ahead before getting into the shower so everything is ready in advance and you will have what you need at hand coming out of the shower. I have a fresh outfit ready along with a pair of slippers to pop my feet into. Then I put a lightweight stool in front of the mirror so I can comb my hair. I don’t use carpets but if you do, make sure they are skid free, and remove all other obstacles that could cause slips and falls. A sturdy plastic shower chair is a great addition to your shower as it grips the bottom of the tub and helps to keep you steady without losing your balance preventing shortness of breath. Mine has a holder for the shower head and a back attached, but a stool would work just as well. Your shower should already be equipped with handrails, one on the side and the other in front of you. I had my handrails professionally installed so there was no issue of stability. Some more helpful tipsA hand-held shower head with a long hose keeps you in control of the water pressure, spray, and temperature. Keep water on the cooler side so as not to build up too much humidity and always have a fan on or a window slightly open. A soap caddy should be placed so that soap, shampoo, conditioner, and moisturizer are always at hand and ready when you need them. This will also help to prevent slips and falls as no extra soap or bottles are underfoot. Raising arms over your head to wash your hair can cause further shortness of breath; you may need help with this on bad breathing days. One of the best tips I got from Respiratory Rehab was to use a terrycloth robe. Not easy to find and not cheap, if you do the search you will not be sorry. Throwing on my terry robe after a shower keeps me warm. I save the energy it would take to dry myself and leave it on for a while until I am ready to dress. Overall my showering experience is 100% better managed thinking it through. copd.net/living/personal-hygiene-showering/ |
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Post by lavishgail on Sept 19, 2018 17:35:25 GMT -5
I pretty much have all that already, but a caddy. To put all my stuff in is a great idea, I'll make one up for me too while making them for others. My stuff is already on shelves in the tub/shower, but reaching here and there is a pain. Thank for this Gerald. My number one main concern is, I always get off balance in the shower, and Even though I have a shower chair and hand railings, I still have a fear of falling out of the tub. I always have my 02 hanging over shower curtain so if I need it, it's there. For people that only have tubs they sell this caddy that fits across the tub in front of you.
Thanks.
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Post by skate4life on Sept 20, 2018 8:35:49 GMT -5
As time goes by you may find the terry robe too heavy to lift to put on. Look for the shorter Waffle Weave style usually found during the warmer months online. Much lighter and still absorbent but not long enough to cover your butt so just put the toilet seat cover down and cover with an old towel. Because I live alone and bathroom is on the second floor, I use a heavy clear poly shower curtain liner as my curtain. Being clear I don't get that closed in feeling.... do consider getting a chair with a back on it to put inside the tub. If chair is slick and you feel unstable, put a towel on the seat - the wet towel with help keep you on the seat. The back is really a big help to just rest. Lifting arms to wash hair is difficult so just use one arm at a time with a rest between hair sides. This last bit is probably the hardest - you may not be able to take a traditional tub bath (: because you can't bend over to wash your feet and getting up and out of the tub is downright dangerous. There is a product called an over the tub bench (with and without a back or arm rest) that is very stable as one section with two feet sits on the bathroom floor and the seat portion sits inside the tub. It is a little heavy and awkward to lift out of the tub, and if this is your only bathtub and other family members use it, I doubt they will want it.....upside is that I never have to wash my wall tiles  as I use a handheld shower that I rest on the soap dish projection and safety bar between washing body sections to pace myself. I am lucky that I have my water control (it is a circle thing with a lever to control the flow of water) down low so I just reach forward to cut back the water flow while I rest - that would be helpful if you are on a well.... Gail, I totally forgot about that caddy thing you can put across the tub! Thanks!!! - will look for it in those some catalogs I usually just throw away. |
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Post by joany on Sept 20, 2018 11:58:37 GMT -5
I'll check out some of your suggestions. I've always been a bathtub person especially for relaxation. I have a couple of real sturdy handrail, but I'll check out the over the tub bench. I also think that hooking up a handheld shower would ease the twists of washing my back.
Always something, but we must be careful. We must be more careful.
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Post by gerald on Sept 20, 2018 14:27:38 GMT -5
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as I use a handheld shower that I rest on the soap dish projection and safety bar between washing body sections to pace myself. I am lucky that I have my water control (it is a circle thing with a lever to control the flow of water) down low so I just reach forward to cut back the water flow while I rest - that would be helpful if you are on a well....