Bubble-blowing lizard scuba dives to avoid predators

A humble little lizard has developed a clever escape route from predators – it blows a bubble over its nostrils and scuba dives to safety for 20 minutes or more. Now, a biologist has explored exactly how it works.Continue ReadingCategory: Biology, Scie… Continue reading Bubble-blowing lizard scuba dives to avoid predators

Keep Your Lungs Clean and Happy with a DIY Supplied-Air Respirator

The smell of resin SLA printing is like the weather — everybody complains about it, but nobody does anything about it. At least until now, as [Aris Alder] tackles the …read more Continue reading Keep Your Lungs Clean and Happy with a DIY Supplied-Air Respirator

Lung-listening wearable could provide early warnings of COPD flareups

When a respiratory patient’s COPD flares up, the outcome can be highly debilitating – potentially even fatal. A new wearable known as the Sylvee is claimed to detect such exacerbations early, so they can be dealt with before it’s too late.Continue Read… Continue reading Lung-listening wearable could provide early warnings of COPD flareups

PAWS ball helps calm people by breathing along with them

Breathing exercises – in which a person takes slow, deep breaths – have been shown to reduce stress and anxiety. Focusing on breathing in this manner can be difficult, however, which is where the PAWS “breathing ball” is designed to come in.Continue Re… Continue reading PAWS ball helps calm people by breathing along with them

Study highlights wide-ranging health benefits of using CPAP machines

They can be challenging devices to wear, but new research shows CPAP machines address more than just sleep apnea

While effective in treating sleep apnea, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines are not the easiest to adapt to, which is why around 50% of those with sleep apnea give up on the life-saving devices. But there’s some good news for those who stick with it, with health benefits stretching further than treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and its associated elevated risks of heart disease and stroke. Recent research has also linked OSA with a greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Continue Reading

Category: Medical, Science

Tags: , , , , , ,

Continue reading Study highlights wide-ranging health benefits of using CPAP machines

Could TENS pads replace CPAP masks for treating sleep apnea?

Portable TENS setups like the one pictured here (being used to treat a problematic knee) may offer an alternative to CPAP masks

One of the most common treatments for sleep apnea involves wearing an air mask while sleeping, which can be awkward and uncomfortable. A new study, however, suggests that a simple TENS muscle-stimulating system may actually work better.

Continue Reading

Category: Medical, Science

Tags: , , ,

Continue reading Could TENS pads replace CPAP masks for treating sleep apnea?

Researchers call for a change in treating sleep apnea

Sleep apnea is estimated to affect 30 million Americans, comparable to diabetes, but it can be incredibly difficult to treat, even more so given that devices used to alleviate it are abandoned by nearly half of those diagnosed. It’s also recently been … Continue reading Researchers call for a change in treating sleep apnea

Photonic radar can remotely monitor breathing without privacy concerns

Researchers have created a device that uses photonic radar to remotely and accurately monitor breathing, even distinguishing between more than one patient. They say their device might one day be used in hospitals, aged care facilities and at home to pr… Continue reading Photonic radar can remotely monitor breathing without privacy concerns

Wi-Fi radio signals detect problematic breathing patterns

For many people, Wi-Fi is a figurative lifesaver. Now, new research from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) might be able to turn it into a literal one as well. By modifying an off-the-shelf Wi-Fi router with a firmware update an… Continue reading Wi-Fi radio signals detect problematic breathing patterns

MIT implantable ventilator could literally let patients breathe easier

It’s a sad fact that people with conditions such as muscular dystrophy and ALS often have difficulty breathing, as their diaphragm muscle doesn’t work properly. MIT scientists have set out to give that muscle a boost, with an implantable ventilator.Con… Continue reading MIT implantable ventilator could literally let patients breathe easier