They reported that shortness of breath, quality of life and ability to exercise all significantly improved in patients who had high-flow nasal therapy, compared to those who had conventional oxygen treatment. Patients used the device for eight hours a day.

It differs from standard oxygen therapy, where the air is cold and dry (not humidified), which can lead to inflammation in the airways. It has also recently helped to prevent patients hospitalised with Covid-19 from needing intubation — where a tube is inserted into the main airway.






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How a dip in cold water can ease anxiety
Swimming in the sea helps treat depression and anxiety — or that's the rationale behind a new trial run by Devon Partnership NHS Trust.

The ‘bandage' is made from a flexible plastic-based material embedded with tiny electrodes designed to detect changes in levels of compounds such as nitric oxide, which rise in response to infections.

The technique — which has also recently been used to treat patients with Covid-19 — was found to improve breathlessness and other symptoms of COPD by 50 per cent in some patients, according to a new study.

In a laboratory-based study, the bandage was able to correctly identify the presence of key compounds — nitric oxide and uric acid (produced during healing) — and a common bacterium involved in wound infections. The researchers say the technology should now be tried in further studies.

Dr Richard Russell, a consultant chest physician and the respiratory lead for NHS England download site South East, said: ‘This review of the role of high-flow nasal therapy in COPD demonstrates how this treatment works to reduce symptoms and improves the quality of life for COPD patients.



Symptoms include a persistent chesty cough with phlegm, wheezing and frequent chest infections. COPD is an umbrella term for a group of chronic, progressive lung conditions, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis, which affect more than three million Britons.



The researchers, from Yeditepe University in Turkey, suggested that this was due to the combined antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. A key ingredient of curry may help treat chronic lung disease. In a lab study, published in Human & Experimental Toxicology, a combination of curcumin (an active component of turmeric) and eucalyptol (the main ingredient in eucalyptus oil) was found to significantly reduce the damage caused by cigarette smoke to the cells that line the airways.





But researchers involved in the study on the hot air device, published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, say that despite the wide range of treatments currently available, many patients don't get proper control of their symptoms.




The new device works by delivering a fast flow of air — up to 60 litres a minute — to unblock airways, reduce mucus and expel carbon dioxide from the lungs and airways.

‘Its role during pulmonary rehabilitation and exercise programmes should be investigated, which would support expanded uses based on the promising results,' said the researchers.