Posts Tagged ‘pulmonary illness’

Wendy’s Story–How ColdAvenger “Changed My Life”

Thursday, January 7th, 2010

We’re honored to post this testimonial  from Wendy L. O’Connor, the chief Academic Advis0r of Biological Studies at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln.

She explains how the ColdAvenger truly changed her life. Three years ago Wendy developed  Reactive Airway Disease from complications of bronchitis. Reactive Airway Disease happens when the lungs overreact during different activities and environmental situations. It has asthma-like symptoms.  In Wendy’s case, her lungs reacted adversely to cold weather and breathing in cold air. She developed RAD and endured steroid therapy the past three winters, with very little to no improvement. After being diagnosed with RAD, her pulmonologist explained how vital it would be to cover her mouth and nose whenever she ventured outside in cold temperatures to prevent a huge coughing fit. It was important for her to cover her mouth and protect her lungs even when she walked from the car to work or the short distances to the bus stop.

Obviously, the restrictive orders altered Wendy’s day to day life and the cold air became her worst enemy. She had to change her lifestyle and give up on being active in the outdoors when it was cold to avoid side effects. With her breathing heavily restricted and lifestyle severely cramped, Wendy set out to find a solution too keep from going through another winter in agony.  She tells us:

I began searching the internet for a way to replicate an indoor environment while walking outdoors.  The best answer I could come up with was to purchase a snowmobile helmet or motorcycle helmet and just wear that….I didn’t care how weird I would look. Walking around downtown with a motorcycle helmet on my head seemed a small price to pay compared to how bad my lungs get in the bitter cold Nebraska winters.  During my internet search I happened upon the Talus Outdoor Tech. site and discovered the ColdAvenger. THIS was the answer I had been looking for-I hoped.

Wendy was skeptical at first because it almost seemed to good to be true. But she quickly found that the ColdAvenger didn’t restrict her breathing at all!  And she was impressed with how the ventilation system could warm the air enough to stave off  a coughing fit.  Her first test was a relatively chilly morning in October.

It wasn’t too cold out, but cold enough that my lungs would be irritated.  I could NOT BELIEVE what a difference it made! No coughing!  No aching lungs with every breath I took!  And warmed air to breathe in!  I was floored.

The true test came when Wendy used the ColdAvenger on a frigid sub-zero December morning. The ColdAvenger saved her walk to work.

Not only were my lungs totally comfortable, and the air I was breathing warm, but I didn’t even feel cold!  The difference being that my face covered  in cold weather was remarkable.  The ColdAvenger is nearly a miracle to me.  ColdAvenger allows me to be outdoors during the winter as much as I want and/or need to be.  I am certain that if it weren’t for this product I would require at least one round of steroids just to get through the winter.

And the coolest thing is that the ColdAvenger is designed specifically with people like Wendy in mind. Because Wendy’s own warm breath is mixed with the cold outdoor air inside the ventilator, she and all other ColdAvenger users are able to inhale humidified air that is 40-to-60 degrees warmer!  If you have any questions about ColdAvenger technology, how the ColdAvenger works, how cold weather affects athletes or how ColdAvenger can rescue you from respiratory problems, visit the Health Science section of the Talus Outdoor Tech Website.

Thanks Wendy and enjoy the rest of winter!

Stay Out Longer!

John B. Sullivan III aka ColdAvenger Pro

Cold weather and your Immune system: Reduce Your Risk for Flu

Monday, November 2nd, 2009

Looks funky! Magnified Swine Flu

Looks funky! Magnified Swine Flu

The spread of H1N1 and seasonal flu this year has forced many of us to re-examine our daily routines. But you could be putting yourself at increased risk for the flu through your daily workouts. While staying in top physical condition is a great way to stay healthy, exercising in cold weather can open a window of vulnerability for an athlete’s immune system, especially the viral variety, such as influenza or “the flu”.

Inhaling cold dry air creates a dangerous situation that can lead pulmonary damage and illness. Human studies have found that athletes who perform strenuous exercise are predisposed to post-exercise viral infections, particularly of the respiratory tract. Another study showed that exercise in cold environments also causes disturbances in immunity in humans during recovery from exercise. According to this research, the immunological vulnerability can last for up to 48 hours after the workout ends. You can find more information and citations for those research studies on the ColdAvenger website. An excellent way to protect yourself from this cold-weather immunity gap is to use a ColdAvenger mask during outdoor exercise or any other strenuous outdoor activity (shoveling snow, raking leaves, etc).

The ColdAvenger raises the temperature of inhaled air by 40-60 degrees Fahrenheit and humidifies dry cold air. This significantly reduces the effect of cold air on the lungs, and protects you from the respiratory vulnerability and damage that can come from cold air exposure. It also protects the delicate skin of your face and neck from exposure. Healthy skin is yet another barrier to infection and disease, so proper protection is key.

lovely H1N1

lovely H1N1

So don’t let cold weather or the threat of the flu stop you from the outdoor activities you love.

Stay out longer!