https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vf7tqqp42M
Chris Burgess, a respiratory therapist, demonstrates the equipment commonly used to support breathing for someone with ALS and addresses common questions rel

https://www.als.org/navigating-als/living-with-als/therapies-care/addressing-respiratory-changes
Addressing Respiratory Changes in ALS. An ALS diagnosis is shocking and frightening, but as with any disease, knowledge is power. Being aware of symptoms and how you can prepare for and manage them is key to quality of life and, often, to peace of mind. The impact that ALS has on breathing is one of the most daunting aspects of the disease.

https://www.als.org/navigating-als/living-with-als/therapies-care/addressing-respiratory-changes/managing-breathing-issues
Fully expand the lungs by taking five to 10 deep breaths, with short rests in between, several times each day. Breathing can be more difficult when lying flat, leading to breathlessness in bed and trouble sleeping. Elevating the head of the bed can often alleviate this problem. This is easy to do with an adjustable hospital-style bed.

https://www.als.org/sites/default/files/2022-10/Resource-Guide-10.pdf
6 Adapting to Changes in Breathing When You Have ALS Spirometry Spirometry measures how well you move air in and out of your lungs. A spirometer is a lightweight, portable and reliable microcomputer that measures, calculates, records and displays lung function test results. Measurements of lung volume and airflow over time are recorded and displayed numerically in a graph.

https://www.als.org/sites/default/files/2020-04/lwals_10_2017.pdf
Respiratory rate is the number of breaths you breathe in one minute. If your lung volumes decline, the body will naturally compensate by having you breathe more rapidly. You may not be aware of this, especially if the change in your lung volumes has been gradual or if you are less physically active than you once were.

https://www.als-mnd.org/support-for-pals-cals/clinical-care/respiratory-care/
Additionally, a person may have to consider using aids and equipment to support respiratory function, such as a ventilator. People living with ALS/MND can manage respiratory care early on using non-invasive ventilation. This method is used to support a person's own breathing via nose or face mask.

https://www.youralsguide.com/respiratory.html
Traveling with Your Devices. You can travel with your devices, but you'll need to be organized and plan ahead. Learn more. Respiratory equipment like a BiPAP machine, portable ventilator, or cough assist machine may help if you are having difficulty breathing, swallowing, or coughing.

https://www.youralsguide.com/introduction-to-als-respiratory-devices.html
A bilevel (or BiPAP) is a small breathing machine that delivers pressurized air through a face mask to assist with both inhaling and exhaling, primarily during sleep. A portable ventilator (Trilogy) can help you breathe either noninvasively (via a mask) or invasively (via a trach). It has a bilevel mode for sleeping and daytime breathing support.

https://www.mda.org/sites/default/files/2021/12/Maintaining-Breathing-Function-with-ALS.pdf
How ALS affects breathing ALS commonly affects the respiratory system. The nerves that control the breathing muscles do not work correctly, and the muscles become weak. Weak breathing muscles can make it challenging to take a deep breath. Individuals with ALS start to breathe shallowly as a result. When you take shallow breaths, you do not exchange

https://www.als.org/blog/understanding-respiratory-function-and-als
Additional conversations with other clinicians and health care professionals help to explain how the entire multidisciplinary team works together to address breathing changes and how energy conservation can impact breathing while offering strategies to help maximize respiratory function throughout the day. The role of good nutrition and a healthy diet related to respiratory function is

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/2782747
Fifteen years have elapsed since noninvasive ventilation was shown to improve survival and quality of life for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). 1 Since that time, extraordinary technological advances in home-assisted ventilation and airway clearance devices have dramatically expanded opportunities to optimize respiratory care for people with ALS and other neuromuscular

https://lesturnerals.org/als-breathing-guide/
Oxygen and ALS. When people living with ALS have low oxygen levels, it is usually because they have respiratory muscle weakness. The muscles that control your breathing may be too weak to breathe in enough oxygen and breathe out enough carbon dioxide. Because of this, you may have higher than normal levels of carbon dioxide in your blood.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPPCDRdefcY
Dr. Lou Libby, Pulmonologist at The Providence ALS Center at the Oregon Clinic, discusses the muscles we use to breathe, and the importance of having a care

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/mus.27779
1 INTRODUCTION. People with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have used home mechanical ventilation since at least the 1970s. 1 After a landmark trial demonstrated the survival benefit of noninvasive ventilation (NIV), 2 radical technological developments have improved clinicians' ability to optimize home respiratory care of neuromuscular disease. The ability to leverage this technology

https://www.als.org/blog/respiratory-care-finding-help-and-resources-you-need
Addressing Respiratory Changes in ALS video series - Dr. Ken Menkhaus, member of the Association's Board of Trustees who was diagnosed with ALS in 2018, visits with ALS care professionals and people living with ALS to understand more about the impact of ALS on his respiratory health. Breathing Difficulties factsheet - This fact sheet provides

https://www.als.org/blog/vital-role-respiratory-care-people-als
Books, videos and other ALS Association produced educational materials - We provide various resources so you can quickly and easily access in-depth information about ALS, including these respiratory-related materials: Addressing Respiratory Changes in ALS video series, where Dr. Ken Menkhaus, member of the Association's Board of Trustees

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10214054/
Table 1. This state of the art review summarizes relevant literature pertaining to the effects of respiratory therapies in ALS. The existing and emerging therapies highlighted in the review include mechanical insufflation-exsufflation (MI-E), lung volume recruitment (LVR), non-invasive ventilation (NIV), respiratory strength training exercises

https://als-ny.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/ALS-RespiratoryGuide-24.pdf
symptoms. If you attend an ALS clinic, a respiratory therapist or nurse will ask about any changes you've experienced and perform one or more simple, noninvasive tests to measure your progression. Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) is the primary test used to evaluate the breathing of ALS patients. It measures how quickly you can expel air from your

https://alsnewstoday.com/aids-and-adaptations/
Assistive equipment and adaptive devices for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) can help make life more manageable and comfortable. ALS is a progressive motor neuron disease that affects a person's ability to control their muscle movements and leads to speaking, swallowing, mobility, and breathing issues.

https://www.iamals.org/get-help/tracheostomy-and-als/
Your ALS Respiratory Guide - Your ALS Guide. Description: This is an educational guide on ALS respiratory challenges, support, intervention and equipment. This page is filled with trusted information, helpful tips and video clips. Bedside Percutaneous Dilational Tracheostomy (PDT) - John Hopkins Medicine

https://www.youralsguide.com/monitoring-your-breathing.html
Your medical team will begin monitoring your breathing even before you notice any respiratory symptoms. If you attend an ALS clinic, a respiratory therapist or nurse will ask about any changes you've experienced and perform one or more simple, noninvasive tests to measure your progression. Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) is the primary test used to evaluate the breathing of ALS patients.

https://www.alzforum.org/news/research-news/als-respiratory-measure-predicts-pace-disease
Slow vital capacity (SVC), a measure of respiratory function, declines more quickly in ALS patients who are older or have advanced disease. SVC decline correlates with slippage in other respiratory measures, time to tracheostomy, and even death. People who better maintain SVC have less risk of respiratory failure, and live longer.

https://www.venteclife.com/ALS
The impact of ALS on breathing is one of the most daunting aspects of the disease and one for which people with ALS and their caregivers should prepare for early in their journey. To help explain the respiratory changes to expect, we partnered with The ALS Association to develop a series of videos and resources for people living with ALS and