COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a condition that affects over 12 million adults in this country. This includes both emphysema and bronchitis, with most people having both. When put together, they make the lungs of the patients unable to exchange as much oxygen as before, in part, because the lining of the airways has been altered.
COPD is a progressive disease for which there is no cure. Those who suffer from it experience wheezing, shortness of breath, and chronic cough. The cough is persistent and produces phlegm. The condition affects breathing, therefore. However, how much people ar affected by it depends on the progression of the disease, their overall physical condition, and more. Some people, for instance, only get out of breath if they take part in exercise. Others find that are out of breath even if they just walk to their front door.
Because there is no cure for it and because the condition is progressive, the only thing people can do is learn how to live with it. They can also engage in various exercises and take medication in order to improve their breathing and slow down the worsening of the disease. The most important thing is to stop smoking, but there are also 10 breathing tips for people with COPD that you may need to be aware of.
10 Breathing Tips For People With COPD:
1.) Take medication that opens the airways.
2.) Make sure you don't weight too much, as this further constricts the lungs.
3.) Stay away from pollutants found, for instance, in bigger cities and around industrialized areas.
4.) Remain as healthy as possible through diet and appropriate exercise and by following the recommendations of your physician.
5.) Sleep well, giving your lungs and body a chance to relax.
6.) Choose pulmonary rehabilitation treatment to further assist in opening up the airways.
7.) Do breathing exercises, which should be properly described to you by a physiotherapist and pulmonary specialist.
8.) Become active. While you may feel out of breath, you will make your body healthier overall.
9.) Use oxygen therapy, but try to limit yourself to those times when the condition is really severe. The more you use oxygen therapy, the more you will come to rely on it as well.
10.) Ask about lung transplant surgery. To qualify, you will need to meet a number of requirements, not in the least having stopped smoking, and the waiting list is generally long. However, overall, this gives you the only chance of living a life free from COPD again.
Hopefully, the above 10 breathing tips for people with COPD will have shed some light on how to make the condition at least better. The most important thing, however, is that you stop smoking as this makes the condition worsen much more quickly. Unfortunately, there is no cure for the condition, but it is possible to live a reasonably normal and happy life even with it. The breathing tips above are important, as is following doctors' advice every step of the way.