You may be familiar with COPD – chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a chronic lung disease that gets worse over time. This disease damages the airways in the lungs and leads to shortness of breath, impacting work, exercise, sleep, and other everyday activities.
Even if you are living with COPD, you can still maintain a high quality of life. Try making some changes or careful choices based on these recommendations so you can stay active and continue enjoying your life while managing COPD.
7 Strategies for Better COPD Management
Use each link to delve into details about the subjects below. Information and links come from the American Lung Association.
1. Protect Your Lungs: Since your lungs are weaker when you have COPD, learn how to reduce exposure to anything that could make your COPD worse (like smoking) or could cause an exacerbation or flare-up.
2. Be Thoughtful about Nutrition: Many people are surprised to learn that the food they eat can affect their breathing. The right mix of nutrients in your diet can help you breathe easier.
3. Be Intentional with Physical Activity: When you have COPD, the right amount and type of exercise can have many benefits and is important for staying healthy.
4. Learn to Cope with Emotions: Find ways to get emotional support and learn to recognize and handle feelings of fear, anxiety, depression, or stress.
5. Make a Plan: Use the American Lung Association’s COPD management tools and resources.
6. Manage Lifestyle Changes: Follow the steps at this link to manage the lifestyle changes that COPD brings.
7. Plan for Your Future with COPD: Discuss some important points about your future care with your doctors and caregivers.
How Is COPD Treated?
Physicians work closely with their patients to select the best treatment options for managing COPD. Treatments may include medications, rehabilitation, or surgery. Since each person’s COPD is different, a variety of medications can be used to create the best plan to address an individual’s symptoms and needs. Benefits of taking the right medication at the right time include:
- Breathing better
- Being able to do more of the things you enjoy
- Having fewer flare-ups or exacerbations
Learn more about COPD treatment.
Inhalation Medications from Healthy Living Pharmacy
If you are taking medications to manage your COPD, try working with Healthy Living Pharmacy to obtain your prescriptions with concierge-level customer service and free shipping to your home. Call 866.779.8512 (Option 4) to speak with a pharmacist!