Tips for COPD Patients on How to Breathe Better

09/21/2023

Breaking your Habit of Smoking: 

As mentioned earlier, tobacco smoking accounts for around 70% of cases in high-income countries. Quitting smoking is the best way to prevent symptoms from worsening. Along with this, it also saves you from other dangerous diseases like cancer. Doctors believe that inhaling anything other than fresh air is detrimental to your health. 

As per statistics, around three million Americans quit smoking every year. Smoking irritates your lungs severely, making breathing a difficult task. There are several techniques that can be opted in order to terminate smoking. Talk to your healthcare provider to know which technique is highly suitable for your overall health.

Take a Balanced Diet and Hit the Gym Daily: 

In the era of eating fast food and living a sedentary lifestyle, it is crucial to look after your health. Your lethargic lifestyle is putting you at risk of developing other health conditions and worsening your current health conditions. Eating a balanced diet and hitting gyms 3 to 4 days a week can save you from a lot of problems coming your way. Along with this, it also improves your overall mental and physical health. 

In addition to the above, if you are allergic to any fruit or vegetable or have any injury, kindly let your healthcare provider know about it before you practise anything. Working on your health will definitely lead to fruitful outcomes. 

Taking Proper Rest:

Rest works as a fuel to the human body. Therefore, it is necessary to take proper rest in the form of sleep to fuel up yourself for the next day. If you don’t provide your body with the required fuel, you will see complications like feeling irritated, lack of focus, tiredness, etc., the next day. And in the long term, it may lead to some serious health conditions. 

People living with COPD face a lot of challenges to fall asleep. In order to make it easy for you, practise the below-listed guidelines- 

• Avoid large meals during your bedtime. 

• Don’t take caffeine after 5 p.m. 

• Keep your feet warm by wearing shocks. 

• Avoid stimulating things like arguing, exercising, working, etc., at least 2 hours before bedtime. 

Stick to the Treatment Stringently: 

People living with COPD often take medications to manage their symptoms effectively. There are various types of medication available in order to manage COPD symptoms. Which one is correct for you will be decided by your doctor. Before you practise any medication, kindly know the proper way of using it. Your healthcare provider may recommend generic COPD medications such as Symbicort inhaler. This generic COPD medicine works effectively to address symptoms, including wheezing and shortness of breath effectively. 

Misusing generic COPD medicines can be dangerous. Therefore, be careful before you pick any for your treatment. 

Opting for Oxygen Therapies:  

In some cases, patients might need oxygen therapy in order to assist their bodies to operate properly. Going for oxygen therapies increases your productivity level without causing problems to your lungs. It is vital to note that oxygen therapies should be done by doctors. 

This therapy helps you with various things like rest, sleep, and productivity. Make sure you don’t stop using your generic COPD medications without a doctor’s approval while practising other treatments. 

Practise New Breathing Techniques: 

There are some breathing techniques that one may practise in order to decrease shortness of breath. 

Diaphragmatic breathing:

To perform it, you need to first breathe in slowly and deeply via the nose. Make sure while you breathe in, keep pushing your stomach out. This breathing technique uses the diaphragm and the lower respiratory muscles.

Pursed lip technique:

In order to do this technique, first, you need to practise the same above-listed technique, but while breathing out, please purse your lips. Once you have pursed your lips, breathe out gradually. Don’t push the air out suddenly while practicing this technique. 

Avoid Catching Infections: 

 People going through COPD are at high risk of developing other lung infections. Therefore, pay attention to your health a little more in order to curb the possibility of encountering other serious infections. 

• The doctor usually recommends vaccines to COPD patients to reduce the risk of contracting any new lung infection. For instance, the influenza vaccine is prescribed yearly, and the Pneumonia vaccine is prescribed every 5 to 6 years. 

• Make sure you wash your hands more often to prevent germs and infections from spreading. 

Also Read: Is There a Cure for COPD? Exploring the Outlook for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Take Assistance from Your Doctor: 

If you feel like you are not getting any improvement in your symptoms, please contact your doctor. Your healthcare provider will help you to take an action plan to manage your symptoms. In such scenarios, your doctor may also recommend generic COPD medications. However, you need to make sure you take COPD medication pills after the doctor’s recommendation. Also, practicing any generic COPD inhaler without approval can lead to adverse effects.

FAQs:

1. Can lungs recover from COPD?

COPD (common Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) is one of the common lung problems, affecting millions of people every year. Sadly, this medical condition is not completely curable. However, there are a number of treatments that can improve COPD symptoms, such as wheezing, coughing, difficulty breathing, etc. To know about the correct treatment for you, please get in touch with your physician. 

2. How can COPD patients improve oxygen?

People living with COPD can improve oxygen through lifestyle changes and medical treatments. Lifestyle changes may include quitting smoking, working out, eating a diet enriched with vitamins and minerals, deep breathing practices, etc. And medical treatments may include oxygen therapies, COPD medications, and opting for new breathing practices. 

3. What helps a person with COPD breathe better?   

There are several techniques that people living with COPD can use to breathe better. One can practice the following techniques to improve breathing-  

• Taking a balanced diet 

• Hitting the gym 

• Following the treatment as prescribed by your doctor 

• Taking medications on time 

• Taking annual vaccines on time 

• Regular follow-ups with your doctor  

4. What is the fastest relief for COPD?

The fastest way to get relief from COPD symptoms is to take medications. There are several types of medications available that are highly effective in treating COPD symptoms, such as: 

• Combination drugs 

• Roflumilast 

• Mucoactive drugs 

• Vaccines

• Long-acting bronchodilators

• Short-acting bronchodilators

• Corticosteroids Methylxanthines

Sources: - 

1. Everyday Health- 12 Ways to Breathe Better With COPD  

2. National Jewish Health: 10 Tips for Managing COPD