COPD & Emphysema Support Group
COPD is a progressive disease characterized by airflow obstruction or limitation. Emphysema is characterized by loss of elasticity of the lung tissue, destruction of structures supporting the alveoli and of capillaries feeding the alveoli. Both have symptoms that include shortness of breath, among other respiratory troubles. If you are a COPD or Emphysema sufferer, join...
COPD by the Numbers: 16 things to know, do, and understand to keep your lungs healthy1. COPD 101
COPD is a combination of two conditions that make it hard to breathe. Oneemphysemadamages or destroys the tiny air sacs in the lungs that normally fill with air when you inhale and deflate when you exhale. The secondchronic obstructive bronchitisirritates and inflames the lining of the airway tubes that carry air to the air sacs. On top of that, thick mucus forms in the airways making breathing even more difficult.
2. Act now!
COPD is the fourth-leading cause of death in America. Talk to your doctor right away to make sure youre doing everything you can to keep your lungs functioning as well as possible.
3. Breathe right tonight
Are you doing a few breathing exercises each and every day? You should be! Try this one for about five minutes, several times a day.
Keep your mouth closed and breathe in deeply through your nose.
Breathe out slowly and gently through pursed lips.
Breathing out should take twice as long as breathing in. Dont overdo it thoughstop and rest if you start to feel short of breath.
4. Blow your own balloon
If you've had COPD for a while, you've probably heard the analogy that the air sacs in your lungs work like balloons each time you take a breath in and then push the air out. Want to give those little air sacs a workout? Try blowing up a real balloon at least once a day.
5. Rah-rah
It may not take a village, but coping successfully with COPD involves teamwork. You may already be seeing a pulmonologist, a physician who specializes in treating lung diseases. Beyond expert medical care, your best bet for remaining active is to enroll in a pulmonary rehabilitation program. Thats where you learn the nitty-gritty of living with COPD. Pulmonary rehab will get you moving (Yes! Regular exercise is key to staying active), provide nutritional counseling, and teach you when and how to use your medications. Rehab teams include pulmonologists, nurses, physical therapists, respiratory therapists, exercise specialists, and dietitians.
The cost of these programs varies, as does insurance coverage. If your pulmonologist cant recommend a local rehab program, check with the American Lung Association at 800-LUNGUSA, or www.lungusa.org. Or contact the American Association for Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation at 312.644.6610 or www.aacvpr.org.
6. Control that cough
Having COPD means your lungs may produce extra mucus. Controlled coughing can help your body get rid of that mucus. Try this technique:
Sit on the edge of a chair. Breathe in slowly through your nose.
Lean forward and push your arm against your belly. Cough two or three times as you exhale with your mouth slightly open. Make the coughs short and sharp.
Rest and repeat. When you inhale, do not take quick or deep breaths through your mouth. This can block the mucus coming out of the lungs and/or cause uncontrolled coughing.
7. Ashes to ashes
Famous celebrities who reportedly had COPD: Rat Packer Dean Martin, late-night TV host Johnny Carson, and West Side Story composer Leonard Bernstein.
8. Baby, it's cold outside
Breathing cold air when temperatures drop below freezing can set off COPD symptoms. If wintering in palm tree territory isnt an option, your best bet is good planning. Keep an eye on the weather forecast. On frosty days, bring along a scarf to loosely wrap over your nose and mouth. Breathe through your nose. This warms the air before it can reach your lungs and set off symptoms
9. Drink up
Try to drink a lot of liquid each day to keep the mucus in your lungs thin and help clear your airways.
10. On the go with COPD
Dont let COPD cramp your travel style. Instead, plan ahead:
Carry a doctors letter verifying your medication needs.
Never pack meds in checked bags in case you need them in flight or your luggage is lost.
Wear emergency medical identification.
If you need oxygen, arrange for a supply to be delivered to your destination. Since you cant bring your own oxygen on planes, arrange for oxygen delivery with the airline. Find out what medical information cruise ships require. Arrange delivery of oxygen to the ship.
Traveling by car? Enforce a no-smoking rule. Open the window a crack. Place your oxygen unit upright next to you. Store extras flat on the floor.
11. Two shots at good health
If you have COPD, you have a higher than normal risk for getting the flu or pneumonia. Since these infections can further damage your lungs, you need extra protection. Get an annual flu shot and the pneumonia vaccinePPVonce every five years. (Ask your doctor if one shot is enough for you.)
12. Work that spirometer
With COPD, you may develop a love/hate relationship with spirometrya quick test to assess lung function. Thats the test that shows how much inhaled air you can exhale forcefully in six seconds. Results can reveal COPD even before symptoms develop. Your doctor will probably have you repeat this test to see if your treatment plan is working.
13. Avoid aggravation
Asthma and COPD are different. Heres the lowdown:
Allergies (to pollen, dust mites, animal dander) can trigger asthma, a long-term lung inflammation. COPD involves some inflammation, too, but it doesnt improve with the drugs used for asthma.
Both COPD and asthma cause shortness of breath, coughing, and wheezing. But asthma symptoms occur occasionally, usually at night or in response to an allergy trigger. COPD symptoms are different: a morning, mucus-producing cough not triggered by allergies.
Avoiding allergens and using anti-inflammatory medications can eliminate asthma symptoms, but not eliminate progression of COPD.
14. Oh, bother
Breathing in irritants like pollution, dust, or chemicals can make breathing harder. Avoid perfumes or heavy fragrances. Reduce your exposure to chemicalslike those in cleaning productsand
secondhand smoke.
15. Alert! Time to call 911
Go to the emergency room if you
Have a rapid increase in shortness of breath.
Have a cold or flu, become forgetful or confused, cant sleep, or your speech is slurred.
Call your doctor if you experience
Continuing shortness of breath or wheezing despite using your bronchodilator (inhaler) hourly for six to eight hours.
A change in the color, thickness, smell, or amount of mucus lasting more than 24 hours.
Swollen ankles despite a nights sleep with your feet up.
Shortness of breath that wakes you more than once a night.
Fatigue lasting more than a day.
16. Follow your doctors orders
By working with your doctor, you can slow the damage to your lungs, improve your breathing, and remain active. You may need inhaled or oral medications of various kinds to open your airways, ease breathing, or relieve inflammation; or oxygen therapy, if your case is severe.
Make sure that you understand the directions for the use of all your medicationsand be sure to follow those directions carefully.
Also, always tell your doctor what works for you and what doesnt. Communication is key. There is no such thing as a dumb question where your health is concerned.
Butt Out
The world's best stop-smoking strategies
Pam DeNardo started smoking at age 21. My entire family smoked, my sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles, and all our friends, she says. Pam, now 66, a retiree with two grown children, was diagnosed with emphysema in 1989 and with COPD in January 1999. But she wasnt able to quit smoking until the following July.
She did try: I would quit and then buy a pack of cigarettes, smoke three and throw the rest away. I tried everythingnicotine gum, patches, acupuncture, and hypnosis. I read books and listened to tapes. Then, on July 4, 1999, she says, I finally decided Im not going to do this anymore.
Theres no magic formula to help you quit smoking, but it is the most important thing you can do to prevent further damage to your lungs. No matter how old you are, how much you smoked, or how severe your COPD is, quitting smoking will help reduce damage to your lungs and improve your lung function.
But youre up against a powerful enemy: The nicotine in cigarettes is as addictive as heroin or cocainesmall wonder that quitting is a huge challenge and an enormous achievement.
Like Pam DeNardo, you may have tried to quit more than once, but so have most people who have managed to give up smoking for good. The trick is to keep trying. Here are some tips to help you get started:
Set a quit date.
Get rid of cigarettes and ashtrays (at home and at work).
Buy nicotine gum, the patch, or nicotine lozenges at the drugstore.
Ask your doctor about prescription medications, such as a nicotine inhaler, that can help you quit. (Your health insurance will probably cover the cost.)
Tell your friends, family, and co-workers that youre going to quit and ask for their help. (Successful quitters say that encouragement and support are essential.)
Join a program to help you stop smoking. (For help in finding one, contact your local office of the American Cancer Society or the American Lung Association.)
Avoid alcohol (it lowers your chance for success) and situations (and people) that increase your temptation to smoke.
If you slip, dont beat yourself up. Just set a new quit date and try again. As Pam DeNardo says, Dont quit quitting.
Did You Know?
Secondhand smoke not only makes COPD worse, it can actually cause the disease. Its as bad for your lungs as air pollution and occupational dust. You may not be able to escape air pollution, but you can insist that no one smoke at home, and avoid places where others smoke.
King-sized Mistake
I smoked. Thats the dumbest thing Ive ever done, admits CNN talk-show host Larry King. After having a heart attack at 53, he changed the course of his life. I quit smoking the day of the heart attack. It was Feb. 24, 1987, and I never smoked again. Smoking can lead to heart disease, respiratory diseases like COPD, cancer, and a host of other health problems. If you smoke, quit today!
This special section on COPD was reviewed by Murray R. Rogers, MD, director of the Division of Pulmonary Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
http://www.healthmonitor.com/featured/generalhealth/copd-numbers-16-things-know-do-and-understand-keep-your-l Hope this helps someone here. Breath Easy and Enjoy your day, Always Hugs, Holly
COPD is a combination of two conditions that make it hard to breathe. Oneemphysemadamages or destroys the tiny air sacs in the lungs that normally fill with air when you inhale and deflate when you exhale. The secondchronic obstructive bronchitisirritates and inflames the lining of the airway tubes that carry air to the air sacs. On top of that, thick mucus forms in the airways making breathing even more difficult.
2. Act now!
COPD is the fourth-leading cause of death in America. Talk to your doctor right away to make sure youre doing everything you can to keep your lungs functioning as well as possible.
3. Breathe right tonight
Are you doing a few breathing exercises each and every day? You should be! Try this one for about five minutes, several times a day.
Keep your mouth closed and breathe in deeply through your nose.
Breathe out slowly and gently through pursed lips.
Breathing out should take twice as long as breathing in. Dont overdo it thoughstop and rest if you start to feel short of breath.
4. Blow your own balloon
If you've had COPD for a while, you've probably heard the analogy that the air sacs in your lungs work like balloons each time you take a breath in and then push the air out. Want to give those little air sacs a workout? Try blowing up a real balloon at least once a day.
5. Rah-rah
It may not take a village, but coping successfully with COPD involves teamwork. You may already be seeing a pulmonologist, a physician who specializes in treating lung diseases. Beyond expert medical care, your best bet for remaining active is to enroll in a pulmonary rehabilitation program. Thats where you learn the nitty-gritty of living with COPD. Pulmonary rehab will get you moving (Yes! Regular exercise is key to staying active), provide nutritional counseling, and teach you when and how to use your medications. Rehab teams include pulmonologists, nurses, physical therapists, respiratory therapists, exercise specialists, and dietitians.
The cost of these programs varies, as does insurance coverage. If your pulmonologist cant recommend a local rehab program, check with the American Lung Association at 800-LUNGUSA, or www.lungusa.org. Or contact the American Association for Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation at 312.644.6610 or www.aacvpr.org.
6. Control that cough
Having COPD means your lungs may produce extra mucus. Controlled coughing can help your body get rid of that mucus. Try this technique:
Sit on the edge of a chair. Breathe in slowly through your nose.
Lean forward and push your arm against your belly. Cough two or three times as you exhale with your mouth slightly open. Make the coughs short and sharp.
Rest and repeat. When you inhale, do not take quick or deep breaths through your mouth. This can block the mucus coming out of the lungs and/or cause uncontrolled coughing.
7. Ashes to ashes
Famous celebrities who reportedly had COPD: Rat Packer Dean Martin, late-night TV host Johnny Carson, and West Side Story composer Leonard Bernstein.
8. Baby, it's cold outside
Breathing cold air when temperatures drop below freezing can set off COPD symptoms. If wintering in palm tree territory isnt an option, your best bet is good planning. Keep an eye on the weather forecast. On frosty days, bring along a scarf to loosely wrap over your nose and mouth. Breathe through your nose. This warms the air before it can reach your lungs and set off symptoms
9. Drink up
Try to drink a lot of liquid each day to keep the mucus in your lungs thin and help clear your airways.
10. On the go with COPD
Dont let COPD cramp your travel style. Instead, plan ahead:
Carry a doctors letter verifying your medication needs.
Never pack meds in checked bags in case you need them in flight or your luggage is lost.
Wear emergency medical identification.
If you need oxygen, arrange for a supply to be delivered to your destination. Since you cant bring your own oxygen on planes, arrange for oxygen delivery with the airline. Find out what medical information cruise ships require. Arrange delivery of oxygen to the ship.
Traveling by car? Enforce a no-smoking rule. Open the window a crack. Place your oxygen unit upright next to you. Store extras flat on the floor.
11. Two shots at good health
If you have COPD, you have a higher than normal risk for getting the flu or pneumonia. Since these infections can further damage your lungs, you need extra protection. Get an annual flu shot and the pneumonia vaccinePPVonce every five years. (Ask your doctor if one shot is enough for you.)
12. Work that spirometer
With COPD, you may develop a love/hate relationship with spirometrya quick test to assess lung function. Thats the test that shows how much inhaled air you can exhale forcefully in six seconds. Results can reveal COPD even before symptoms develop. Your doctor will probably have you repeat this test to see if your treatment plan is working.
13. Avoid aggravation
Asthma and COPD are different. Heres the lowdown:
Allergies (to pollen, dust mites, animal dander) can trigger asthma, a long-term lung inflammation. COPD involves some inflammation, too, but it doesnt improve with the drugs used for asthma.
Both COPD and asthma cause shortness of breath, coughing, and wheezing. But asthma symptoms occur occasionally, usually at night or in response to an allergy trigger. COPD symptoms are different: a morning, mucus-producing cough not triggered by allergies.
Avoiding allergens and using anti-inflammatory medications can eliminate asthma symptoms, but not eliminate progression of COPD.
14. Oh, bother
Breathing in irritants like pollution, dust, or chemicals can make breathing harder. Avoid perfumes or heavy fragrances. Reduce your exposure to chemicalslike those in cleaning productsand
secondhand smoke.
15. Alert! Time to call 911
Go to the emergency room if you
Have a rapid increase in shortness of breath.
Have a cold or flu, become forgetful or confused, cant sleep, or your speech is slurred.
Call your doctor if you experience
Continuing shortness of breath or wheezing despite using your bronchodilator (inhaler) hourly for six to eight hours.
A change in the color, thickness, smell, or amount of mucus lasting more than 24 hours.
Swollen ankles despite a nights sleep with your feet up.
Shortness of breath that wakes you more than once a night.
Fatigue lasting more than a day.
16. Follow your doctors orders
By working with your doctor, you can slow the damage to your lungs, improve your breathing, and remain active. You may need inhaled or oral medications of various kinds to open your airways, ease breathing, or relieve inflammation; or oxygen therapy, if your case is severe.
Make sure that you understand the directions for the use of all your medicationsand be sure to follow those directions carefully.
Also, always tell your doctor what works for you and what doesnt. Communication is key. There is no such thing as a dumb question where your health is concerned.
Butt Out
The world's best stop-smoking strategies
Pam DeNardo started smoking at age 21. My entire family smoked, my sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles, and all our friends, she says. Pam, now 66, a retiree with two grown children, was diagnosed with emphysema in 1989 and with COPD in January 1999. But she wasnt able to quit smoking until the following July.
She did try: I would quit and then buy a pack of cigarettes, smoke three and throw the rest away. I tried everythingnicotine gum, patches, acupuncture, and hypnosis. I read books and listened to tapes. Then, on July 4, 1999, she says, I finally decided Im not going to do this anymore.
Theres no magic formula to help you quit smoking, but it is the most important thing you can do to prevent further damage to your lungs. No matter how old you are, how much you smoked, or how severe your COPD is, quitting smoking will help reduce damage to your lungs and improve your lung function.
But youre up against a powerful enemy: The nicotine in cigarettes is as addictive as heroin or cocainesmall wonder that quitting is a huge challenge and an enormous achievement.
Like Pam DeNardo, you may have tried to quit more than once, but so have most people who have managed to give up smoking for good. The trick is to keep trying. Here are some tips to help you get started:
Set a quit date.
Get rid of cigarettes and ashtrays (at home and at work).
Buy nicotine gum, the patch, or nicotine lozenges at the drugstore.
Ask your doctor about prescription medications, such as a nicotine inhaler, that can help you quit. (Your health insurance will probably cover the cost.)
Tell your friends, family, and co-workers that youre going to quit and ask for their help. (Successful quitters say that encouragement and support are essential.)
Join a program to help you stop smoking. (For help in finding one, contact your local office of the American Cancer Society or the American Lung Association.)
Avoid alcohol (it lowers your chance for success) and situations (and people) that increase your temptation to smoke.
If you slip, dont beat yourself up. Just set a new quit date and try again. As Pam DeNardo says, Dont quit quitting.
Did You Know?
Secondhand smoke not only makes COPD worse, it can actually cause the disease. Its as bad for your lungs as air pollution and occupational dust. You may not be able to escape air pollution, but you can insist that no one smoke at home, and avoid places where others smoke.
King-sized Mistake
I smoked. Thats the dumbest thing Ive ever done, admits CNN talk-show host Larry King. After having a heart attack at 53, he changed the course of his life. I quit smoking the day of the heart attack. It was Feb. 24, 1987, and I never smoked again. Smoking can lead to heart disease, respiratory diseases like COPD, cancer, and a host of other health problems. If you smoke, quit today!
This special section on COPD was reviewed by Murray R. Rogers, MD, director of the Division of Pulmonary Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
http://www.healthmonitor.com/featured/generalhealth/copd-numbers-16-things-know-do-and-understand-keep-your-l Hope this helps someone here. Breath Easy and Enjoy your day, Always Hugs, Holly
If you've had COPD for a while, you've probably heard the analogy that the air sacs in your lungs work like balloons each time you take a breath in and then push the air out. Want to give those little air sacs a workout? Try blowing up a real balloon at least once a day.
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If you don't have ballons to blow on, you can still do the excersise.
Cover your mouth with the back of a hand and only let a little air come out of the corners of your mouth. You can provide just as much resistance as when blowing up a balloon.
Of coarse any number of clean objects would work as well as your hand. I just used the side of my coffee cup.
Hugs, Sue
Just my two cents....
JoAnn