COPD

Breathing Techniques and Exercises for COPD Patients

Breathing Techniques and Exercises for COPD Patients

There are two different breathing techniques you can use to help get more air. They will even help you to relax when you start to tense up, especially when you are starting to have trouble breathing. You should talk to your doctor before trying these breathing techniques, to see if they are right for you.

It can be a vicious cycle when you start to have a hard time breathing. It can cause you to feel anxious, which only makes it worse. Also, you’ll avoid activities that make your feel breathless, which can be as simple as walking slowly around the house.

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Scott Ridl

How Smoking Can Cause Other Diseases Besides COPD

How Smoking Can Cause Other Diseases Besides COPD

Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States. The results of a 2009 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine making it even more clear. Based on the numbers and what experts already know, the numbers could very well be even higher. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) keeps a close eye and reports their estimates of tobacco-related deaths, as well as views of the total economic cost. The one view that they pay considerably less attention to is the overall health burden it puts on the large part of the population that smokes.

The CDC’s estimates in 2000 reported that the total number of medical conditions caused by smoking was 12.7 million – out of 8.6 million people. That means that some of those 8.6 million people had multiple diseases attributable to smoking.

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Scott Ridl

New Inhaler to Improve Quality of Life in COPD Patients

New Inhaler to Improve Quality of Life in COPD Patients

The FDA has recently approved a new inhaler, Boehringer Ingelheim’s STIOLTO RESPIMAT, which is being found to improve quality of life in those with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

This chronic lung disease is associated with shortness of breath and increased production of mucus in the lungs. If not kept under control and monitored, COPD can quickly progress and become fatal. Many people with COPD need to use oxygen therapy, in addition to other medication.

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Scott Ridl

Study Finds Smokers May Have Undiagnosed Chronic Lung Disease

Study Finds Smokers May Have Undiagnosed Chronic Lung Disease

A study published on June 22nd in the JAMA Internal Medicine journal found that a number of smokers who may have COPD is more significant than previously thought. Due to the nature of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease many people in its beginning stages do not realize that they have it. Usually, the disease does not become apparent until its apparent symptoms such as shortness of breath or coughing cannot be ignored.

According to this study, conducted at National Jewish Health in Denver, around 1 million smokers in the United States already have the beginning stage of COPD, even though a lung function test may find normal lung function.

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Scott Ridl

The Difference Between COPD and Asthma

The Difference Between COPD and Asthma

Often, treatments developed for asthma can be used for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and treatments used for COPD can be used for asthma—because asthma and COPD are two different diseases, although, with similar symptoms, this may seem a bit perplexing. However, researchers have determined that these two lung diseases have many aspects in common.

Asthma and COPD remain two separate diseases with distinct characteristics and approaches to treatment, but an understanding of both diseases has helped us further our understanding.

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Kerri M

Living with COPD: 5 Pieces of Nutrition Advice for COPD Patients

Living with COPD: 5 Pieces of Nutrition Advice for COPD Patients

If you are diagnosed with COPD, your doctor might have suggestions for simple diet changes to help keep your body stronger and well-nourished. Having COPD means your body burns more calories than it did before, which explains why many people with COPD lose much weight without having done anything differently. This is because their bodies have to work harder to breathe and to get oxygen and nutrients throughout the body.

Eating more calories doesn’t mean you have to eat a bunch of junk food all the time. Your body also needs plenty of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and antioxidants, which will help your body function better and strengthen your immune system.

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Scott Ridl

Living with COPD: 5 Ways to Keep Cool this Summer

Living with COPD: 5 Ways to Keep Cool this Summer

When summer turns up the heat that can spell trouble for those with COPD or other lung/breathing related illnesses. Extreme heat can cause some COPD symptoms to worsen even faster than viruses will. Keep an eye on your local weather reports for upcoming heat waves and plan accordingly. Here are 5 simple things you can do to avoid COPD complications from the heat this summer.
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Scott Ridl

Living with COPD: Advice for Staying Active

Living with COPD: Advice for Staying Active

If you have a chronic lung disease like COPD, exercise might be the last thing on your mind, but not being active will make you feel worse, and cause your overall condition to worsen.

Why is Exercise So Important?

Randolph Lipchik, MD, a pulmonologist at Froedtert Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, says, “Being able to manage everyday activities tends to improve a patient’s outlook. It improves a person’s mood, to have that shortness of breath a little more under control. Having a better sense of well-being makes staying active help COPD.”

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Scott Ridl

10 Popular Summer Hobbies For Those with COPD

People with COPD can do everything people with healthy lungs can do, and the worst thing you can do with your summer is let it pass you by. As long as your doctor gives you the okay you should partake in fun summer activities.

If you’re looking for something fun to do during the dog days of summer, here are some safe and fun hobbies for people with chronic respiratory diseases.

Scott Ridl

Study Finds that Physical Activity Decreases in COPD Patients

Study Finds that Physical Activity Declines in COPD Patients

When you think of someone with COPD not being able to move as well as they used to, you might think that it has to do with how severe their condition was when they were diagnosed. You might think your activity level will drop when you are severely chronically ill, but if your COPD is mild and caught earlier on, your physical activity won’t decline.

A recent study from the Pulmonary Research Institute at LungenClinic Grosshansdorf in Germany found that this is not the case. However, as long as you keep up with physical activity and exercise under the guidance of your doctor, you can slow this decline down.

COPD patients physical activity declined over time because of the worsening of airflow obstruction. COPD is a disease that gets worse over time. With the increased airflow, obstruction comes fatigue and a decrease in energy, because the cells of the body aren’t getting enough oxygen over the long term.

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Scott Ridl