Smoking is a major cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). If you carry on smoking you’ll do incredible damage.

The following are some of what you would want to know if you had COPD.

Can I continue to smoke?

Smoking is a major cause of COPD. If you carry on smoking you’ll do incredible damage. It also makes treatment of your symptoms difficult. Stopping smoking will slow down the progression of the disease and will also stop the irritation caused by cigarette smoke.

I know exercise is important but I find it difficult. What can I do?

Even a short daily walk is helpful. Ask your doctor for recommended exercise classes or a pulmonary rehabilitation course. You don’t need to run a marathon but getting a bit breathless through exercising won’t harm you. What you can do depends on you. Just make sure it is regular and involves all the muscles in the body. Cycling and walking are both good.

Will I need to follow a special diet?

You’ll need to eat a well-balanced diet containing plenty of vitamins and healthy food. If you are overweight, ask your doctor for a diet plan. Try not to put weight on. People who need corticosteroid drugs, which are sometimes used for COPD, will put on weight anyway. There’s not much you can do about that, so just try to eat healthily.

What if I find my symptoms are getting worse?

Be aware of factors that can lead to a sudden worsening of symptoms. These include air pollution, very hot or very cold weather, or having a chest or viral infection as a result of cold or flu. It’s best to stay indoors if the environment isn’t healthy for you.

When should I seek medical advice?

Seek medical advice as quickly as possible if you think your symptoms are worsening. You should have a plan with your doctor, hospital or practice nurse to put into action if you get worse.

What other measures should I take?

Have your annual flu jab in October. You should also consider a pneumonia jab, which you only need every 10 years or so. The flu jab will protect you against common strains of flu that come round each year. You might have heard that the flu jab could give you the flu. It’s not true.

I’m anxious about my condition. What can I do to put my mind at rest?

Always carry your medication and make sure that you know how to use it properly. Make your family and friends aware of it too. Ask your doctor for regular medication reviews and don’t be afraid to clear up anything that’s worrying you with your specialist, doctor, practice nurse or pharmacist.

Related Articles

1. Cystic fibrosis
2. Treatments for cystic fibrosis
3. Whooping Cough
4. Pneumococcal infections

You have per­mis­sion to reprint what you just read. The only require­ment is includ­ing the fol­low­ing footer with it… ”Art­icle by allvitalpoints.com, visit http://www.allvitalpoints.com for more ori­ginal con­tent like this. Reprint per­mis­sion gran­ted with this footer included.”

Related posts:

1. Preventing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
2. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
3. Diagnosing and treating obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
4. Medicines and other treatments for obstructive pulmonary disease