There is no cure for COPD. But there are many things you can do to relieve symptoms and keep the disease from getting worse.
If you smoke, now is the time to quit. This is the best way to slow lung damage.
Medicines used to treat COPD include:
- Inhalers (bronchodilators) COPD -- quick-relief drugs to help open the airways
- Inhaled COPD -- control drugs or oral steroids to reduce lung inflammation
- Anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce swelling in the airways
- Certain long-term antibiotics
In severe cases or during flare-ups, you may need to receive:
- Steroids by mouth or through a vein (intravenously)
- Bronchodilators through a nebulizer
- Oxygen therapy
- Assistance from a machine to help breathing by using a mask, BiPAP, or through the use of an endotracheal tube
Your health care provider may prescribe antibiotics during symptom flare-ups, because an infection can make COPD worse.
You may need oxygen therapy at home if you have a low level of oxygen in your blood.
Pulmonary rehabilitation does not cure COPD. But it can teach you to breathe in a different way so you can stay active and feel better.
LIVING WITH COPD
You can do things every day to keep COPD from getting worse, protect your lungs, and stay healthy.
Walk to build up strength:
- Ask the provider or therapist how far to walk.
- Slowly increase how far you walk.
- Avoid talking if you get short of breath when you walk.
- Use pursed lip breathing when you breathe out, to empty your lungs before the next breath.
Things you can do to make it easier for yourself around the home include:
- Avoid very cold air or very hot weather
- Make sure no one smokes in your home
- Reduce air pollution by not using the fireplace and getting rid of other irritants
- Manage stress in your mood
Eat healthy foods, including fish, poultry, and lean meat, as well as fruits and vegetables. If it is hard to keep your weight up, talk to a provider or dietitian about eating foods with more calories.
Surgery may be used to treat COPD. Only a few people benefit from these surgical treatments:
- Surgery to remove parts of the diseased lung, which can help less-diseased parts work better in some people with emphysema
- Lung transplant for a small number of very severe cases
Test Your Knowledge of COPD Triggers
People with COPD should take care to avoid getting a cold or the flu.
- A. True
- B. False
The correct answer is true. Getting a cold or the flu can trigger a flare-up of symptoms. Reduce your risk of infection by washing your hands often and avoiding people with a cold or the flu. You should also get a flu vaccine each year and get a pneumococcal vaccine -- ask your doctor how often.
The air quality outside can affect your COPD symptoms.
- A. True
- B. False
The correct answer is true. Pollution and other materials in the air can trigger COPD symptoms. You can check the air quality index (AQI) each day to see how clean the air is in your area. Look for the AQI posted in your local newspaper or on the TV or radio.
Secondhand smoke doesn't affect people with COPD.
- A. True
- B. False
The correct answer is false. Secondhand smoke can trigger a flare-up of COPD symptoms. To limit your exposure, avoid places where people smoke. Also ask family and friends not to smoke near you or in or around your home.
Smoke from a wood-burning stove can trigger a flare-up.
- A. True
- B. False
The correct answer is true. If you can't avoid using a wood-burning stove, choose one that is EPA-emission certified. Also, make sure to have the stove, fireplace, and chimney cleaned each year, and only burn wood that has been dry for many months.
Painting your living room can trigger COPD symptoms.
- A. True
- B. False
The correct answer is true. Paint is just one household product that contains volatile organic compounds (VOCs). When inhaled, VOCs can cause your COPD symptoms to get worse. To limit your contact, use a fan to vent rooms when using paint or cleaning products.
You can reduce your exposure to pollen by:
- A. Staying inside when the pollen count is high
- B. Using an air conditioner to filter air
- C. Removing indoor plants
- D. A and B
- E. All of the above
The correct answer is all of the above. Pollen is another possible trigger of COPD symptoms. Staying indoors when the pollen count is high helps prevent flare-ups. Pollen counts are highest between 5 AM and 10 AM on hot, dry, windy days. Remove indoor plants if they trigger symptoms.
You can keep mold out of your home by controlling moisture.
- A. True
- B. False
The correct answer is true. Mold is another COPD trigger. It grows in places that are moist. Limit mold in your home by keeping the indoor humidity low. You can do this by using an air conditioner or dehumidifier.
Dust mites are common in dry areas of your home.
- A. True
- B. False
The correct answer is false. Dust mites live in dust particles, but they thrive in humid locations. Dust mite droppings can trigger COPD. You can limit dust mites by dusting with a damp cloth, vacuuming often, washing bedding once a week in hot water, and using an air conditioner in warm weather.
Which of the following can cause a flare-up?
- A. Pet dander
- B. Pet skin flakes
- C. Pet urine
- D. Pet saliva
- E. All of the above
The correct answer is all of the above. Pets can trigger COPD symptoms, but you don't have to get rid of your furry friend. Reduce your contact with triggers by keeping pets out of your bedroom and off of carpets, bed linens, and upholstered furniture. If possible, choose pets without fur or feathers.
Your appliances can cause indoor pollution.
- A. True
- B. False
The correct answer is true. Any appliance that uses gas, oil, propane, natural gas, or kerosene can produce fumes that can trigger COPD symptoms. To reduce this risk, have your furnace and other heating and cooling systems cleaned and inspected each year.