Manage your health to live your best life
There’s no cure for COPD, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do. Just the opposite, in fact. If you take charge of your health, you’ll help yourself feel better now and in the future.
For starters, if you follow your doctor’s instructions and stick to your medication plan, “you can treat the symptoms and live an almost normal life,” says John Walsh, of the COPD Foundation. You may be able to be more active, and you might limit the number of COPD flare-ups.
To start living your healthiest life, try these five steps to manage COPD:
1. Stop smoking. If you still smoke, quit as soon as you can. You can do it, and there’s plenty of help out there if you need it. Talk to your doctor about medicines that might make quitting easier. Join a support group. Or for a free, personalized plan to quit smoking, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW.
2. Eat well. Make sure you’re getting the nutrients you need to stay strong. Smaller, more easily digested meals might be one way to go. Plus, healthy snacks can give you an energy boost.
3. Be active. “It’s good for your body and your lungs to get up and move around,” Walsh says. “Don’t accept that you have to just sit there.” Even a walk around the house or out to the mailbox is good for you, he says.
4. Avoid triggers. Know the things that make breathing more difficult. Besides smoke, common triggers include cleaning products, perfumes, and mold. Minimize your exposure to your triggers.
5. Defend yourself. Wash your hands regularly, and try to avoid anyone who has the flu or a cold. Get a flu shot during flu season. Aim for eight hours of sleep each night, and take rest breaks as needed.
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