Table of contents:
- The main steps to prevent COPD
- How can you prevent COPD relapse?
- 1. Stop smoking
- 2. Understand your condition
- 3. Keep the air in your environment clean
- 4. Know the family history
- 5. Get vaccinated
- 6. Eat nutrient dense foods
- 7. Maintain fitness
- 8. Manage stress
- 9. Get support from family and friends
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a disease that some people may be afraid of. Especially because this disease cannot be cured and could get worse at any time. That's why COPD prevention needs to be done. However, what if you already have COPD? Don't give up yet, because there are various ways to prevent your COPD from recurring or getting worse. Check out the full review below.
The main steps to prevent COPD
The best preventive measure is to avoid the main cause of COPD, which is smoking. If you don't want to get COPD, never smoke or give up the habit right away. Discuss the best way to quit smoking with a healthcare professional.
Quoted from the American Thoracic Society, smoking can damage almost all organs in the body. That is why, not only is it the main cause of COPD, this habit can also cause various other diseases and reduce a person's general health condition.
Apart from quitting smoking, you are also advised to avoid irritants that can cause COPD, such as air pollution, chemical fumes, and dust. You also need to avoid smokers so as not to inhale the smoke.
How can you prevent COPD relapse?
If you have already been diagnosed with COPD, all the treatment you take is usually aimed at relieving COPD symptoms, preventing COPD complications, and preventing the disease from recurring easily.
People who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often experience this flare-ups or exacerbation. This is a condition where their symptoms recur and get worse than usual. This condition also makes them more susceptible to infection. COPD sufferers need treatment to overcome flare-ups with medical assistance.
Flare-ups which often makes the sufferer's condition develop more rapidly. Fortunately, prevention of COPD recurrence is possible.
You can prevent COPD relapse by adopting healthy lifestyle habits. Here are some tips for living a lifestyle for COPD sufferers that can be a preventative measure flare-up:
1. Stop smoking
Preventive measures flare-ups the first is to stop the main cause of COPD. Smoking is the main cause of bronchitis and emphysema, the duet of diseases that cause COPD. If you are a smoker and you have not quit, it is very important to immediately stop the habit.
If you've never smoked, don't start. If you are a smoker, you should quit because smoking can make COPD worse. Even if you've smoked in the past, quitting can help slow the progression of COPD and limit lung damage.
The risk of smoking also applies to second-hand smoke. According to the world health organization, WHO, 10% of smoking-related deaths are caused by cigarette smoke.
2. Understand your condition
Recognizing the signs flare-ups, exacerbations, aka worsening COPD symptoms, can be one way to prevent recurrent COPD from getting worse. Make it a habit to know the closest place you can go if at any time you have trouble breathing. Keeping the phone number of a doctor or other loved one for help is also a smart preparation.
Getting checked regularly can also help you anticipate the symptoms of COPD that may appear. Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening symptoms, such as fever.
Always keep a note of a list of friends or family members who can be contacted if you need to be taken to the hospital. Always bring directions to the nearest doctor's clinic or hospital. You should also bring a list of all the medications you use and give it to a doctor who may have to provide emergency medical assistance.
3. Keep the air in your environment clean
Another way to prevent COPD relapse is to avoid places that are full of pollution, such as cigarette smoke. Cigarette smoke can make the lungs even more damaged. Other types of air pollution, such as vehicle exhaust or factory waste, can also irritate your lungs.
If you live near a factory and the air quality is poor, make sure that your indoor air is clean. Preventive measures flare-ups COPD that you can do is to use high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter.
The filter can filter up to 99 percent of indoor air pollutants. Other tips for healthy living with COPD to improve indoor air quality are to get rid of carpets and clean the room with environmentally friendly products or with natural cleaners such as water and soap, baking soda, and vinegar.
4. Know the family history
COPD can be caused by genetic factors. If this is the case, your family is at a higher risk of COPD, especially if there are family members who have already had COPD. If so, you should get your family tested for the "COPD gene." As a preventative measure, you can have a blood test to show if you carry the COPD gene.
5. Get vaccinated
Flu and colds are common and do not require special treatment. However, for people with COPD, this can worsen the condition of your already irritated airways.
If you have COPD, you should protect yourself by getting vaccinated against influenza regularly every year. That way, you will reduce your risk of being exposed to the flu.
6. Eat nutrient dense foods
Sometimes, people with advanced COPD don't get the nutrition they need to stay healthy. It could be, this is due to decreased appetite or shortness of breath that occurs when eating, or after eating.
In fact, getting nutritious food intake and avoiding restrictions can help your condition get better. This is also one of the steps to prevent your COPD symptoms from recurring.
The lifestyle you can do to prevent COPD relapse is eating smaller portions and more often may help overcome this problem. Your doctor can also recommend nutritional supplements to ensure that you are getting the essential nutrients you need.
7. Maintain fitness
Even though COPD sufferers often and easily experience shortness of breath, that doesn't mean they can't exercise at all. In fact, people with COPD are encouraged to keep exercising and train their breathing muscles. The key to exercising for COPD sufferers is not to be too heavy or too light.
In addition to strengthening your breathing muscles, you also need exercise to burn fat so that you can maintain your weight so you don't cause new problems, such as obesity.
8. Manage stress
People living with a disabling disease, such as COPD, sometimes lose out on anxiety, stress, or depression. That is why managing stress for COPD sufferers is important. If stress interferes with your sleep patterns, use deep sleep tips specifically for COPD sufferers.
You can start managing stress by discussing any emotional issues with your doctor or other medical personnel. Don't keep it alone because it's not a healthy lifestyle.
Consulting a doctor can be one way to relieve anxiety or depression that shackles you. Medical professionals may prescribe medications to help you manage and prevent depression caused by COPD.
9. Get support from family and friends
Family and friends are a valuable source of help. Family members and loved ones need to be supportive at all times, especially if your COPD treatment requires oxygen therapy. The presence of the closest person is also important when people with COPD travel to various places.
Using portable oxygen in a public place can be difficult to deal with as it is a clear sign that you have this condition. Therefore, the presence of other people is very important to help treat you for COPD.
With a healthy lifestyle and good habits that you adopt, your body will become fitter and stronger to better manage COPD symptoms, or even succeed in preventing it.
