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Suppose you have a chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD). Thoughts about breathing normally and preventing shortness of breath must always be on your mind. Even simple things like going out for lunch with your friend or shopping at a mall may seem like tasks that aren’t worth all the hassle, especially when followed by bouts of coughing and breathlessness.
You may miss the person you used to be before getting diagnosed with COPD, knowing that you may never experience the same confidence, freedom, and autonomy again. However, that doesn’t mean COPD can ultimately claim the better part of your life.
You’ll be happy to find out that a few breathing “best practices” can help you regain some of the control you think you’ve lost. In addition, breathing better can also change your mindset and improve your health dramatically.
Enrolling in a pulmonary rehabilitation program is best to access helpful COPD resources. You can learn about exercises, proper nutrition, the right medication, and breathing exercises for COPD by joining a program.
Such programs focus on making your muscles more conditioned and teach you ways of efficiently using oxygen. If you haven’t joined a session yet, we recommend you do so immediately.
Other than that, you can also include these strategies in your lifestyle to improve your breathing.
Quit Smoking
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that around 40 percent of COPD patients continue smoking even after getting diagnosed with the condition. If you’re one of them, it is high time you reconsider your habit,
Research has pointed out that quitting smoking can reduce the rate of lung function deterioration by almost 50 percent. If you’re having difficulty stopping this habit. Consult your healthcare provider to chalk out a plan to help you reduce your cigarette consumption and even eliminate it entirely.
Begin Your Day Slowly
Getting straight out of bed and heading to the restroom could lead to shortness of breath. Instead, go a little slow by sitting at the edge of your bed for a moment and then going to the bathroom. If it still doesn’t help, taking your medication almost immediately can be helpful.
Try Out Different Types of Breathing
There are several breathing techniques for COPD that can help you cope with the bouts of breathlessness that you may experience regularly. If you don’t know them, you can learn them from professionals by joining a pulmonary rehabilitation program.
If you want to learn more, you can check out YouTube for some videos at home to learn how to do them correctly. Most of the breathing techniques recommended for COPD are mindful breathing exercises. Check them out and pick the one that seems to be working for you.
Plan Your Activities Ahead of Time
While learning breathing techniques and implementing them is helpful. You need to acknowledge that they won’t bring back the same leCOPD: 4 Ways You Can Improve Your Breathing Today of lung function as you had earlier.
Because of this reason, you must revise your daily schedule to avoid situations when you can get breathless. And, in cases that you cannot prevent, come up with contingency plans to help prevent excessive exhaustion and shortness of breath. Small changes in the frequency of activities you perform and how you do them will be a complete game-changer.
Wrapping Up
Life with COPD isn’t a cakewalk. You will have several challenges, leaving you exhausted and emotionally vulnerable. For this, it is essential to join a pulmonary rehabilitation program where you can get the emotional support needed to deal with your chronic condition in the future effectively.
