While it’s true that COPD can’t be cured or reversed, there is a lot you can do to manage your symptoms, prevent further damage to your lungs, and get back to doing more of the things you enjoy. Indeed, making just a few shifts in your diet and lifestyle, and doing what you can to prevent infections, can help you avoid flare-ups and slow down your COPD. Here are seven simple strategies that can keep your COPD from getting worse. RELATED: 12 Ways to Breathe Better With COPD
1. Get All Your Vaccinations, Including the COVID-19 Shot
“If you have not yet gotten your COVID-19 vaccination, get it now, and be sure to get your boosters, too,” says David Mannino, MD, the medical director of the COPD Foundation and a pulmonologist at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in Lexington. Adults of any age with COPD, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis, are at higher risk of getting severely ill from COVID-19, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In a review study published in March 2021 in The Lancet’s EClinicalMedicine, the authors found that people with COPD who got infected with COVID-19 were significantly more likely to be hospitalized and die compared with those without COPD. In addition, you should get the pneumococcal vaccine (PPSV-23) before you turn 65, and after age 65 with at least five years in between these two shots, along with another type of pneumonia vaccine (PCV-13) at 65. This will help to prevent pneumonia, which can also be life-threatening for someone with COPD. To further protect yourself from dangerous lung infections, wash your hands frequently, avoid touching your eyes or mouth, stay away from people who are sick, and wear a face mask in crowded situations, adds Mannino. RELATED: What You Need to Know About COVID-19 Vaccines
2. Kick the Smoking Habit — It’s Never Too Late
Many people who smoke think that once they are diagnosed with COPD, there’s not much point in quitting. But it’s actually never too late to quit, because doing so will slow the progression of the disease, says Mannino. “Without a doubt, the number one intervention for COPD is to stop smoking,” he says. If you’re struggling to quit, talk to your doctor about smoking cessation programs and products that can help you. Combining nicotine replacement with counseling, group support, and medication offers the best chance of success, says the Cleveland Clinic. You can also call 800-QUIT-NOW, a resource from the CDC that offers free coaching, quit plans, and educational materials. Or check out the American Lung Association’s Freedom From Smoking program, a seven-week clinic (in-person or online) that takes you through the process of quitting smoking one step at a time. RELATED: The Best and Worst Ways to Quit Smoking
3. Start Doing a Little Bit of Exercise
If you have COPD symptoms, especially shortness of breath, any kind of exercise can seem daunting. But physical activity will help you preserve your lung function and slow the progression of COPD, says Frank C. Sciurba, MD, the medical director of the Pulmonary Function Exercise Physiology Laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pennsylvania. Regular exercise can lessen COPD symptoms, strengthen lung and heart muscles, increase energy, reduce anxiety and stress, and also improve sleep, says the American Lung Association (ALA). If it’s been a while since you’ve exercised, get your doctor’s okay and start slow. Dr. Sciurba recommends beginning with just 20 to 30 minutes a week, then gradually building up to 40-minute sessions five times a week. If you’re not sure what to do or how to get started, you may want to check out the COPD Foundation’s free online exercise videos. These sessions are led by respiratory, physical, and occupational therapists who are specially trained in helping people with COPD. While exercise may feel difficult at first, within a few weeks you’ll find that you’re able to do more and, if you stick with your exercise routine, that you can breathe better and even climb stairs more easily, Sciurba says. RELATED: 5 Things You Should Know About Exercise if You Have COPD
4. Avoid Airborne Irritants
Anything you breathe in can affect your lungs. And, since the lungs of people who have COPD are already compromised, it’s important to reduce your exposure to anything that could make your COPD worse, or cause an exacerbation, says the ALA. That means doing your best to avoid secondhand smoke, car exhaust, chemical fumes, bug spray, woodsmoke, and dust. Even pleasant odors such as perfumes, fragrances, and air fresheners can irritate your lungs. If you can’t avoid some fumes, wear a mask or use a fan to blow the fumes away from you. Also make sure the vent above your stove is working properly so cooking fumes can be drawn out of the house, the Cleveland Clinic advises. If you have allergies as well as COPD, steer clear of triggers like pollen, pet dander, and dust. This may mean keeping your windows closed during the day, putting dust covers on your pillows and mattress, and keeping your pets out of the bedroom. Consider using a high-quality air purifier to capture and destroy harmful particles in the room where you spend the most time, says the ALA.
5. Stick to Your COPD Treatment — Even if You Think You Don’t Need It
COPD often necessitates many different types of medicine that need to be taken daily. Your doctor may prescribe a bronchodilator to relax your lung muscles and widen your airways, with an inhaler to deliver the bronchodilator directly to your lungs. Your treatment may also include anti-inflammatory medications and corticosteroids to reduce swelling and mucus production in your lungs and airways. You may also be prescribed an antibiotic if you have a flare-up caused by a bacterial infection, Sciurba says. It’s essential that you take your medicines exactly as instructed by your doctor — even when you feel well. They can prevent your COPD symptoms from getting worse in the long term. A study published in the journal Thorax in September 2020 found that patients who adhered to maintenance therapy (using inhaled corticosteroids) experienced fewer flare-ups and less loss of lung function over time. To make sure you never miss a dose, set a cellphone alarm, use a weekly pill box, or time your medicine schedule with routine activities, like before or after certain meals or when you brush you teeth in the a.m. and p.m. RELATED: What Are the 4 Stages of COPD and the Gold System for Grading?
6. Reach for Healthier Foods
You might be surprised to learn that what you eat can affect how well you breathe. Maninno recommends eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, which can help keep your immune system healthy and better able to fend off lung infections. Fruits and vegetables are also rich in antioxidants, which help protect your lung cells from further damage, he adds. In addition, try to eat lean protein at least twice a day to help maintain strong respiratory muscles, advises the ALA. The organization also recommends getting plenty of whole grains, and minimizing sweets and unhealthy fats (like trans fats and saturated fat). Healthy eating should also help you reach or maintain your ideal weight, Sciurba notes, which is important because being overweight makes your lungs work harder to pump oxygen throughout your body. “When you have COPD, your lungs are already impaired," he says. “The burden of extra weight can make breathing even more difficult.” Being underweight poses risks as well, because it can leave you feeling feel weak and tired and make you more vulnerable to lung infections. Talk to your doctor and a registered dietitian about diet changes that may help ease your COPD symptoms and help you feel better.
7. Sign Up for Pulmonary Rehabilitation (In Person or Remote)
Pulmonary rehabilitation is a personalized treatment program that involves exercise, breathing, and nutrition tips individually tailored to your COPD. The goal of these programs is to help you stay active and carry out your everyday activities. If you’ve held back from participating in a rehab program because of COVID-19 concerns, ask your healthcare team if they can recommend an online (or remote) option, known as pulmonary tele-rehabilitation. A study published in May 2020 in the journal Thorax found that tele-rehabilitation programs were just as effective as in-person programs for improving symptoms of COPD right after the completion of the program and up to 22 weeks later.
