Treatment Options

Helping Yourself

Changing your lifestyle may improve your COPD. Smoking has been shown to increase the risk of COPD by damaging the lungs. The additives and smoke in cigarettes, cigars, and pipes are irritating to lung tissue. There are many treatment options for smoking cessation. These include group support, medications, and self-help. Group support can include a therapist and other people trying to quit smoking. You can get more information from a healthcare provider in your area. You can also find information on smoking cessation at http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/tobacco/default.htm or http://www.quitnet.org. Both prescription and nonprescription drugs are available to aid in smoking cessation. Nonprescription products include nicotine gum and the nicotine patch. Prescription medications include buproprion SR (Zyban), nicotine inhalers, and nasals sprays. Many smokers have smoking "triggers," such as smoking after waking up or smoking after meals and snacks. Changing your daily routine may help you deal with these triggers and quit smoking.

You should also ask your healthcare provider if there is a place where you can go to exercise your lungs, also known as pulmonary rehabilitation centers. The lung exercises will strengthen your lungs and help prevent further complications. Support groups may be available and your healthcare provider should provide you information. You can also try http://www.copd-support.org.

If you have COPD, it is important to avoid respiratory infections. Get a pneumonia vaccination as advised by your doctor and an annual influenza immunization. Also, avoid direct contact with people who have a cold or the flu.

Finally, make sure that you are using your inhalers correctly to get the maximum benefit from your medication. DrugDigest has an online video showing how to use your inhalers correctly; visit the "Using Medications" section for more information.

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Note: The above information is intended to supplement, not substitute for, the expertise and judgment of your physician, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional. It is not intended to diagnose a health condition, but it can be used as a guide to help you decide if you should seek professional treatment or to help you learn more about your condition once it has been diagnosed.