How To Prevent COPD In Adults
COPD is the acronym for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. According to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service, COPD is the general term for a group of lung diseases that cause breathing difficulties in a patient. COPD is chronic, which means that the condition has already been there for quite some time now. Having COPD means that your lungs have been inflamed for a long time already, which then causes symptoms. If you have COPD, you can have symptoms such as difficulty in breathing, having shortness of breath, coughing, producing phlegm or mucus, or wheezing. COPD can affect both your air sacs and your airways, so the inflammation would be widespread. COPD is usually found in middle-aged or older people who currently smoke or who smoked when they were younger.
COPD has a lot of negative effects on your life and, consequently, the lives of your loved ones. Because of this, it is prudent to prevent it as early as you can.
The most pertinent risk factor would be smoking. Thus, it is important to not smoke, or else it will lead to a lot of diseases and not just COPD. If you currently smoke, it is better if you quit as soon as you can. It may help if you go to counseling sessions or group therapy. You can also talk to your family about it. If you don’t want to, you can also go to your doctor or to a trusted person. Explore what options are reasonable for you and would be the best for your lifestyle.
You would still be at risk if someone else in your house is a smoker. This is called secondhand smoking and the deleterious effects are similar to what smokers experience themselves. Again, talk to the smoker if you can. You can also refer the person to a doctor or to an experienced counselor so that he can attend programs regarding his smoking.
Since COPD involves the lungs, it is wise to avoid situations that could possibly irritate them. Lung irritants include smoking, air pollution, pollens, dust, fumes, animal fur, and other pollutants. It is best if you eliminate them from your life. If you can’t eliminate them, you can limit your exposure to these pollutants so your lungs would be irritated less often.
If you feel like you are already experiencing shortness of breath or you are finding it hard to breathe, you can check your body’s oxygen saturation. Devices are now available that would be able to detect how much dissolved oxygen is in your blood. This is a good indicator of whether you have enough oxygen in your body or not. For example, you could get one of the Nellcor Oximax sensors from Sensoronics. This is attached to a device so that it would be able to tell how much oxygen is in your blood. The normal level would be above 94%. If you get an oxygen-sensing device, make sure that you are getting a reliable one. For Sensoronics, all their devices and parts are ISO certified so you know they are of great quality.
