Are you or a loved one living with COPD and struggling to manage COPD symptoms? The good news is that there are several treatment options available to improve your quality of life. One essential tool for managing COPD symptoms is a portable oxygen concentrator, and the ARYA P5 from LPT Medical is a top-of-the-line option. 

A portable oxygen concentrator is a medical device that provides oxygen therapy to people with breathing difficulties, such as those with COPD. Unlike traditional oxygen tanks, which need to be refilled or replaced, portable oxygen concentrators use technology to extract oxygen from the air and deliver it directly to the patient through a nasal cannula. 

This means that they can be used anytime and anywhere, without the need for bulky and heavy oxygen tanks. Portable oxygen concentrators like the ARYA P5 from LPT Medical are smaller, lighter, and more convenient than oxygen tanks, making them a better option for people who want to maintain their independence and mobility while managing their COPD symptoms. 

Additionally, portable oxygen concentrators offer more precise oxygen delivery, meaning that users can receive exactly the amount of oxygen they need, when they need it, without wasting oxygen or overworking their lungs.

In this blog, we'll explore the five necessities you need to manage your COPD diagnosis, and we'll also dive into four other treatment processes that can help slow the progression of the disease. Finally, we'll take a closer look at how the ARYA P5 portable oxygen concentrator can make exercise more attainable and a more regular option for people with COPD. 

Read on to discover how incorporating these tools and treatment options can help you breathe easier and enjoy a better quality of life.

COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a condition that makes breathing difficult and can significantly impact a person's quality of life. While there is no cure for COPD, there are ways to manage the symptoms and make life more comfortable. In this blog, we will discuss five necessities that can help people with COPD manage their diagnosis.

5 Necessities That Can Help People with COPD

We are about to discuss five necessities that can help people with COPD manage their diagnosis. In addition, we will explore four other treatment processes COPD patients can apply to their life to make it more manageable.

All of these practices and treatments can improve  your lung function, reduce symptoms, and increase endurance.

It is important for people with COPD to work with a healthcare professional to develop a personalized treatment plan that meets their specific needs. By incorporating these treatment options and making lifestyle changes, people with COPD can breathe easier, feel more comfortable, and enjoy a better quality of life.

Using your Inhalers and Medications

Inhalers and medications are essential for managing the symptoms of COPD. These medications work to relax the muscles in the airways and reduce inflammation, making it easier to breathe. It is important to take these medications as prescribed by a doctor, and to always have a spare inhaler on hand in case of an emergency.

Inhalers are a crucial tool for managing COPD symptoms. 

Short-acting bronchodilator inhalers, such as albuterol, provide fast relief for symptoms like shortness of breath and wheezing. These inhalers work by relaxing the muscles in the airways, making it easier to breathe. 

Long-acting bronchodilator inhalers, like formoterol and salmeterol, are designed to provide sustained relief over an extended period, usually 12 hours or more. These inhalers are used as maintenance medications, taken regularly to prevent symptoms from occurring. 

Both short-acting and long-acting bronchodilator inhalers are prescribed by healthcare professionals and are important components of a personalized COPD treatment plan. It is important to use inhalers as directed and to inform your healthcare provider if you experience any side effects or if your symptoms are not well-controlled.

Portable Oxygen Concentrator is the Best form of Oxygen Therapy 

Portable oxygen concentrators like the ARYA P5 portable oxygen concentrator from LPT Medical are crucial for people with COPD who require oxygen therapy. These devices work by taking in air from the environment, removing nitrogen, and producing concentrated oxygen that is delivered to the user via a nasal cannula. The ARYA P5 is lightweight and easy to carry, making it ideal for people who need to use oxygen therapy while on the go.

Air Purifiers to Clean Indoor Air and Keep Your Airways Clear 

Air purifiers can help people with COPD breathe easier by removing pollutants and allergens from the air. These devices work by filtering out particles like dust, pollen, and smoke, which can exacerbate COPD symptoms. Air purifiers can be especially helpful for people who live in areas with poor air quality.

These devices work by capturing and filtering out harmful particles, such as dust, pollen, and pet dander, and can significantly improve air quality in the home.

In addition to using air purifiers, there are other ways to clean the air in your home. Regularly changing air conditioning filters is one of the simplest ways to improve air quality. Filters should be replaced at least every three months, or more often if you have pets or allergies. 

Another way to clean the air is to keep windows closed during high pollen or pollution days and to use exhaust fans when cooking or showering to remove excess moisture and prevent mold growth. This is especially important in the spring season when there are blooms and allergens in the air that can affect people with COPD. 

Finally, it is essential to avoid using products that can contribute to indoor air pollution, such as candles, air fresheners, and cleaning products with harsh chemicals. By incorporating these tips, people with COPD can significantly improve the air quality in their homes and reduce their exposure to irritants.

Humidifiers For Better Breathing 

Humidifiers add moisture to the air, which can help people with COPD breathe easier by reducing inflammation in the airways. Dry air can be especially problematic for people with COPD, as it can lead to coughing and shortness of breath. Humidifiers can be used at home or in the workplace to help keep the air moist.

Pulse Oximeters To Manage Your Oxygen 

Pulse oximeters are devices that measure the oxygen saturation in the blood. These devices are important for people with COPD who require oxygen therapy, as they can help monitor the effectiveness of the therapy. Pulse oximeters can also be used to monitor breathing during exercise or other activities.

COPD is a chronic disease that affects the lungs, making it difficult to breathe. While there is no cure for COPD, there are several treatment options that can help manage the symptoms and improve quality of life. In addition to the necessities discussed in the previous section, here are four other treatment processes COPD patients should consider incorporating into their lives:

Pulmonary rehabilitation is a program that involves exercise, breathing techniques, and education about COPD. It is designed to help COPD patients improve their physical and emotional well-being. 

Pulmonary rehabilitation can include activities such as walking, cycling, and strength training. By participating in pulmonary rehabilitation, COPD patients can improve their lung function, increase their endurance, and reduce their symptoms.

Nutritional Therapy to Maintain Physical Health 

Nutritional therapy involves working with a dietitian to develop a meal plan that meets the specific nutritional needs of a person with COPD. A healthy diet can help COPD patients maintain their weight, reduce inflammation, and improve their lung function. Nutritional therapy can also help COPD patients manage other health conditions that may be related to their disease.

Smoking Cessation - Its Never Too Late to Quit

Smoking is the leading cause of COPD, so quitting smoking is an essential step in managing the disease. Smoking cessation programs can help COPD patients quit smoking and provide support to help them stay smoke-free. Quitting smoking can reduce symptoms, slow the progression of the disease, and improve overall health.

Getting Regular Exercise with ARYA P5 Portable Oxygen Concentrator

Exercise is an important part of managing COPD, as it can help improve lung function, reduce symptoms, and increase endurance. However, many people with COPD may feel limited in their ability to exercise due to shortness of breath.

The ARYA P5 Portable Oxygen Concentrator from LPT Medical can help make exercise more attainable and regular by providing oxygen therapy during physical activity. This device is lightweight, easy to use, and can be worn during exercise to provide continuous oxygen therapy. By using the ARYA P5, COPD patients can feel more comfortable during exercise and enjoy the benefits of regular physical activity.

Overview 

Managing COPD requires a multifaceted approach that includes medical treatments, lifestyle changes, and support from healthcare professionals. 

By incorporating pulmonary rehabilitation, nutritional therapy, smoking cessation, and regular exercise with the help of the ARYA P5 Portable Oxygen Concentrator, COPD patients can improve their symptoms, increase their endurance, and enjoy a better quality of life. 

It is important to work with a healthcare professional to develop a personalized treatment plan that meets the specific needs of each individual with COPD.

COPD is a progressive disease that gets worse over time, so it is important to take steps to manage symptoms and slow its progression. Here is a list of all the things you need to make your COPD diagnosis more manageable:

Necessities:

• Inhalers and medications to help with symptoms
• Portable oxygen concentrators like the ARYA P5 from LPT Medical
• Air purifiers to help remove irritants from the air
• Humidifiers to help moisturize the air and reduce irritation
• Pulse oximeters to monitor oxygen levels

Treatment Processes:

• Pulmonary rehabilitation to improve lung function, endurance, and reduce symptoms
• Nutritional therapy to develop a meal plan that meets the specific nutritional needs of a person with COPD
• Smoking cessation to reduce symptoms and slow the progression of the disease
• Regular exercise with the ARYA P5 Portable Oxygen Concentrator to improve lung function, reduce symptoms, and increase endurance

By incorporating these necessities and treatment processes, people with COPD can manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life. However, it is important to keep in mind that COPD is a progressive disease, meaning that it will worsen over time. This makes it essential to work with a healthcare professional to regularly monitor and adjust treatment plans to ensure the best possible outcome.

Conclusion 

In conclusion, managing COPD can be a challenge, but there are ways to make life more comfortable. Inhalers and medications, portable oxygen concentrators like the ARYA P5 from LPT Medical, air purifiers, humidifiers, and pulse oximeters are all important tools for people with COPD. By using these necessities, people with COPD can breathe easier and enjoy a better quality of life.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a chronic lung disease that makes breathing difficult. It is a progressive condition that worsens over time, and it affects millions of people around the world. COPD is often caused by smoking or exposure to other pollutants and chemicals, and it is characterized by symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness, and chronic cough.

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While the physical symptoms of COPD are well-known, what is less understood is the emotional impact that the disease can have on patients. 

COPD patients often experience significant emotional problems such as depression, anxiety, and social isolation. This article will explore the connection between COPD and emotional problems and provide some tips on how to cope with these challenges.

The Connection between COPD and Emotional Problems

COPD patients often experience a range of emotional problems that can significantly impact their quality of life. Depression is one of the most common emotional problems associated with COPD, with studies suggesting that up to 50% of COPD patients experience depression at some point in their lives. Anxiety is also common, with up to 25% of COPD patients experiencing anxiety symptoms.

Isolation and COPD

Social isolation is another significant issue for COPD patients. The physical limitations of the disease can make it difficult for patients to engage in social activities and maintain social connections. This can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation, which can further exacerbate emotional problems such as depression and anxiety.

The exact reasons for the connection between COPD and emotional problems are not fully understood, but there are several factors that may contribute to this link. One of the primary factors is the impact that the physical symptoms of COPD can have on a patient's quality of life.

The shortness of breath, wheezing, and chest tightness associated with the disease can make it difficult for patients to engage in activities they once enjoyed, which can lead to feelings of frustration, sadness, and hopelessness. This is a normal reaction to having a life altering disease like COPD. 

Decline in Physical Health 

The impact of COPD on a patient's physical health can also contribute to emotional problems. COPD patients may experience fatigue, weight loss, and muscle weakness, which can further impact their quality of life and lead to feelings of depression and anxiety. Additionally, the medications used to treat COPD can have side effects that contribute to emotional problems, such as insomnia, anxiety, and mood swings.

Not being able to perform daily tasks or activities they once enjoyed can lead to mental health decline. The side effect of medication can alter one’s feelings and emotions in a negative way, either directly or indirectly playing into how someone is able to regulate their mood. 

Lack of Social Interaction

Finally, the social impact of COPD cannot be overlooked. COPD patients may feel stigmatized or ashamed of their disease, particularly if it is caused by smoking. This can lead to feelings of isolation and shame, which can further exacerbate emotional problems such as depression and anxiety.

COPD, or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, is a progressive respiratory condition that can have a significant impact on a person's ability to engage in social interactions. Here are some ways in which COPD can lead to social interaction decline:

2. Anxiety and depression: COPD can be a challenging and isolating condition, and it is common for individuals with COPD to experience anxiety and depression. These mental health conditions can make it difficult for individuals to engage in social interactions, as they may feel self-conscious or overwhelmed in social situations.

4. Stigma and discrimination: Unfortunately, there can be stigma and discrimination associated with COPD, particularly if the individual is a current or former smoker. This can lead to social isolation and exclusion, as others may avoid interacting with them or make negative assumptions about their lifestyle choices.

Maintaining Social Interactions 

As we mentioned, COPD can have a significant impact on a person's social interactions, which can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness. 

It is important for individuals with COPD to seek support and resources to help them manage their condition and maintain social connections. AS hard as this can be, finding a way to be motivated to interact with fellow COPD patients or friends can significantly impact a COPD patient’s mental health positively.  

COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) can make it difficult for people to engage in social activities due to shortness of breath and fatigue. However, there are ways to stay sociable despite COPD:

5. Bring along oxygen: If you require oxygen therapy, make sure to bring along your portable oxygen device to social activities. This will allow you to participate without worrying about running out of breath.

By following these tips, people with COPD can remain sociable and enjoy an active social life, while still managing their condition.

More Tips for Coping with Emotional Problems Associated with COPD

While the emotional problems associated with COPD can be challenging, there are several strategies that patients can use to cope with these challenges.

Having Oxygen Equipment that Helps your Mental Health 

COPD stands for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, which is a lung disease that makes it difficult for a person to breathe. A portable oxygen concentrator is a medical device that can help someone with COPD by providing them with supplemental oxygen.

People with COPD often have trouble getting enough oxygen into their lungs, which can make it difficult for them to do everyday activities like walking or climbing stairs. Portable oxygen concentrators work by taking in air from the surrounding environment, filtering out nitrogen and other gases, and delivering pure oxygen to the user through a mask or nasal cannula.

By using a portable oxygen concentrator, a person with COPD can increase their oxygen levels and make it easier to breathe. This can help them to be more active, improve their quality of life, and reduce the risk of complications from low oxygen levels. The ARYA Airvito Max is a great example of one of the best selling pulse flow portable oxygen concentrators on the market. You can learn more about that device and others like it by calling 1-888-416-3855 today.

Additionally, portable oxygen concentrators are small and lightweight, which makes them easy to carry around and use on-the-go. This can be especially beneficial for people with COPD who want to maintain their independence and continue to do the things they love, even if they require supplemental oxygen.

Overview 

COPD is a chronic lung disease that affects millions of people around the world, and you are not alone in how this disease impacts your mental health. While the physical symptoms of the disease are well-known, the emotional impact of COPD is less understood. 

COPD patients often experience significant emotional problems such as depression, anxiety, and social isolation, which can significantly impact their quality of life. 

However, there are several strategies that patients can use to cope with these challenges and we hope the ideas laid out in this article help you find ways to cope more effectively. 

You can try seeking professional help, staying active, maintaining social connections, practicing relaxation techniques, and focusing on the positive aspects of their lives. By taking these steps, COPD patients can improve their emotional well-being and maintain their quality of life.

When it comes to sex and gender-related differences in COPD, women certainly seem to get the short end of the stick. Studies show that women not only tend to be more prone to getting COPD, but also suffer from worse symptoms, later diagnoses, and other COPD-related health problems more often than men.

This is a relatively new revelation; back in the day, COPD used to be known as a “man's disease,” and very little was known about COPD in women. Before the early to mid 1900's, the vast majority of tobacco smokers were men, and it was rare for women to smoke or develop smoking-related diseases like COPD.

This isn't true anymore, however, and the trend seems to flipping in the opposite direction as more women than ever have been diagnosed with COPD in recent years. This shift has made it possible for researchers to study COPD in women more extensively, and this research has revealed some significant—and surprising—differences in how women are affected by this disease.

Some of these differences between men and women have biological origins, including differences in lung anatomy and how men's and women's bodies are affected by COPD. On the other hand, some differences originate from within the healthcare system, which (often unwittingly) tends to treat men and women differently during diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment for COPD.

Unfortunately, many of these disparities result in extra risks and disadvantages for women, including later COPD diagnoses, quicker lung function decline, and even a higher risk of death. However, many of these risks can be mitigated with simple preventative measures and increased awareness of these risks among doctors, caretakers, and people with COPD.

In this post, we're going to take a closer look at the scope and the nature of the problems that women with COPD face in regard to their symptoms, their healthcare, and the impact of the disease. Most importantly, we also present dozens of practical strategies—and links to other helpful resources—that women with COPD can use to minimize these extra risks.

All women with COPD deserve to know how the disease might affect them differently and what they can do in response. Knowledge is power, and the more you learn, the more empowered you will be to take control of your health and live your best life possible with COPD.

The Major COPD Risks that Affect Women, and What You Can Do About Them

In the following sections, we'll explain eight major challenges that women with COPD encounter and explore some of the biological and structural reasons for why these issues tend to affect women more than men. You'll also find a plethora of helpful tips throughout this guide for how women can overcome these challenges and get better outcomes for their health.

If you are a woman with COPD, or know someone who is, we hope that this guide will serve as a helpful tool for managing the gender-specific risks that come with the disease. For more information on COPD management, including more information about sex differences among people with COPD, check out our huge collection of helpful guides in our Respiratory Resource Center.

A quick note: We understand that sex and gender are not one and the same, and that COPD differences intersect both gender and sex. For the sake of brevity and simplicity, however, we use these terms interchangeably—or use one term to refer to both concepts at once—at times in this guide.

Women's Lungs Are More Sensitive to Damage from Smoking

How heavily someone smokes throughout their lifetime—a factor that's often measured in “pack years—influences how severe their COPD-related lung damage is later in life. For example, a person with COPD who smoked one pack of cigarettes every day for 10 years (which is the equivalent of 10 pack years of smoking) will likely have more severe lung damage than someone who only smoked half a pack a day for 10 years (equivalent to 5 pack years of smoking).

Unfortunately, research suggests that women's lungs are more vulnerable than men's to the damaging effects of tobacco smoke. This not only makes women more vulnerable to developing COPD, but also causes women to develop more severe COPD than men who have an equivalent number of pack years.

One study, for example, found that women who smoke less than men have nearly the same amount of measurable emphysema (i.e. damaged air sacs in the lungs). This was true even though the men had smoked significantly more—four more cigarettes per day, on average—than the women in the study.

It's important to note that, as a whole, men actually tend to have worse emphysema than women. However, research suggests that this is largely due to the fact that men tend to smoke more heavily; on average, male smokers in the US have a whopping 33% more pack-years than women, with women averaging 15 pack years and men averaging 20.

However, women still sustain a disproportionately large amount of lung damage despite smoking less—and even starting smoking later—than men. While researchers aren't exactly sure why this happens, they believe this phenomenon could be the result of certain biological features in women that predispose their lungs to smoking-related damage.

These biological features include female hormones like estrogen and progesterone, which have been shown to play a role in how the lungs respond to cigarette smoke. Women also tend to have smaller airway spaces than men, which some researchers believe could result in the airways getting a higher dose of toxins when they're exposed to cigarette smoke.

This effect might not be limited to smoking, however; some studies suggest that women's lungs might be more sensitive to other kinds of respiratory hazards, like air pollution, chemical fumes, and second-hand smoke. This is bolstered by the fact that even women who have never smoked before in their lives get COPD at significantly higher rates than men who have never smoked; nearly 80% of nonsmokers with COPD are women.

What Women with COPD Can Do About It:

Quit Smoking

If you are a woman who smokes, quitting smoking is one of the best possible things you can do for your health. There's no way to reverse the damage that's already done, but you can prevent additional damage—and reap a ton of other benefits—if you stop smoking now.

Check out the following guides to learn everything you've ever wanted to know about quitting smoking:

• How to Quit Smoking Part 1: Overcoming Doubts & Finding Resources to Help You Quit
• How to Quit Smoking Part 2: Coping with Nicotine Withdrawal & Choosing a Quit-Smoking Medication
• How to Quit Smoking Part 3: Taking the First Steps & Strategies for Staying Smoke Free

Protect Your Lungs from Potential Hazards

Women should also be extra careful about exposing their lungs to other respiratory hazards, since they seem to be extra vulnerable to their damaging effects. For example, women—like all people—should avoid hazardous occupations (e.g. jobs that expose you to exhaust fumes or dust) and take steps to reduce indoor air pollution in their homes (e.g. avoid using wood-burning stoves, noxious chemicals, and other products that release harmful fumes indoors).

Protecting your lungs from these hazards can also help prevent irritation, inflammation, and flare-ups that make COPD symptoms harder to control. It can also reduce your risk for COPD exacerbations, which can cause additional, permanent lung damage and lung function decline.

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We'll discuss more about how to avoid common respiratory hazards (and link you to several in-depth guides on the topic) in the sections below.

Women Have a Higher Risk of Getting COPD than Men

As we discussed in the previous section, women's lungs tend to be more vulnerable to respiratory irritants than men and tend to sustain more lung damage from each cigarette they smoke. Therefore, it should be no surprise that this causes women to have an overall higher risk for developing COPD than men.

Research suggests that this difference is quite significant; one large systematic review found that women who smoke are fifty percent more likely to get COPD than men who smoke. Other studies show that women tend to be more likely to get COPD from lesser amounts of smoking, and also tend to develop COPD earlier in life.

However, because COPD is such a complicated disease that usually develops years after the exposure that causes it, pinning down the exact reason for gender differences in COPD risk difficult. In addition to biological factors, there are likely a variety of social, lifestyle, and demographic factors at play, such as: gender-related differences in healthcare accessibility, healthcare quality, smoking behaviors, geographical location, and more.

What Women with COPD Can Do About It:

Take Good Care of Your Lungs

The only reliable way to reduce your risk for COPD is to protect your lungs from smoke and other respiratory irritants (like air pollution) throughout your lifetime. The more frequently your lungs are exposed to and inflamed by respiratory hazards, the more you put yourself at risk for lung diseases like COPD.

Because women are more susceptible to COPD, women should be extra careful about what they breathe into their lungs. That means not smoking, or quitting if you do, and doing your best to breathe clean, pollutant-free air as much as possible.

Of course, there's only so much you can do about certain respiratory irritants like outdoor air pollution. But even if you live in a place with low air quality, you can still take steps to reduce how much air pollution breathe (e.g. planning outdoor activities for times when your local air pollution is low).

Here is a list of some of the major respiratory irritants that can increase your risk for COPD:

• Second-hand smoke
• Any kind of smoke or combustion fumes (e.g. smoke from fireplaces, wood-burning stoves, car exhaust, cooking fumes, etc.)
• Radon gas (a common radioactive gas found in homes that can only be detected with a proper radon test)
• Common commercial cleaning and pest-control products
• Many crafting, renovation, and construction materials, including paints, treated lumber, adhesives, solvents, new carpets and flooring, etc.
• Occupational hazards like dust, chemical fumes, and diesel exhaust

It's worth mentioning that, even though any kind of respiratory irritant can be dangerous if you're exposed to it long term, smoking is by far the biggest hazard and the most important one to avoid. Smoking is responsible for more cases of COPD than anything else; a full 85 to 90 percent of all COPD cases are caused by smoking.

Check out the following guides for even more tips about what you can do to avoid respiratory irritants and reduce your risk for COPD:

• How Volatile Organic Compounds Harm Your Lungs, and How to Avoid Them
• How to Cope with Poor Outdoor Air Quality
• How to Protect a Child from Lung Diseases Like COPD

Reduce Sources of Pollution in Your Home

Even though we've already stressed the importance of avoiding respiratory irritants, it's important to discuss indoor air pollution specifically, especially since women tend to be exposed to this type of pollution the most. That's because, even in modern times, women tend to spend more time than men at home doing household tasks that could be hazardous to their lungs.

Cooking and cleaning, for example, two major sources of exposure to respiratory irritants at home. In fact, research shows that non-smoking women who cook more often—and have smokier kitchens when they cook—are more likely to develop COPD.

Fumes from cleaning products, especially chemicals like ammonia and bleach, can also damage your lungs and increase your risk for COPD. Luckily, there are many things you can do to reduce the risks from cooking and cleaning, but you need to do them consistently to keep the air in your home clean.

One of the best things you can do is establish a good ventilation system in your kitchen and any rooms you use chemicals to clean. The goal is to create an air flow that funnels the fumes outdoors, and you can do this with a fume hood (e.g. above your kitchen stove), a ventilation fan (which many bathrooms have pre-installed), or simply by opening up some windows to allow the fumes to escape.

You can also reduce your exposure to chemical irritants by being more selective about what kinds of products you use. Many household cleaning products can be hazardous, so it's a good idea to look at the labels of everything you buy and try to find alternative products that are safer for your lungs.

These are just a few of many possible steps you can take to keep your indoor air as clean as possible. For more tips about how to cook and clean more safely and reduce other sources of air pollution in your home, check out the following guides from our Respiratory Resource Center:

• How to Improve Your Indoor Air Quality for COPD
• How Cleaning Products Can Damage Your Lungs, and What You Can Do to Prevent It
• Your Complete Guide to Choosing an Indoor Air Filter to Improve Your COPD Symptoms
• Spring Cleaning Tips for Healthy Lungs & COPD

Women are Less Likely to Receive a Correct COPD Diagnosis

Unfortunately, women with COPD tend to be disadvantaged in the US healthcare system, and the problem begins at the very first step: women with COPD are less likely to get an accurate COPD diagnosis, more likely to get misdiagnosed with asthma, and tend to get diagnosed later (as in after the disease has progressed further) than men.

One of the main reasons for these discrepancies seems to be doctor bias that affects how they evaluate men vs. women with symptoms that could be a sign of COPD. As a result, women with COPD symptoms are less likely to receive a spirometry test than men, which is likely the primary reason that women are under-diagnosed compared to men.

Spirometry tests are the most powerful tool that doctors have to diagnose COPD, and getting one is vital for an accurate COPD diagnosis. In fact, research shows that the gap between COPD diagnosis rates in men versus women is reduced when doctors have spirometry test data to help them make their diagnoses.

This suggests that, if doctors just did spirometry testing in a more consistent manner, they could significantly reduce or eliminate the diagnosis divide between women and men. However, while this might sound simple, it's not such an easy task; this issue is part of a wider problem of gender bias in healthcare that sees women disadvantaged in a wide range of different ways.

Fortunately, these long-standing issues have received a lot more attention in recent years. As doctors and researchers continue to investigate these gender biases in healthcare, they can develop new strategies for addressing them and reducing the negative effects they have on patients.

What Women with COPD Can Do About It:

Be on the Look Out for COPD Symptoms

Women, and especially women who have risk factors for lung disease, need to be on the lookout for signs of COPD as they age. Never ignore any long-term changes in your respiratory symptoms, especially persistent coughing or shortness of breath.

If you do notice any changes, makes sure to bring them up with your doctor as soon as soon as possible after they occur. The earlier you get diagnosed, the earlier you can get treatment that can improve your quality of life and the long-term outlook for your health.

To learn more about how to recognize the early symptoms of COPD, check out the following guides:

• When Should You Get Tested for COPD?
• Everything You Need to Know About Lung Disease Diagnosis

Advocate for Yourself

Ideally, every doctor would always treat men and women equally and would know how to properly diagnose COPD in women just as well as men. However, this is unfortunately not the case, and the responsibility often falls instead on women patients to advocate for themselves.

Unfortunately, this isn't always easy to do, especially if you (like many people) find medical professionals intimidating or simply have trouble speaking up at the right times. Luckily, being a good self-advocate is something you can learn, and you can even enlist others to help you if you need.

One way to become a better self-advocate is to be more pro-active about your health in general. That means educating yourself about your body and common disease symptoms, and being diligent about bringing things up with your doctor if you have any symptoms or concerns.

It could also mean standing up for yourself if a medical professional doesn't take your concerns seriously. If you think that something you're worried about needs to be looked into further, don't rely on your doctor bring up the next step; if you go to your doctor with persistent respiratory symptoms, for example, you might need to ask your doctor specifically to do a diagnostic spirometry test.

If you're unable to advocate for yourself for any reason, or simply need some backup, you can always bring someone else to advocate on your behalf. Sometimes, two voices are more effective than one at getting stubborn healthcare professionals to listen to your needs.

It's also important for women to be aware of doctors potential biases and find a doctor they can trust. Your doctor should be someone who listens, respects your concerns, and never ignores

COPD is a complicated disease that comes with a variety of extraneous health concerns, including an increased risk for several other serious diseases. One of those diseases is lung cancer, a condition that is quite different from COPD, but still linked to the chronic lung disease in numerous ways.

Research shows people who have COPD are about twice as likely to develop lung cancer than people who don't have COPD. Unfortunately, research suggests that the vast majority of people with COPD have no idea about this increased lung cancer risk.

This lack of awareness is dangerous, because unaware COPD patients may be less likely to take important cancer-prevention measures or watch for lung cancer symptoms. This can result in fewer lung cancer screenings, later lung cancer diagnoses, and fewer efforts among COPD patients to make healthy lifestyle changes that could lower their lung cancer risk.

In this post, we're going to take a closer look at why there's such a strong connection between these two deadly lung diseases, including what factors tie them together and what sets them apart. We'll also discuss what this elevated risk for lung cancer means for people with COPD, explaining what types of lung cancers you might be at risk for and what you can do, specifically, to reduce your future lung cancer risk.

Lung Cancer and COPD: Fundamentally Different Yet Fundamentally Linked

At first, it might seem strange that lung cancer and COPD are linked at all, especially when they are such vastly different types of diseases. After all, COPD is a chronic, lifelong illnesses and cancer is, well... cancer! And we often tend to think about cancer as a unique type of disease in a category all on its own.

But, while it's true that lung cancer and COPD are fundamentally different diseases, they actually have many characteristics in common—aside from the fact that they both affect the lungs. For example, both diseases can cause very similar breathing symptoms and they even share many of the same risk factors and causes.

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But to understand why having COPD increases your risk for lung cancer, you'll first need some basic knowledge about both of these diseases and how they work. Then, we can take a closer look at some key similarities and differences between lung cancer and COPD that can shed some light on how they're connected.

In the next few sections, we'll explain everything you need to know about lung cancer and COPD to get the most out of this guide, including what causes both diseases, how they develop, and how their progression compares.

Then, we'll jump right into discussing how the diseases are linked before giving you some helpful, science-based tips for how to reduce your risk for lung cancer if you have COPD.

The Basics of Lung Cancer vs COPD

Lung cancer is a deadly disease caused by cancerous cells and tumors growing inside the lungs. It is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the US, killing more people than breast cancer, prostate cancer, and colorectal cancer combined; however, lung cancer can be cured with proper treatment in some cases, especially if you catch it early on.

By contrast, COPD is a chronic, lifelong disease that can be treated, but not cured. It is largely caused by damage and inflammation in the lung tissues and airways that makes it more and more difficult to breathe as the disease progresses.

Lung cancer begins as soon as cancerous cells appear in the lungs, though it can take some time before the cancer is detectable or the first symptoms start to appear. COPD, on the other hand, often doesn't have a clear beginning, as it is the result of chronic lung inflammation that occurs over the course of many years.

Most of the time, COPD is caused by smoking and long-term exposure to respiratory irritants like secondhand smoke and air pollution. Smoking is also the number one cause of lung cancer, though other respiratory irritants and carcinogenic substances (e.g. asbestos and radon gas) can also cause lung cancer, especially if you are exposed to them repeatedly over time.

How Cancerous Mutations Take Over Your Lungs

Cancerous lung cells start as normal lung cells that become cancerous after acquiring certain types of DNA mutations. However, not all cell mutations are cancerous; some mutations are harmless, while others get corrected (or the whole cell gets destroyed) before they cause any problems.

So what is it exactly that makes a cancer cell different—and more dangerous—than a cell with a non-cancerous mutation or a healthy, normal cell? The answer is that cells only become cancerous when they develop several specific types of mutations that cause the cell to stop following certain “rules.”

In particular, cancer cells have mutations that allow them to multiply freely and ignore the usual controls that constrain how and when cells divide. They also have mutations that allow them to escape the body's natural defenses that would otherwise repair or destroy these mutated cells.

These cancerous cells are dangerous because the body can't detect and destroy them on its own; this allows the cancer cells to multiply out of control and spread to places they're never supposed to be. Eventually, these rogue cells begin to interfere with normal biological functions, though their exact effects depend on where the cancer is located and what types of mutations the cancer cells have.

Carcinogens and Lung Cancer

One thing that's important to know about cell mutations is that they can happen essentially by chance. They can happen any time a cell multiplies, or any time a cell's DNA gets copied, duplicated, or repaired.

However, some things—known as carcinogens—can cause a significant increase in DNA mutations. More mutations means a higher risk for cancer, since it creates more opportunities for a cancerous mutation to occur.

Some carcinogens, like UV radiation from sunlight, can mutate DNA directly by striking the DNA molecules or triggering a chemical reaction that damages DNA inside a cell. Other carcinogens, like tobacco smoke, indirectly mutate DNA by causing repeated inflammation and injury that damages DNA both in the cells it touches and in the surrounding tissues that get inflamed.

In general, your risk for cancer gets higher the more frequently you're exposed to cancer hazards. It's kind of like rolling a dice; your chances of developing a cancerous mutation on any given roll is very low, but the more times you roll the dice, the more likely you are to “roll” a cancerous mutation eventually.

Different Diseases, Similar Symptoms

As we explained in the section above, lung cancer happens via a completely different biological mechanism than COPD. However, both diseases directly affect the lungs' ability to function, which means both diseases can cause some of the same respiratory symptoms.

COPD causes breathing symptoms because the damage it does to your lungs and airways restricts airflow to the lungs and reduces how much oxygen they can absorb. Lung cancer causes cancer cells to spread across healthy lung tissue and/or form tumors on the lungs, which interferes with normal functions and makes it more difficult to breathe.

Symptoms of COPD:

• Shortness of breath
• Difficulty breathing
• Chronic cough (especially a wet cough that produces phlegm)
• Wheezing
• Chest tightness
• Fatigue
• Frequent respiratory infections
• Swelling in legs, ankles, or feet
• Unexplained weight loss (in the advanced stages of COPD)
  
  

Symptoms of Lung Cancer:

• Shortness of breath
• Difficulty breathing
• Persistent cough (dry or wet)
• Coughing up blood (or blood-streaked mucus)
• Chest pain
• Wheezing
• Hoarse voice
• Recurring lung infections
• Chronic weakness or fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Unexplained weight loss

Now, while some of these symptoms seem very similar, they can present themselves very differently in people with lung cancer versus people with COPD. Also, it's important to remember that every case of lung cancer and COPD is different, and symptoms can vary widely between people with the same disease.

One major difference between lung cancer and COPD symptoms is that COPD symptoms are life-long and don't get much better with treatment or time. They often start out very mild in the early stages of COPD and slowly get worse over the course of months and years.

Lung cancer symptoms, on the other hand, can get better with successful treatment and even fully disappear if the cancer is cured. However, symptoms often don't show up until the later stages of cancer, when the cancer is much less treatable and has likely already spread.

People who are diagnosed with early-stage COPD can live with the disease for many years before the symptoms get severe enough to significantly burden their lives. People with moderate to severe lung cancer symptoms are not likely to live long with the disease unless their cancer can be successfully treated or cured.

Certain Types of Lung Cancer are More Strongly Associated with COPD

There are at least a dozen different kinds of lung cancer, but the most common ones fall into one of two main types: small cell lung cancer (SCLC) or non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Non-small cell lung cancers are by far the most common, and they make up about 80-85 percent of all lung cancers.

Compared to non-small cell lung cancers, small-cell lung cancers tend to be more aggressive and progress more quickly. However, every case of lung cancer is different, and how the disease presents and progresses can vary significantly from person to person.

All types of lung cancer are strongly associated with both smoking and COPD. About 85 percent of all lung cancers are caused by smoking, and about 40-70 percent of people with lung cancer also have COPD.

However, some types of lung cancer are more closely tied to smoking and COPD than others. People with COPD seem to be more prone to non-small cell lung cancers and have a particularly high risk for squamous cell carcinoma (a sub-type of NSCLC).

In fact, about half of all people who get non-small cell lung cancer also have COPD, and about 80 percent are current or former smokers. Small-cell lung cancers, by comparison, are almost always associated with smoking; up to 98 percent of of SCLC patients have a history of smoking.

Here is a table describing some of the most common types of lung cancers.

It's important to note that lung cancer doesn't always stay just in the lungs. Over time, lung cancer can become metastatic, which means that the cancer cells can break off and travel to other parts of the body.

This allows the cancer to take root in other organs, most commonly the bones, brain, liver, adrenal gland, and the other lung. When this happens, the resulting cancer is known as a secondary cancer, and it retains the same characteristics as the cancer it originally came from.

Why Do People With COPD Have a Higher Risk for Lung Cancer?

Now that you know the basics of how both lung cancer and COPD work, let's take a closer look at why one disease affects the other and how both of these diseases are so closely intertwined. We'll look at 3 main factors in particular that help explain the link: shared disease risk factors, accumulated lung damage, and individual susceptibility to lung disease.

Shared Risk Factors

One of the main links between COPD and lung cancer is that both diseases have many of the same risk factors and causes. A risk factor is essentially any kind of health problem, physical characteristic, behavior, or lifestyle factor that is known to increase your risk for developing a certain disease.

This means that some of the things that increase your chances of developing COPD—like tobacco smoke and certain respiratory toxins—can also increase your risk of developing lung cancer. In fact, up to 90% of both COPD cases and lung cancer cases are caused by smoking.

This makes sense if you consider the fact that COPD, just like lung cancer, is associated with repeated damage and inflammation in the lungs. Even if you're not a smoker, being diagnosed with COPD means that you are more likely than people who don't have COPD to have other risk factors that increase your chances of getting lung cancer in the future.

Let's take a closer look at the risk factors for both lung cancer and COPD. Though some of the risk factors differ, you should notice that there are a lot that overlap.

Risk Factors for Lung Cancer:

• Older age
• Smoking tobacco (responsible for about 80% of lung cancer deaths)
• Exposure to secondhand smoke (responsible for up to 7 thousand deaths per year)
• Exposure to radon gas (the second most common cause of lung cancer)
• Exposure to asbestos (especially in an occupational environment)
• Exposure to other carcinogens at work (e.g. diesel exhaust fumes, coal compounds, silica dust, arsenic, etc.)
• Exposure to air pollution
• Previous radiation therapy
• Family history of lung cancer

Risk Factors for COPD:

• Older age
• Smoking tobacco (the number one cause of COPD)
• Exposure to secondhand smoke
• Exposure to radon gas
• Exposure to asbestos
• Exposure to other respiratory irritants, including hazardous fumes, chemicals, and airborne particles, especially in an occupational environment (e.g. dust, car exhaust, and fumes from products like cleaning solutions, adhesives, treated lumber, etc.)
• Exposure to air pollution
• A history of frequent or severe respiratory infections (especially during childhood)
• Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (a rare genetic disease)

Lung Damage Caused by COPD

While common risk factors (like genetics) and common causes (like smoking) explain some of the relationship between lung cancer and COPD, there are other factors at play. Research shows that simply having COPD is an independent risk factor for lung cancer on its own.

Researchers also believe that certain types of lung cancer—squamous cell carcinoma, in particular—are the result of COPD-related inflammation in the lungs. After all, chronic inflammation is a well-known cause of cancer as well as an inherent characteristic of COPD

This chronic inflammation causes certain physiological changes to lung tissues, including a decrease in DNA repair proteins and an increase in oxidative stress. These changes—along with the repeated cycles of inflammation, damage, and repair—can lead to cancerous mutations.

If you've spent much time at all reading about COPD online, you've probably come across articles and advertisements for “natural” therapies and alternative treatments for COPD. These include things like vitamin supplements, lung detox cleanses, and unconventional medical treatments (like stem cell therapy) that claim to relieve COPD symptoms, regenerate lung function, or even cure chronic lung disease.

These treatments might seem promising at first glance, but the vast majority of “alternative” COPD treatments just don't live up to the hype. Most are unproven, dis-proven, or simply have very little, if any, real health benefits to offer at all.

However, the hope (however false) that these treatments offer is undeniably—and understandably—enticing to many people with COPD and other chronic respiratory diseases. The appeal is even stronger for patients struggling with severe breathing symptoms who don't get the results they want from conventional treatments for lung disease.

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Because of this, it's no wonder that many people with COPD and other chronic health conditions turn to “natural” and alternative treatments for relief. Unfortunately, even though many of these treatments (e.g. vitamin supplements) might seem harmless, they can be risky and even dangerous in ways that you might not expect.

In this post, we're going to take a look at some of the most popular “natural” and alternative COPD treatments to see whether they work as advertised and what they're all about. We'll do our best to take an objective approach that considers both the available research on each “treatment” as well as expert reviews and opinions on how safe and effective the therapy is.

We'll also discuss some simple strategies that can help you recognize dubious treatments and unreliable health advice in general. That way you can better protect yourself from all kinds of health and disease misinformation, not just the stuff related to COPD and respiratory disease.

Recognizing & Understanding COPD Treatment Scams

Lots of people are interested in the idea of “natural” or “alternative” medicine, and its a particularly common topic to stumble upon online. And while some of these treatments do have some proven benefits, most of them don't meet the standards required to qualify as a valid treatment for COPD.

Unfortunately, figuring out what works and what doesn't isn't easy, especially in the murky waters of social media and amid the explosion of health product endorsements online. Let's take a closer look at this phenomenon and how it can lead well-meaning people to spread misinformation that exploits the hopes of people suffering from COPD and other chronic health conditions.

Misinformation Can Be Sneaky: Beware of What You Read Online

You can find ads, articles, and social media posts making untrue claims about dubious COPD treatments in just about every corner of the internet—often right alongside valid information about proven COPD treatments. Without further investigation, it's impossible to tell what's legitimate, what's inaccurate, and what's a downright scam.

This is especially difficult when misinformation is posted with good intent by well-meaning people who believe it to be true. After all, health, disease, and disease treatment are all extremely complex topics that take a great deal of experience and expertise to fully understand.

There are also bad actors who intentionally peddle false treatments in order to take advantage of patients, caregivers, and loved ones seeking alternative solutions for their health problems. They deliberately twist the truth by misrepresenting science and cherry-picking data to make their “treatments” sound more legitimate or effective than they really are.

Unfortunately, the internet is the perfect environment for misinformation to spread and multiply, a fact that scammers and snake oil salesman are all too eager to exploit. It allows them to not only spread their lies with little pushback, but also reach a massive audience of people with minimal effort and expense.

That's why you should never take endorsements for natural, alternative, or novel COPD therapies at their word; always take the time to investigate and verify first. Fortunately, there are plenty of expert resources that can help us better understand the science behind these “treatments” and determine which ones are legitimate and what's too good to be true.

We consulted a large number of academic studies and other expert resources for this guide, and you'll find the links to all these sources sprinkled throughout the following sections. For even more information about COPD treatments and how to manage your COPD symptoms, check out our large repository of practical COPD guides in our Respiratory Resource Center.

The Different Flavors of COPD Treatment Scams

Natural and alternative COPD treatments (whether legitimate or sham) aren't limited to any particular type or category. Just as legitimate COPD treatments take several different forms (e.g. medication, diet & lifestyle changes, etc), you can find alternative treatments that fit each of those categories and more.

For the sake of this guide, we're going to group the most common natural and alternative COPD treatments into four different categories. This lets us more easily compare alternative treatments with common characteristics and tease out the differences between those that work and those that don't.

Here's a quick summary of the four main types of natural and alternative COPD treatments you're likely to come across online:

• Supplements & Nutrition-Based Treatments: These include specific vitamins, herbs, and other supplements that advocates claim can relieve COPD symptoms or improve the disease itself in some way.
• Lung “Detox” Treatments: These are treatments that claim to cleanse your lungs (and therefore make them healthier & relieve respiratory symptoms) by getting rid of toxins or other supposedly harmful substances from your lungs.
• Lifestyle remedies: These include activities, habits, and lifestyle changes that are claimed to relieve COPD symptoms or otherwise improve the disease.
• Stem Cell Treatments: These are cellular therapies involving stem cells—usually offered by private clinics—that are advertised to reduce lung disease symptoms or reverse the course of COPD.

Measuring The Merits of Alternative Treatments for COPD

It's important to acknowledge that evaluating disease treatments is a complicated and nuanced process. It's involves not only determining if a treatment works, but how it works, how well it works, and if the potential benefits are worth the potential risks.

It often takes years of research and expert analysis to evaluate a new treatment, and the answers are often not clear cut. That's why we have to consider a spectrum of possibilities for natural and alternative COPD treatments, including the possibility that some treatments might have marginal benefits even if they don't live up to the promises that the people promoting the treatments make.

For each treatment we discuss in this guide, we'll present a brief overview of the available research and what that research means for people with COPD. Our goal is to give you a better idea of each treatment's overall effectiveness and whether or not it has proven merit as a treatment for COPD.

Keep in mind that what we've included in this guide is just a snapshot of all the available information out there on these topics. It is not a comprehensive guide, and it's certainly not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice.

It's always best to consult your doctor or other specialists involved in your treatment who know the most about your particular health needs. They can offer the best advice about what kinds of medications, supplements, and other treatments are right for you.

A Note on Conventional Medicine

Because the point of this guide is to identify unproven or “sham” COPD treatments, we won't be talking much about “conventional” COPD treatments in this guide. Treatments used in standard COPD healthcare—such as inhalers, antibiotics, and steroid medications—have already been thoroughly vetted by experts and are widely accepted as the most effective ways to treat COPD.

In this guide, we're focusing instead on non-traditional remedies: things that are not usually considered to be a standard part of COPD healthcare. Almost by definition, these remedies haven't (yet) met the high standard of evidence that medical experts generally require before incorporating a treatment into conventional medical care.

In this guide, we'll attempt to untangle which—if any—of the most popular natural and alternative COPD remedies actually have any merit, as well as which ones are dangerous, disproven, or downright scams. We'll also discuss some of the common fallacies and science misinterpretations that underlie many these false health claims.

If you're interested in learning more about conventional COPD treatments, we've included links to several guides on the topic below. These guides will give you a more in-depth look at all the major COPD therapies, including the research on why, how, and how well the treatments work.

• How Supplemental Oxygen Therapy Treats COPD
• How Antibiotics Work to Treat COPD Exacerbations
• How COPD Inhalers Work: An In-Depth Look at Long-acting and Short-acting Bronchodilators
• How Steroid Medications Work to Treat COPD

A Note on Self-Prescribing Natural & Alternative Treatments

While we will continue point this out in specific examples throughout this guide, we think think it's important to emphasize how risky is can be to start any kind of natural or alternative treatment on your own. “Natural” does not mean harmless, and even the most benign-sounding natural and alternative “treatments” can come with some serious risks.

For example, one 2015 study found that there is an average of 23,000 emergency room visits every year in the US related to dietary supplements alone. Other studies have found that some “natural” and herbal supplements were tainted with potentially dangerous prescription drugs (you can find a list of these products here on the FDA's website).

That said, many natural and alternative treatments are available right over the counter at your local pharmacy or grocery store. But just because they're widely available doesn't mean they work (or that they're safe), which is why it's always best to talk to your doctor before starting any kind of new health treatment— even if it's just a “natural” vitamin supplement or dietary routine.

Even if you do decide to go ahead and start a new treatment without your doctor's input, it's still very important to let your doctor know. Your doctor needs accurate, up-to-date information about your health to give you the best possible treatment, and that means he needs to know about every medication, vitamin, supplement, natural remedy, and alternative treatment you use.

Nutritional Supplements & Herbal Treatments for COPD: Do They Work?

If you've ever taken a look at the supplement aisle at your local grocery store or pharmacy, you've probably noticed the rows and rows of supplements on sale. If you take the claims on the bottle at face value, it seems like there's a supplement for everything from anxiety and depression to digestive issues and chronic pain.

Supplements are by far the most popular category of natural treatments. This is no wonder since they're available just about everywhere and make such appealing claims. They're used by wide variety of people—both healthy and unhealthy—to treat an astonishingly wide variety of health conditions and concerns.

Supplements touted as COPD treatments are claimed to bestow a variety of different benefits including better lung function and reduced COPD symptoms like breathlessness and fatigue. Unfortunately, research on these treatments tends to come up with weak, disappointing, or inconsistent results.

That said, many supplements are relatively harmless and inexpensive, which is why so many people are willing to give them a try, even if they don't get concrete results. Polls show that 86% of Americans take supplements, while only 24% of them have a diagnosed nutrient deficiency.

In the following sections, we're going to take a closer look at some of the most popular categories of supplements for COPD. These include: vitamin & mineral supplements, herbal supplements, and anti-oxidant supplements.

Vitamin & Minerals Supplements: 7 Dubious “Natural” Remedies for COPD

Vitamin and mineral supplements are a tricky issue, because they definitely do have a legitimate benefits for some people in some situations. The problem is that they're often useless—and sometimes even harmful—when self-prescribed.

Most supplements are only proven to work when prescribed by a doctor for very specific conditions, such as confirmed nutrient deficiencies and complications of certain diseases. That means that, unless they're specifically recommended by your doctor, over-the-counter supplements are not likely to have any beneficial effect on your COPD.

Generally, most people only need enough vitamins and nutrients to meet the minimum threshold for what their body needs to function. In most cases, taking extra vitamins and nutrients beyond that threshold doesn't “enhance” the body's functioning—they just go to waste.

The same logic applies to “superfoods” and other nutrient-rich foods that are touted as having specific health effects. While eating healthy foods is important, eating any one specific healthy food generally isn't; you can get just as good of results from eating a balanced diet made up of a wide variety of different healthy foods.

Of course, some people with COPD have nutrient deficiencies, and certain types of nutrient deficiencies are more common in people with COPD. The main problem with vitamin and mineral “remedies” for COPD is that they're not advertised as a treatment for a deficiency—they're claimed to have specific health effects all on their own.

In most cases, those claims are unsubstantiated; though research has found that some vitamins are correlated with improved COPD symptoms, they usually fail to find any causal link between taking vitamin supplements and improvements COPD.

Here's how one research review put it: “Although there are many studies that associate vitamins with improvement in lung function tests, there is no clear evidence of the benefit of vitamin supplements. Most studies regarding supplements showed no benefit of multivitamin supplementation in symptoms, spirometric function or hospitalization for COPD.”

But for the sake of of debunking some common natural COPD remedy myths, let's take a closer look at some of the most common vitamin and mineral remedies touted as treatments for COPD.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is probably the most frequently recommended supplement for COPD. This is partially because people with COPD have a higher-than-average incidence of vitamin D deficiency, but also because vitamin D is known to play an important role in immune system function and general respiratory health.

Proponents of vitamin D sometimes claim that vitamin D supplements can improve breathing function, reduce exacerbations, and relieve other symptoms of COPD. This idea is supported by research that has found improvements in some patients' COPD symptoms after giving those patients supplements (or injections) containing vitamin D.

However, studies that actually measure patients' vitamin D levels before the start of vitamin D treatment have repeatedly found that the only patients who benefit are the ones who started out deficient in vitamin D. This indicates that vitamin D supplements don't improve general, baseline COPD symptoms, but rather symptoms that have been exacerbated by a vitamin D deficiency.

Even so, there is some discussion in the medical community about whether or not it's worth it to recommend vitamin D supplements to patients as a preventative measure against vitamin D deficiency. That's because minor vitamin D deficiencies (often referred to as “vitamin D insufficiencies”) are relatively common, and because vitamin D supplements are relatively safe in doses up to 2,000 IU (or 50 mcg) daily.

Ultimately, however, the only COPD patients who are likely to benefit from vitamin D supplements are those who are not getting enough vitamin D in the first place. Since most people get up to 90% of their vitamin D from the sun, you might have a higher risk of being deficient if you have don't spend much time outside or you don't get enough of the right kind of sunlight where you live.

If you think you might be deficient in vitamin D, the first step is to schedule an appointment with your doctor. Depending on the circumstances, your doctor might recommend formally testing your vitamin D levels or he might treat you for a deficiency based on your symptoms and risk factors alone.

Magnesium

Magnesium is an essential mineral that plays an important role in lung function and breathing, and some studies have even found correlation between low magnesium levels and an increased risk of COPD exacerbations. Because of this, it's no surprise that magnesium supplements are frequently touted as a natural treatment for COPD.

Unfortunately, while intravenous magnesium is considered a valid COPD treatment for patients hospitalized with COPD exacerbations, there is no evidence that magnesium supplements have any benefit for people with asthma or COPD. In fact, some research suggests that taking too much magnesium can have respiratory side effects that could be particularly dangerous for people with respiratory diseases.

One the most serious potential side effects is pulmonary edema, which causes the lungs to fill up with fluid and can lead to acute respiratory distress. Another danger of magnesium is that it interacts with many common medications (e.g. by making them less effective), including antibiotics, blood thinners, and medications used to treat osteoporosis, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

Because of these and other risks—and the fact that there's little or no evidence of benefit—magnesium supplements are not generally recommended for the general public or for people with COPD. Despite this, research shows that up to one third of COPD patients might be deficient in magnesium, and magnesium supplements are considered to be relatively safe in doses of up to 350mg daily daily (for adults).

However, this doesn't mean that you shouldn't still talk to your doctor before starting magnesium supplements, even if you think that you're magnesium deficient. It's important to get your doctor's opinion on whether magnesium supplements are safe for your condition and to make sure that they won't interfere with any other medications you take.

Calcium

Calcium is a mineral that's often included in lists of natural supplements and treatments for COPD. This is likely because it's an important nutrient for preventing osteoporosis, which is a condition that's especially common in older adults and people with COPD.

Unfortunately, this leads some to mistake calcium as a type of COPD treatment, despite the fact that calcium doesn't have any kind of direct impact on COPD or its symptoms. However, osteoporosis can cause injuries and mobility difficulties that can significantly effect your ability to manage your COPD.

If you don't get enough calcium, your bones can start to lose density, which makes them brittle and weak. This can lead to a variety of detrimental health effects—including instability, falls, bone fractures, and loss of physical mobility—that can lead to a downward spiral of poor health and worsened COPD.

The best way to make sure you're meeting your daily calcium requirements (about 1,200 mg daily for older adults) is to eat calcium-rich foods like dairy and calcium-fortified foods.

Lungs affected by COPD are very sensitive, particularly to things like respiratory irritants, physical strain, and less-than-ideal breathing conditions (such as hot or humid air). Because of this, if you have COPD, you've probably noticed that your COPD symptoms tend to flare up in certain environments or when you do certain things.

Many common habits and everyday activities can trigger COPD symptoms, and your lungs tend to get even more sensitive to these things as the disease progresses. Because of this, a vital part of learning how to manage your COPD symptoms effectively is learning how to protect your lungs from these triggers.

In some cases, that means going out of your way to avoid—or find a different approach—to activities and situations that can make your symptoms worse. Recognizing these situations can be a bit tricky, however, because many things can affect your lungs without causing obvious or immediate symptoms.

For every COPD trigger that you notice, there are likely others that you don't. Unfortunately, the hazards you don't know about can actually be the most dangerous; you can expose yourself to them over and over again without even realizing they pose a risk.

For example, most people with COPD know they're supposed to stay away from cigarette smoke, but many don't realize that using common household cleaning solutions can also harm their lungs. And that's just one of a plethora of lesser-known activities that can harm your lungs and/or exacerbate COPD symptoms.

In this guide, we've put together a list of more than a dozen different activities that can be dangerous or risky for people with COPD. We cover the little things—like sleeping in the wrong position at night—and the bigger, complex issues, like dangerous eating habits and ignoring serious symptoms that could signal a medical emergency.

Some of the things you see on this list might seem familiar, but you're bound to learn something new as you go through this guide. Our goal is to help you recognize at least a few activities that you didn't know were risky before, and to provide you with some practical tools and techniques you can use to protect yourself from those hazards in the future.

You'll find links to many expert online resources throughout this guide that you can use to learn even more about COPD hazards and what you can do to avoid them. We've also provided links to several other practical COPD health and wellness guides from our Respiratory Resource Center, where you can find even more detailed advice and information that expands on many of the topics covered in this post.

Activities & Habits You Should Avoid if You Have COPD

Cooking Without Ventilation

Many people don't realize that cooking releases smoke, oils, and other pollutants into the air that are harmful to your lungs. In fact, research shows that people who cook often—and are thus exposed to these fumes repeatedly over time—have reduced lung function, increased respiratory symptoms, and a higher risk for developing COPD.

Even short-term exposure to cooking fumes can affect your lungs and make your COPD symptoms worse. Prolonged or repeated exposure is even more risky and has the potential to cause additional long-term damage to your lungs.

This is why it's important to use proper ventilation while you cook, especially if you or anyone in your household has COPD. This can not only substantially reduce your exposure to respiratory irritants while you're cooking, but it also prevents the pollution from building up inside your home.

If you have windows in your kitchen, opening them up before you start cooking is one simple way to ventilate the room. This isn't the most efficient form of ventilation, but it will allow the fumes to drift outdoors instead of staying trapped in the room.

You can ventilate your kitchen even more efficiently if you help the air current along using a fan (facing out the window) or a built-in kitchen vent. Some kitchens also have vent hoods installed directly over the stove to whisk away cooking fumes straight at the source.

However, kitchen vents and fume hoods only work this way if they are actually connected to a pipe that takes the air outside. Unfortunately, some “vents” that come in kitchens—especially those installed under cabinets and wall-mounted microwaves—are nothing more than recirculating fans that blow the fumes right back into the room.

To learn more about how to reduce indoor air pollution, check out our guide on How to Improve Your Air Quality at Home.

Drinking Alcohol Before Bed

While there's no blanket rule saying that people with COPD shouldn't drink, you should still be a little extra cautious with alcohol if you have COPD. One reason for this is that alcohol can cause a side effect known as respiratory depression, which causes you to breathe more slowly and take more shallow breaths than you normally would.

Mild respiratory depression also happens naturally during certain stages of sleep, which is another reason why many people with COPD have increased shortness of breath and difficulty sleeping through the night. If you drink alcohol too soon before bed, it can suppress your breathing even further, making it even harder to breathe effectively while you're asleep.

This is particularly dangerous if you have a health condition like sleep apnea or COPD that also affects your ability to breathe during the night. These conditions also cause nighttime breathing problems that significantly increase your risk for nighttime oxygen desaturation (PDF link), which happens when your blood oxygen levels fall too low while you sleep.

When you add a respiratory depressant like alcohol to the mix, you're even more likely to have trouble breathing and experience low blood oxygen levels at night. Unfortunately, because it happens while you're asleep, you might not even realize that you're not getting enough oxygen at night until it starts to take a toll on your health.

In the short term, nighttime oxygen deprivation can trigger uncomfortable morning symptoms (including headache, fatigue, and shortness of breath) that can linger throughout the day and make your COPD symptoms worse. Over the long term, nighttime oxygen desaturation can put you at risk for more serious health problems like cardiovascular damage and cognitive decline.

This is why, if you have COPD, you should be extra careful about not only how much alcohol you drink, but also when you drink it. That means drinking in moderation, avoiding alcohol too close to bedtime, and being careful not to mix alcohol with other medications that can cause respiratory depression (including opioids, sleeping pills, and other sedative medications).

Showering Without Ventilation

Showering is a difficult activity for many people with COPD. The physical exertion of showering makes many people feel breathless, and it tends to get worse as the heat and humidity from the shower fill up the room.

This can be difficult cope with every time you need to bathe, but ventilating your bathroom can make it much easier to bear. That's why, before you start your shower, you should always make sure there's a way for the heat and humidity to escape.

You can do this by opening a bathroom window or, ideally, using a proper ventilation fan. If your bathroom doesn't have either, it might be worth considering getting one installed; too much humidity doesn't only make it harder to breathe, but it also encourages mold growth.

Mold tends to grow in enclosed spaces where humidity lingers, and it's a serious respiratory hazard that makes COPD symptoms worse. In order to keep your home safe, you should always vent excess humidity and look out for signs of mold growth, especially in places like bathrooms, basements, walls, ceilings, and around water faucets and pipes.

Taking Over-the-Counter Medications (Without Your Doctor's Permission)

When you have a chronic disease like COPD, you have to be very cautious about what drugs and medications you take. Even things that might seem harmless, like supplements or over-the-counter medicines, have the potential to cause dangerous side effects or interact negatively with other medications.

For example, many cold medications, allergy medications, and decongestants that you can buy at the store can cause mild respiratory depression. This side-effect is usually not too much of a concern for healthy people, but it can worsen breathing problems in people with COPD.

It's also important to be aware that certain circumstances can amplify the side-effects of over-the-counter medications, which is why you should always read the directions and warnings for every medication you take. Fore example, medications that usually only cause mild respiratory depression can cause moderate to severe respiratory depression if you take them at night, in large does, or in combination with another medication that lists respiratory depression as a potential side effect.

This highlights the danger of drug interactions, which happens when you take two medications (or a medication and a supplement) that have different effects on your body when they're combined compared to when you take them alone. Depending on the type of interaction, this can make a medication less effective, make its effects stronger, or cause additional side effects to appear.

To be on the safe side, you should never take any new medications or supplements without getting input from your doctor first. Additionally, you should always tell your doctor about every medicine, herbal product, and supplement you take, no matter how small or insignificant you think it might be.

Smoking

Smoking is a huge lung hazard—one of the biggest—and it's important to bring up even though it might seem obvious to some. We want to emphasize that quitting smoking is always beneficial for your health, no matter how many years you've been smoking and no matter how advanced your COPD has become.

Unfortunately, many people with COPD don't think it's worth it to quit. It's a common misconception that it won't make much of a difference to stop smoking once you've already developed a smoking-related disease.

However, this way of thinking is not only false, but downright dangerous. Quitting smoking at any time has numerous short-term and long term benefits for your overall health and your COPD.

Research suggests that quitting smoking can actually improve your COPD symptoms, slow down lung function decline, and generally slow down the progression of the disease. On the other hand, continuing to smoke while you have COPD can worsen your COPD symptoms, make your lungs more prone to infection (PDF link), and cause you to have more frequent COPD exacerbations.

Smoking can also affect your baseline breathing ability, as COPD patients who smoke have quicker lung function decline (PDF link). What's more, COPD isn't the only smoking-related disease you can get; if you continue smoking, you increase your risk for lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, lung cancer, diabetes, stroke, and more.

There's a reason that quitting smoking is considered a vital, first-line treatment for COPD, and you shouldn't take it lightly. Even though quitting smoking is hard (really, really hard!), it's more than worth all the work it takes to make it happen.

And don't worry! You don't have to figure it out all on your own; there are tons of quit-smoking resources out there you can use for help.

If you'd like to learn how to get started or how to find all the quit-smoking resources you could ever need, check out our comprehensive, 3-part guide on how to quit smoking:

• Part 1: Overcoming Doubts & Finding Resources to Help You Quit
• Part 2: Coping with Nicotine Withdrawal & Choosing a Quit Smoking Medication
• Part 3: Taking the First Steps & Strategies for Staying Smoke Free

Doing Dusty, Dirty, & Hazardous Jobs

Pretty much all allergens and small particulates, including dust, pollen, and mold, can harm your lungs and trigger COPD symptoms if you breathe them in. Many chemicals emit lung-toxic fumes as well, and they can come from unexpected places, including household products and home construction materials like treated wood, varnishes, and paint.

Because of this, people with COPD should generally try to avoid going dirty jobs, particularly work that kicks up dust (and other airborne particles) or might expose you to chemical fumes. This includes many types of home maintenance projects, including home repair, renovations, and heavy cleaning projects around the house.

Whenever possible, you should ask someone else to help you with these jobs—or at least the most risky parts—so you don't have to put your already-compromised lungs at further risk. If you have the means, you should consider hiring professionals to do hazardous construction, renovation, and cleaning jobs (e.g. mold removal) for you.

You should also take care with materials that can release hazardous fumes into your house, including many types of paints, lumber, adhesives, and even new carpets and flooring. If you can't avoid them while they're being installed or used in your home, consider staying somewhere else for awhile until the fumes have time to dissipate.

If you have no other choice but to do a risky project on your own, make sure you wear respiratory protection and—most importantly—that use the appropriate type of respiratory protection for the job. Some things are fine to do with dust masks while others require full respirators for safety, and if you choose the wrong equipment it might not offer any protection at all.

To learn more about the correct type of respiratory protection equipment to use for various jobs, you can reference this guide from the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Going Outside When Air Pollution is High

Research shows that air pollution can have a significant impact on people with COPD; it can worsen breathing symptoms, increase your risk for exacerbation and hospitalization, and even increase your risk of death. Because of this, you should do your best to be mindful about when you go outside and try to stay indoors when your local pollution index is high.

You can find your current air pollution levels by checking your city's air quality index (AQI), which you can get from your local weather station or by looking up your zip code on airnow.gov. The air quality index is an simple, color-coded scale that tells you how healthy or unhealthy the outside air is to breathe.

In general, anytime air pollution rises above the yellow (moderate) zone, you should do two things: First, you should avoid spending time outside, and especially avoid doing any exercise or strenuous activity outdoors; that's because, when you exert yourself, you breathe in more air—and thus and more pollution—compared to when you're at rest.

Second, you should keep your doors and windows shut as much as possible on high-pollution days. You can still air out your home when air pollution is low, but if you don't check your local AQI first, you could accidentally invite all kinds of outdoor pollution to enter your home.

When you do exercise outside or do other activities outdoors, you should try to schedule them for times when air pollution is the lowest; often this is in the earlier and later hours of the day. You should also try to keep your plans flexible, that way you can easily reschedule them if the air quality ends up being too poor.

It helps if you familiarize yourself with the air quality patterns in your area, including how pollution levels tend to change throughout the day. If you look up your local air quality report on airnow.com, you can also get a breakdown of recent hour-by-hour trends.

(Image text: To see data on pollution trends in your area, you can look up your local air quality report on airnow.gov and click the button “local trends.”)

If you have seasonal allergies, you should also avoid spending too much time outside when pollen levels are high. You can look up your city or zip code on pollen.com to get all kinds of helpful allergen information, including your local pollen report, future allergen forecasts, and a breakdown of the types of pollen most prevalent in your area.

Cleaning with Common Products

Studies show that many household cleaning products release harmful fumes and aerosols that irritate your lungs and even cause permanent lung function decline. Ammonia and bleach, for example, are both lung irritants that are used in a wide range of different cleaning products.

If you have COPD, you should try to limit your exposure to these and other lung irritants as much as you can to avoid triggering COPD symptoms and doing further, unnecessary damage to your lungs. Instead, choose products that don't contain strong chemicals like ammonia and bleach, and try to find products labeled as having reduced irritants, including fewer fragrances and VOC's.

You can use the EPA's safer chemical ingredient list for reference of what types of chemicals you should seek out and which ones you should avoid. You can also look for cleaning products with the EPA's “Safer Choice” label, or browse through the EPA's catalog of these products online.

Another alternative is to make your own cleaning solutions at home using common—and safer—household products like vinegar, water, baking soda, and soap. You'll find that most cleaning jobs don't require anything fancy and can be done with simple mixtures you can make yourself at home.

To learn more about how to make your own DIY cleaning products, check out this guide on how to reduce chemical irritants in your home. There, you'll step-by-step instructions for making alternatives to several different types of commercial cleaning products, including a scrubbing solution, all-purpose cleaner, and grease-cutting solution.

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