Are you newly diagnosed with COPD? Do not make these common mistakes, read this post to learn about what and how to avoid complications early on! 

Getting diagnosed with COPD can seem overwhelming, especially when it catches you by surprise. It's often even more overwhelming to get used to all the new treatments, medications and lifestyle changes required to keep your lungs healthy, especially while you're still trying to come to terms with your diagnosis.

As a chronic disease, COPD requires constant work and careful decision-making to keep the symptoms under control. Because of this, it's no surprise that new COPD patients make a variety of mistakes that can affect their health and well-being.

Between making changes to your diet, exercise routine, medications, and many other activities of daily life, there are a lot of opportunities for error. As you adjust to life with COPD, it's important to avoid making mistakes that could serious consequences for your health, or at least catch and correct them early on.

That's why you should learn and pay attention to the mistakes that other new COPD patients tend to make. It helps you learn more about your disease, what to look out for, and how to keep your body and lungs as healthy as possible.

In this guide, we're going to help you avoid common pitfalls by showing you the mistakes that new COPD patients frequently make. Along with each mistake we've provided solutions so you'll know how to avoid that mistake and do the correct thing instead.

By taking the time to learn from others' mistakes, you'll be much less likely to encounter the same problems yourself. In the next sections, we'll give you all the information you need to avoid falling into the same pitfalls that other patients end up in.

However, it's important to remember that mistakes and struggles are inevitable as you adjust to the many changes that getting diagnosed with COPD brings. But if you educate yourself now, you can easily correct these mistakes and avoid serious problems that could permanently affect your health.

A major part of keeping your lungs healthy and keeping your COPD under control is learning everything you can about your disease. It also means being an active, motivated participant in your treatment and knowing what you shouldn't do just as much as the things you should.

The Mistake: Not Using Your Inhaler Correctly

While inhalers may seem like fairly straightforward devices, a surprisingly large percentage of patients don't use their inhaler correctly. This happens to many patients who never learned the proper technique or forgot the correct steps over time. Other patients get too complacent or careless and skip steps to save time, not realizing each step is important.

Most of the mistakes patients make with their inhalers have to do with preparing the inhaler and using the right breathing technique. This is a serious problem, since these steps are necessary for getting the medication into the lungs where it needs to work.

Unfortunately, many doctors don't do their due diligence in training their patients to use their inhalers correctly. Even though doctors are supposed to check patients' inhaler technique at every appointment, it is often rare for them to take the time to do it properly in practice.

It doesn't help that many doctors don't even know proper inhaler technique themselves, meaning they can't give their patients adequate instruction. Luckily, the medical community has recently acknowledged the extent of this problem and is making efforts to raise awareness among doctors to correct it.

Here are some of the common mistakes to look out for:

• Not shaking the inhaler before each puff
• Not exhaling fully before using the inhaler
• Not holding the inhaler in the correct position
• Not timing your inhale with the spray from the inhaler
• Not inhaling deeply enough
• Not inhaling slowly enough
• Not holding your breath after inhaling the medication
• Inhaling through your nose instead of your mouth

Making any of these mistakes can result in getting too little medication or none of the medication that you need. This can be very dangerous when you suffer from COPD, because you need your full dose to prevent serious symptoms and exacerbations.

The Solution: Learning Proper Inhaler Technique

Because all inhalers are different, the only way to ensure that you're using your inhaler correctly is to re-read your inhaler's instructions and re-evaluate your technique. That means going over all the steps and guidelines in the information packet that comes with your medication.

This is important whether you're a newly diagnosed COPD patient or you have been treating your disease for some time. No matter how well you think you know it, it never hurts to double check.

You should also take your inhaler with you to every doctor's appointment so you can show your doctor exactly how you usually use it. That way, your doctor can identify any mistakes you make and show you the correct technique.

Every time you use your inhaler, make sure you follow every step and don't rush or cut any corners. Don't forget to shake or prime your inhaler if needed, and always remember to exhale before using it.

Timing your inhale with the spray from your inhaler is extremely important, but also difficult, which is why this step tends to cause patients the most problems. It may take some practice to time correctly, and you may need to use a spacer attached to the mouthpiece to help you do it right.

Studies show that when you inhale too early, then you only get about 35% of the full dose you're supposed to get. If you inhale to late, however, you end up spraying the medication in your mouth and throat instead of inhaling it into your lungs. This makes the medication ineffective and puts your lungs at risk.

To make sure you inhale at the right time and get the full dose, start breathing in slowly just before you press the button to release the medicine. Continue inhaling slowly and deeply as you feel the spray to draw the medication all the way into your lungs.

Remember that inhaling the medication isn't the last step; you still have to hold your breath to keep it in your lungs. Most recommend holding your breath for about ten seconds, then you can slowly and gently exhale.

If you are using an inhaler that contains steroid medications, then you still aren't done quite yet. To prevent the medication from drying out your mouth and throat, you need to rinse your mouth out with water before you're done.

If you ever have any questions or concerns about using your inhaler, don't hesitate to talk to your doctor. You can also ask your pharmacist to demonstrate how to use your inhaler(s) or to answer any other questions you have.

You can also find tips and information online for a variety of different types of inhalers. However, this should never be a replacement for the information you can get from your doctor and prescription information.

The Mistake: Not Knowing When to Take Which Medications

Nearly all COPD patients take two major types of medications: maintenance medications and quick-relief medications (also known as rescue medications). Both medications are delivered via inhaler, which is why patients sometimes get them confused.

This can be dangerous, because you need to use both medications correctly in order to treat your COPD effectively and keep your symptoms under control. Mixing up the two medications or forgetting to take them at the right time could make your symptoms worse or cause you to have a serious COPD exacerbation.

Other medications can be confusing to use, too, especially if you are only supposed to take them on certain occasions. For example, many doctors prescribe oral antibiotics and steroid medications for their patients to use as needed to prevent and treat COPD exacerbations.

The Solution: Following Your COPD Action Plan

Every COPD patient should get a COPD action plan from their doctor shortly after getting diagnosed. If you haven't received one yet, ask your doctor to work one up for you, as studies show that they help patients better manage COPD at home.

A COPD Action plan acts like a set of guidelines for you to follow based on how bad your symptoms are from day to day. For example, most action plans have three major “zones” that correspond to the severity of your symptoms; the first zone is for when you are feeling fine, the second for mild flare-ups, and the third for more serious symptoms and complications.

Click here to see what a sample COPD action plan looks like.

Every day, you should evaluate your symptoms to determine what “zone” to look at. Then, you simply follow the instructions in that zone for what medications and what doses you should take. Most action plans also include guidelines to let you know when its safe to exert yourself and at what point you should call your doctor when your symptoms flare up.

Because most COPD patients have several different medications to keep track of, it's extremely important to take the time to learn all of the important facts about each of your medications. That includes learning their full names, what they look like, and what you are supposed to use them for.

This ensures that you can match your medications with the instructions in your COPD action plan and use them exactly as your doctor directs you to. It also makes you much less likely to mix your medications up, take them at the wrong time, or forget about them altogether.

You should also bring a complete list of your medications with you anytime you go to the hospital or doctor's office. This will make it easier for the medical professionals who look after you to ensure you get the best treatment possible.

It is also important to bring this list with you whenever you travel, especially if you will be taking your medication with you on a bus, train, or airplane. You may need to present your list of medications to travel personnel, and it will come in handy if you need medical attention while you're away from your regular doctor.

The Mistake: Not Quitting Smoking

One of the most important things you can do for your health when you have COPD is to stop smoking. Unfortunately, too many patients believe it's too late for them to quit and continue to smoke even after their COPD diagnosis.

The thing is, even after you've developed COPD, there are still enormous benefits to quitting. In fact, having COPD makes it even more imperative to quit, since continuing to smoke can cause your disease to rapidly get worse.

COPD is a result of reduced lung function, often due to smoking, but continuing to smoke after COPD has set in will only harm your lungs even more. Smoking causes you to lose lung function at an accelerated rate compared to COPD patients who are able to quit.

Reduced lung function will make it even more difficult to breathe, do physical activities, and can significantly reduce your quality of life. If you quit, however, you may even see an improvement in your COPD symptoms, and you can enjoy the lung function and lifestyle you have for much longer.

While quitting smoking cannot reverse the damage that's already been done to your lungs, it can slow down the damage from getting worse. It can also increase your lifespan and reduce the number of exacerbations, flare-ups, and hospitalizations you experience because of your COPD.

Don't forget that quitting can reduce your chances for a variety of other serious health problems as well. For example, you can significantly reduce your risk for heart disease, lung cancer, and stroke if you successfully quit smoking.

The Solution: Making the Decision to Quit

It's important for every COPD patient to understand that it is never too late to quit smoking. Whether you are 25 or 65, you can improve your health and possibly even your lifespan by making the decision to quit today.

It's not an easy decision to make, and it's even harder to actually follow through. However, every year at least 350,000 smokers in the US are able to quit completely, and there's no reason why you can't be one of them.

Although quitting is hard, there are many things you can do to increase your chances of success. For example, using a quit-smoking medication or joining a quit-smoking program can make your quit attempt more likely to succeed.

When you make the decision to quit, remember that you are not alone and there are many ways to get support. First, you should talk to your doctor to see what kinds of medications and support programs are available to help you.

You may want to try nicotine replacement therapy, which is proven to increase smoking cessation rates. There are many different forms available, too, including nicotine gum, skin patches, tablets, oral sprays, and inhalers.

For more information on how to quit smoking, visit the CDC's website for a variety of helpful links and resources. You can also find helpful quit-smoking tips from the American Lung Association's website or from smokefree.gov.

Don't be discouraged if your first, second, or even tenth attempt to quit smoking ends up failing. It takes most smokers at least six attempts to quit smoking, and sometimes up to twenty, before they are able to quit long-term.

As the CDC puts it, “Quitting smoking is a marathon, not a sprint,” and you have to be in it for the long term if you truly want to live smoke free. Even though it is a long and difficult process, it is more than worth the benefits you will receive through improved health, reduced COPD symptoms, and your overall quality of life.

The Mistake: Not Eating a COPD-Healthy Diet

In order to keep your lungs and the rest of your body strong, you need to feed them the nutrients they need. That means eating a healthy, balanced diet every day to give your body fuel to work as efficiently as possible.

Unfortunately, many new patients find that controlling their weight and eating healthy foods is difficult with COPD. The disease can make it difficult to exercise and prepare healthy meals, both of which are vital for a healthy lifestyle.

COPD can make it difficult to lose weight and difficult to gain weight, which is why some patients struggle with being underweight while others struggle with obesity. Either situation is bad for your health and can make it more difficult to breathe.

If you get too few calories and nutrients, then your lungs won't have enough fuel to keep up with your body's needs. However, eating too much and gaining weight puts extra strain on your muscles and lungs, which can also make your COPD symptoms worse.

Also, because COPD makes your lungs less efficient, it means they have to work harder than healthy lungs in order to get enough oxygen to your body. This means that COPD patients need more calories and more nutrients to fuel the needs of their lungs and breathing muscles.

Another danger that many new COPD are unaware of is eating a diet that's too high in carbohydrates. Carbohydrates actually put extra strain on your lungs when digested, because they release large amounts of CO2 that then has to be processed through your lungs.

The Solution: Eating Whole Foods and Balanced Meals

Is spending the upfront cash on a high-quality oxygen machine really worth It? How do you know you're making the best choice? 

Read this blog to learn about all of the ways having a portable oxygen concentrator can impact you life. In this post, you will also learn which oxygen devices help you pursue your goals, while others may hold you back! 

Oxygen and medical equipment for people with chronic conditions like COPD, lung failure, or cystic fibrosis is an essential part of daily life. 

Some patients need oxygen 24/7, while others only need it while they sleep or just when they exercise.

No matter the case, getting the appropriate amount of oxygen is a crucial part of treatment that can add years to your life. Chronic lung conditions are also known as progressive disease, meaning they get worse over time.

The general decline in health or function will get worse faster if the condition goes untreated. Once the condition goes untreated, there are more risks of infection that could cause other issues not only in the respiratory system, but the circulatory system, bones, and muscles as well.

Treating your condition with a treatment plan set by you and your healthcare team is the only way you can avoid hospitalization, because there is no cure for chronic conditions, so once the damage is done, all you can do is try to keep it from getting worse. 

To learn more about COPD and life expectancy you can read the article linked in blue. 

What is Supplemental Oxygen Therapy 

Once your disease progresses to a certain degree of severity, supplementary oxygen therapy becomes a crucial part of your treatment, and it is not “optional”.  Your blood oxygen levels are so low that your body cannot function properly anymore, and without the therapy other parts of your system will break down and health issues will occur much more frequently. 

Supplementary oxygen therapy is one of the principal treatments your doctor will recommend and prescribe to you once your blood oxygen levels reach hypoxic levels. 

That's right…

You will need a doctor’s prescription in order to buy an oxygen device from a licensed distributor. Of course, there are knock off portable oxygen concentrators that are advertised to help people who have a hard time breathing, but these devices do not work and buying a cheap oxygen device will only cost you more money in the long run. Not to mention it will do no good in treating your condition, so it is also a waste of valuable time you could be spending saving your life! 

Most oxygen users have the choice of which oxygen method they prefer to use…

You will most likely be able to choose between a portable oxygen concentrator, a liquid oxygen tank, or a gas oxygen tank.

Here is Why Portable Oxygen Concentrators Make the Most Sense Financially

There are pros and cons that come with each method, however, a portable oxygen concentrator is a far better choice for people who are looking to travel, maintain an active lifestyle, and are looking to save some money.

Save money on a portable oxygen concentrator?? There's no way! 

Yup, in the long run you will actually save money by purchasing a portable oxygen concentrators from LPT Medical rather than spending the cash on refilling you tanks fro the rest of your life. 

Once you own a portable oxygen concentrator like the ARYA Artivto Max you have an unlimited amount of oxygen. Simply recharge the device, and you're set to breathe all day long!

Portable Oxygen Concentrators Work Just as Well as Tanks, If Not Better!

So, how does your portable oxygen concentrator administer oxygen? 

Your portable oxygen concentrator comes with either a 8 cell or 16 cell rechargeable lithium ion battery, and depending on the device you have it will last anywhere from 2 hours - 16 hours! The battery is what powers the device to extract air from the surrounding environment and the filter inside the device cleans the air of particles and purifies the oxygen you breathe in through the tubing into medical grade oxygen. 

Portable oxygen concentrators are sleek and compact, compared to a cumbersome oxygen tank.

Most of the pulse flow oxygen devices are no larger than a regular sizer handbag, and they all come with a custom carrying that makes everyday chorus and traveling around with your oxygen a breeze. 

Get the Oxygen you Need in Order to Take Care of Other Parts of your Life 

The other factor you must consider while handling a chronic lung disease is that supplemental oxygen won’t cure anything, it will simply give you the oxygen you need that will support other parts of your life. This means that oxygen will help you get on track with your exercise routine, mental health, and sleep. 

So you will need to treat the disease in other ways in order to minimize the risk of experiencing exacerbated symptoms. And besides things like taking your medications and bronchodilators, oxygen will give you the tools to exercise and sleep better, which will in-turn improve your mood and help with breathing related depression and anxiety.

Say No To Cumbersome Outdated Oxygen Tanks 

That being said, having the right oxygen equipment makes a big difference when it comes to the user's experience and overall livelihood.

Tanks and canisters take away basic human freedoms and leave the oxygen patients at the will of their oxygen delivery service company, they are tied down to the enormous reservoirs while at home, and the canisters only last so long while on the go. 

Also, don’t even think about traveling far… oxygen tanks and canisters are not allowed on any aircraft.

Traveling by car with an oxygen tank or the small canisters is always risky, not only because it's flammable, but also because the tank could run out and if you don't bring extra oxygen you will have to pay a pretty penny to get your oxygen refilled outside of your area. 

What are your Portable Oxygen Concentrators Options 

There are several brands of concentrators that are reliable and built with integrity, these brands include:

1. Inogen Oxygen

2. Respironics 

3. Oxlife (O2 Concepts)   

4. Inova Labs

Brands like Inogen specialize in pulse flow devices and they recently put out a device that is remarkable because of its small size and weight yet its ability to give off oxygen at a rate sufficient for almost any oxygen user that needs pulse flow operation, and we are talking about the Inogen One G5.

The One G5 has long lasting battery life and it only weighs 4.7 pounds, meaning you can carry this device with you either in its custom shoulder bag, or in the One G5 backpack. 

If you don't require a pulse flow operation that is higher than 4 or 5, you could use the Caire Freestyle Comfort or the Inogen One G3, and have a device that is lightweight and last for hours on one charge!

If you need continuous flow you can still use a battery powered portable oxygen concentrator! These devices will be heavier and larger than pulse flow devices because they require more power, but they are still very easy to move and travel with.  

The Respironic Simply Go is the lightest weight continuous flow portable oxygen concentrator on the market, and it weighs 10 pounds!

It is equipped with a battery that is rated to last up to 6 hours of battery life on a pulse flow setting of 2 and up to 1.8 Hours of battery life continuous flow setting of 2! 

If you are interested in the Respironics SimplyGoyou will also get: 

• 1x Battery
• AC Power Supply
• DC Power Supply
• Custom Carrying Case

Breathlessness on its own can make walking, bending, kneeling, and other physical tasks exhausting and uncomfortable. And then when you add other COPD symptoms into the mix, like coughing, wheezing, muscle weakness, and fatigue, daily responsibilities like cooking can sometimes seem like too much to handle.

Because of this, conserving energy is often a necessity for COPD patients, especially when they experience flare-ups, exacerbations, or begin to lose their physical mobility as the disease progresses. That's when it's time to start looking into effort- and time-saving tools and techniques and ways to simplify and streamline daily tasks.

Nowhere is this more important than when it comes to food and cooking. Diet is a vitally important part of staying healthy with COPD, but it's also easy to neglect when you're not feeling well. Continuing to purchase and prepare healthy, whole meals can get extremely difficult when you're restricted by limited strength and energy every day.

That's why, in this article, we're going to help you find ways to continue shopping, cooking, and preparing healthy meals in spite of the difficulties that come along with having COPD. We'll show you how planning your meals and using a variety of practical tools and techniques can significantly reduce the amount of time and effort you have to spend shopping and preparing home-made food.

We'll teach you some practical shortcuts for meal planning and preparation, show you how to save energy cooking and cleaning, and introduce you to food-related products and services designed to help people with limited mobility. So without further ado, continue reading to learn about 27 useful tools and techniques you can use to simplify grocery shopping, meal planning, and cooking with COPD.

Tools & Techniques for Easy Meal Planning

Planning ahead is the cornerstone of efficient cooking. Without a weekly meal plan, shopping and preparing meals is much more stressful and you're more likely to just give up and opt for processed or fast foods.

On the other hand, putting a little extra effort into scheduling your meals helps to streamline the entire shopping, food preparation, and cooking processes. This section will give you a variety of practical tips to help you successfully build the habit of planning your meals ahead for every week.

Writing Your Meal Plan

It might seem like a pain, but taking the time once a week to sit and write down every meal you're going to eat is guaranteed to save you time and effort in the long run. It streamlines shopping, simplifies cooking, and helps you fit healthy, homemade meals into your busy week.

When planning your meals, make sure you consider how much time you have each day and do your best to be realistic. Always have a couple of quick-fix or pre-made meals in mind as a contingency plan for when your schedule changes or you just don't have enough time to cook.

Once you get into the habit of meal planning, you'll start to notice a myriad of benefits. It will remove the stress of wondering “what can I make for dinner?” every evening, and saves time when it's time to make your shopping list.

If you follow a meal plan, you won't find yourself without the ingredients you need to make dinner, because you'll know exactly what groceries you need and you can shop for all your meals for the week ahead of time. By making things as easy for yourself as possible, it will also be easier to stay committed to making home-cooked meals, and easier to resist unhealthy, lazy options like fast food.

Here are some additional tips for weekly meal planning:

• Record your meals in a weekly schedule or calendar so you can easily remember and keep track of your meal plan
  
  
• Plan the most difficult or time-consuming meals for days when you have fewer activities and are less likely to breathless or worn out.
  
  
• Avoid having to cook every single day by planning for leftovers or heating up make-ahead meals (prepared ahead of time).
  
  
• Plan no-cook meals like sandwiches and salads for busy days or use them as a fall-back for when your COPD symptoms act up.
  
  
• Plan slow cooker meals for days when you don't have time for a lot of preparation or cooking. Simply throw the ingredients in the pot in the morning, and you'll have a hot, delicious meal waiting for you at the end of the day.
  
  
• Make your shopping list while you're planning your meals for the week. That way, you can add all the ingredients you need for your meals to your shopping list and take care of two birds with one stone.

Keep Track of Recipes

It's hard to plan your meals if you don't know what to make. That's why building up a collection of your favorite recipes can really help you out.

If you often have trouble thinking of what to make or you're getting bored with your usual meals, it might be time to go shopping for a new cookbook or two. Look for cookbooks with practical recipes that appeal to your tastes and aren't too complex for you to make. Mark your favorite recipes with post-it notes or copy them into a separate notebook so you can easily find and flip through the best recipes.

It's also a good idea to spend some time searching online for recipes and recipe websites that you like. Look for themed recipe blogs that focus on types of food you enjoy and bookmark any sites or single recipes that you want to keep.

You can also use a note-taking and bookmark-organizing application like Evernote to save and keep track of any recipes you find on the web. That way, you can sort your recipes by category and easily track down any recipe you've saved.

Plan Around Themes

Assigning a theme or main ingredient to different days of the week can take some of the pressure and hassle out of meal planning. It could be any theme you want; you could try taco Tuesdays, fish Fridays,  soup Sundays, or casserole Mondays. Whatever you choose, it will narrow down your options and make it easier to pick out meals for the week.

But just because a day is dedicated to a particular type of meal doesn't mean you have to eat the same thing every time. Instead of preparing the same boring meal week after week, use your themed days as an excuse to try out new recipes or variations. For taco tuesdays, for example, you could try a different type of taco every week (e.g. beef tacos, fried fish tacos, veggie tacos, chicken tacos, etc.).

Tools & Techniques to Make Shopping Easier

The long, winding path through the grocery store can be exhausting if you have COPD. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to reduce the amount of time you have to spend shopping for food and supplies.

Whether you suffer from limited mobility or simply need to conserve energy when you're feeling breathless and fatigued, simplifying and streamlining your grocery trips can make a huge difference in your life. Take a look at some of the following tips and techniques for getting the groceries you need with less time, effort, and hassle.

Plan Your Route

If long grocery shopping trips leave you exhausted and breathless, then you should try to keep them as short and efficient as possible. The best way to do this is to have a complete list of everything you need before you go, organized in the order you will encounter the items at the grocery store.

As long as you know the store's general layout, planning your route ahead of time shouldn't be difficult to do. Simply do your best as you write your list to arrange the items into categories (e.g. produce, dairy, and frozen) and put them in roughly the same order as they occur in the store.

This way, you can save energy by taking the shortest path possible through the aisles while still getting everything you need. It also greatly reduces your likelihood of having to backtrack and walk all the way across the store for items you skipped over or forgot.

Shop Once

Almost nothing is more frustrating than arriving home from a grocery trip with more than you need and realizing you forgot the items that you went there for. Then, you either have to make do without, or muster up the energy to make another journey out to the store.

That's why you should never set foot in a grocery store without having a plan. Taking some time to sit down and make a list is absolutely essential for making your shopping trips efficient and worthwhile.

First, take a couple minutes to write down all the meals you have planned for the week and the ingredients you'll need to make them. Then, take a look in your fridge, freezer, and pantry to see what ingredients you have and what ingredients you'll need to get.

You should also make it a habit to check your cabinets for how much of any important food staples, like flour, herbs, rice, and canned goods that you have left. If you're running low on anything, it's in your best interest to buy more before you run out so you don't find yourself having to make a last-minute trip to the store on a later date.

Take Advantage of Local Grocery Store Pickup

Photo by Joe Goldberg

Did you know that many grocery stores have a service where they'll pick out your groceries for you, saving you the walk through the store? It's a great way to save energy if all of the walking, lifting, and stooping that grocery shopping requires makes you feel too exhausted and breathless to shop.

Depending on the store, you can either give them a list of the items you need or directly order them online. Then, all you have to do is drive up to the store, and employees will load up all your bags in your car for you.

Get Your Groceries Delivered to Your Door

Many grocery stores also offer delivery services you can use to get your groceries brought right to your house for a fee. This allows you to get all of your shopping done without ever having to leave your home.

There are also many online stores you can use to order groceries for delivery straight to your door. Amazon Prime Pantry, for instance, has a massive selection of groceries and cooking items to choose from and you can get most of them delivered to you in just two days if you pay the annual membership fee for Amazon Prime.

Subscribe to a Local CSA

Being part of a community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program is a great way to support local agriculture and get fresh, nutritious produce during the summer and fall.

It works like this: You pay an annual membership fee that is used to support a local farm. Then, during the growing season, you will receive regular boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables grown on that farm—your “share” of the harvest in return for your investment.

Most of the time, you can pick up your box weekly at one of a few pickup centers in your city. Most CSA's will get you a box of fresh produce every week during the summer and fall, but it depends on how your local CSA works and what kind of membership you pay for.

CSA's are a great way to work more fruits and veggies into your diet without having to pick them out yourself. All you have to do is pick up your box of produce, and you'll have most if not all of your fresh fruits and veggies that you need for the week.

Visit Local Harvest's website to see if there's a CSA program that delivers to your area.

Stock Extras

Many non-perishable foods can keep for months, or even years unopened. Use this to your advantage and stock your home with extras of all the non-perishable items you use on a regular basis.

That way, you don't have to worry about running out of ingredients as quickly and can make fewer trips to the store. It can also save you a great deal of money if you take advantage of sales and special offers or buy things in bulk.

Here are some examples of common non-perishable food items that you can stock for months or years before you use them:

• Sugar
• Flour
• Dry beans
• Rice
• Pasta
• Baking powder and baking soda
• Canned goods

Tools & Techniques to Make Cooking Easier

Simplify Your Cooking Prep Process

Oftentimes, gathering and preparing ingredients is the most difficult part of cooking. Chopping veggies, measuring ingredients, and mincing garlic not only takes time, but saps your valuable strength and energy as well.

Here are some tips to help you reduce the amount of time and effort you put toward preparing ingredients for meals.

Rearrange Your Cooking Space

Many cooking inefficiencies stem from a messy or poorly organized kitchen. If you take some time to tidy up your cooking space and arrange your kitchen supplies for maximum utility, you can noticeably reduce the amount of hassle and time it takes to cook.

For example, put items and ingredients you use often front and center in your cabinets and make sure everything is within easy reach. Have a stool handy to help you reach higher shelves and use a grabber tool to avoid bending down for items in lower cabinets and drawers.

Prepare Ingredients Ahead of Time

Instead of doing all your prepping and cooking at once, which can be exhausting, split them up and do them at different times. For example, you could prepare the ingredients for your dinner in the mornings and then cook in the evening, or pre-chop lots of fruits and veggies on the weekend, when you have some extra time and energy.

It can also help to make large batches of meal staples like rice, beans, pasta, or potatoes ahead of time to use throughout the week. If you store them in air-tight jars in the fridge, most foods will keep for at least 3-4 days after you prepare them.

Find Recipes with Fewer Ingredients

Photo by Tim Sackton

Have you ever looked up a recipe online, only to find two recipes for the same dish that have vastly different ingredients? That's because there's more than one way to cook just about everything, and some ways are much quicker and easier than others.

That's why you should look specifically for simpler recipes with fewer ingredients if you want to save energy preparing your meals. Fewer ingredients not only means less dicing, mincing, and measuring, but also means fewer trips to the store for fringe ingredients that you don't keep on hand.

There are several popular three-, four-, and five-ingredient cookbooks out in bookstores and online that are full of tasty recipes that are simple to make. There are also websites and food blogs dedicated to simple, easy cooking that are full of recipes that only use a few main ingredients.

Here are some great recipe websites you could try:

• Stone Soup: A blog full of 5-ingredient recipes and simple weeknight dinner inspirations.
• Six Sister's Stuff: A list of 50 easy recipes with six ingredients or less.
• Good Food from the BBC: A list of 40 quick recipes with five ingredients or less.

Buy Pre-Prepared Produce

Most grocery stores have coolers full of pre-washed, pre-chopped, and pre-peeled fruits and veggies in their produce section. While they are a little more pricey than their un-processed counterparts, buying pre-prepped produce can save you several steps and a significant amount of time when you cook.

Drink Green Smoothies

Green smoothies are a great way to get more healthy fruits and veggies in your diet without having to cook. The only prep work you have to do is washing whatever healthy produce you have on hand and tossing it into a blender.

Smoothies are also a great way to use up extra fruit and veggies that are close to going bad. You can make them anytime you're in a pinch for time or make them a regular part of your everyday diet.

You can make fruit or green smoothies with just about whatever you have on hand, depending on your tastes and nutritional needs. Here is an article with 25 easy green smoothie recipes to help you get started.

No-Cook Meals

There will be days when you're just too tired, too breathless, or too lazy to slave over the stove. Luckily, there are plenty of simple, healthy meals you can whip up that don't require any cooking at all.

No-cook meals are often easier to prepare than hot foods and almost always take less time. They are also great for hot, summer days when you don't want to heat up your house by using the stove.

Here are some ideas for no-cook meals and snacks you can try making at home:

• Green Salads: Use whatever veggies and salad greens you have on hand with a light dressing for a delicious meal or side dish. Try adding fruit, nuts, hard-boiled egg, or meats like salmon and chicken for a heartier, more flavorful meal.
• Chickpea Salads: You can make a delicious Mediterranean salad with nothing but canned chickpeas, veggies, and hummus dressing. Add some pre-cooked quinoa to make it even better.
• Sandwiches
• Lettuce wraps
• Tortilla wraps
• Veggie nachos
• Fruit salads

You can also find a variety of no-cook, cold meal recipes online, like on this list from Southern Living.

Single-Pan and Single-Pot Meals

Cooking everything in one big pot or pan can save you a lot of time and energy. It means fewer steps, fewer dishes, and a much simpler cooking process.

Single-pan and single-pot meals can include skillet dinners, casseroles, dutch oven dinners, and slow cooker meals. You can find tons of recipes for one-pan meals online, or easily whip up an improvised meal on your own.

Just about any combination of meat, veggies, and potatoes in a skillet can work to make a delicious, well-balanced meal. Another easy option is to stir-fry whatever vegetables you have on hand and serve them over rice, quinoa, or another healthy grain.

Choose Simple & Easy Foods

If you want to reduce the amount of preparation you have to do to for meals, get the simplest version of the ingredients you can. For example, use frozen or canned carrots instead of peeling and chopping them yourself, or get pre-washed, bagged lettuce instead of a whole head.

Also, consider how difficult a fruit or vegetable will be to prepare before you buy it. For instance, pomegranates, pineapples, and melons take a decent amount of time and effort to prepare for eating. On the other hand, bananas, apples, and berries are require min

Maintaining a healthy amount muscle mass is a constant struggle for many COPD patients, especially those in the later stages of the disease. COPD not only causes weight loss and loss of muscle mass, but it makes it more difficult to build muscle as well.

This is due in part to the nature of the disease, and partially due to COPD symptoms that make it difficult to exercise and build strength. Many people with COPD also get caught in negative habits, like avoiding exercise and meals, or suffer from psychological conditions like anxiety or depression.

All of these things lead to weight loss and muscle wasting, and eventually an overall physical decline. It's not something to take lightly; COPD patients with very low body weight and muscle mass tend to have highest mortality rates and are prone to a variety of complications.

But even though COPD makes it more difficult to build and maintain muscle, it is definitely possible to do. All you need is the right diet, eating habits, and exercise routine to keep your body strong and maintain a healthy BMI.

In this article we're going to tell you everything you need to know about building muscle mass and COPD. We'll explain how the disease affects your muscles, how muscle mass affects your health, and show you a variety of different techniques you can use to better gain muscle and prevent weight loss with COPD.

What Causes Weight and Muscle Loss in People with COPD?

As many as forty to seventy percent of people with COPD experience weight loss and muscle wasting, especially in the later stages of the disease.

There are a variety of reasons why this happens, but lack of exercise and eating too little are the main causes. People who suffer from COPD also have difficulty maintaining their muscle mass because of inflammation and the fact that their damaged lungs need extra calories and nutrients.

Here's a more detailed look at the four main causes of muscle wasting and weight loss in people with COPD:

Too Little Exercise

Most people with COPD have at least some difficulty exercising as a result of respiratory symptoms like shortness of breath. This causes many people with the disease to neglect their exercise needs, which makes the problem even worse.

It's extremely important to get enough physical activity as early on as possible if you have COPD. Those who get diagnosed at early stages of the disease are at an advantage for this reason.

If you stay sedentary for too long, your muscles will get weaker, your respiratory symptoms will worsen, and it will become more and more difficult to tolerate exercise and even mild physical activity. That's why easier to prevent muscle loss than it is to gain it back once it's already gone.

If you have COPD, sticking with you doctor-prescribed exercise routine and being active is the only way to prevent physical decline. There are only two choices when it comes to your muscles: use them or lose them.

Too Little Food

Many people with COPD experience worsened symptoms when they eat. Some patients feel breathless from the energy and act of eating alone, but eating can also cause the stomach to swell and put pressure on the lungs, causing discomfort and shortness of breath.

Because of this, many patients avoid eating or are not able to finish their food at mealtimes. This leads to weight loss and malnutrition, which then causes muscle weakness and wasting. Malnutrition also suppresses your immune system, which significantly increases your chances for infections, exacerbations, and hospitalization.

That's why proper diet and calorie-rich foods are so important for people who have COPD. If you don't eat enough calories and nutrients to sustain your body's needs you will have less energy, you will lose weight, and your body will begin breaking down its own muscles out of necessity.

Depression

It takes a lot of energy and mental strength to cope with getting diagnosed with COPD. It's normal to feel a great deal of anxiety, especially at first, but for some people it can lead to serious depression.

Depression makes it easy to give up on the habits and activities that keep you healthy. It can make you feel too exhausted and anxious to get out of bed, let alone keep up with your prescribed exercise, diet, and treatment regimens.

Because of this, many people with COPD who get depressed let themselves become sedentary and malnourished. This leads to a loss of muscle mass as well as weight loss that can lead to even worse depression and COPD symptoms.

Mental health and physical health are closely intertwined, which is why it's very important to seek help if you are struggling. Look out for the symptoms of depression in yourself and loved ones with COPD, and don't hesitate to talk to a mental health professional if you're having trouble coping on your own.

Untreated anxiety and depression can lead to a variety of health problems and it's no way to live your life. It's possible to find hope and happiness in the midst of managing a chronic illness, and your doctor or psychiatrist can help you take the first steps toward feeling better.

Inflammation

Studies show that people with COPD produce more inflammatory compounds than healthy individuals and show signs of inflammation all throughout their bodies. Researchers have found that this chronic inflammation could be part of the reason that COPD patients are especially prone to muscle wasting.

Inflammatory molecules inhibit the body's ability to generate muscle mass, which makes it difficult to build strength and reverse muscle loss. Instead of putting its energy toward rebuilding and maintaining your muscles, your body has to focus its most of its energy on repairing the tissue damage caused by inflammation.

Chronic inflammation also saps your energy and makes you feel fatigued, which makes it even more difficult to exercise and maintain your muscle mass. This makes people with COPD even more prone to muscle loss, weight loss, and adopting a sedentary lifestyle.

Increased Calorie Requirements

Many people with the disease don't realize that COPD makes you burn more calories than healthy adults. Lungs damaged by COPD have to use up to ten times the amount of energy to breathe, which means you have to eat more food to make up for it.

The more your lung function declines, the more energy it takes to breathe, which means that your calorie needs will likely increase as your disease progresses. If you don't eat extra food to make up for the extra calories you burn, you're bound to lose weight and possibly even muscle as your body breaks down its muscle and fat reserves to get the energy it needs.

Since eating can already difficult and exhausting when you have COPD, many patients are unwilling or unable to get the extra calories and nutrients they need from their meals. That's why many doctors recommend calorie-dense foods like milk and nuts; it allows you to get more sustenance from a smaller amount of food, so it's easier to eat enough to meet your body's needs.

The Dangers of Weight Loss & Muscle Loss for People with COPD

Both a certain amount of muscle and a certain amount of fat are necessary to stay healthy and strong, especially if you have COPD. Additionally, both weight and muscle mass are closely related; weight loss usually leads to muscle wasting and muscle wasting can also lead to weight loss.

If you have COPD, it's not just important, but vital to stay at a healthy weight and keep up your muscle mass as much as possible. It's considered to be a very bad sign if you start losing weight or muscle mass quickly, and reversing the loss is the only way to preserve your lung function and health.

Research shows that COPD patients with a BMI under 20 have less energy, worse symptoms, and quicker respiratory decline. A low BMI also puts you at risk for infections, exacerbations, hospitalizations, and other serious complications.

Another consequence of being underweight is malnutrition, which can be devastating for someone with COPD. Being underweight and undernourished depresses your immune system, causes muscle wasting, and leaves you without enough energy to exercise or do normal daily activities.

This starts a downward spiral that leads to even more muscle loss, more difficulty exercising, and worse COPD symptoms. Because of this, low body weight and muscle mass (if not treated and reversed) are considered reliable predictors of a quicker overall decline in physical health.

Rapid, severe weight loss is a sign of a very serious problem, and you should never ignore it. If you have COPD and experience significant unexplained weight loss, you should schedule an appointment with your doctor without delay.

How to Gain Weight and Build Muscle Mass with COPD

Since weight loss and muscle wasting is such a common and serious problem for people with COPD, researchers have spent a lot of time studying how to prevent it. Luckily, scientists have so far found a variety of methods to reduce muscle wasting and help COPD patients build muscle mass more effectively.

The Importance of Strength Training

Many people with COPD have difficulty exercising, and for a long time researchers believed that breathing difficulties were the main cause. However, it turns out that lack of muscle strength, not just shortness of breath, is the culprit behind many COPD patients' lacking tolerance for exercise.

Because of this, researchers believe that strength training is one of the most important things you can do to improve your health when you have COPD. It not only prevents muscle wasting, but also can improve your exercise endurance, emotional health, and overall quality of life.

In fact, studies comparing COPD patients who followed an exercise plan focused on aerobic activity with patients who followed a strength training regimen show that strength training often leads to better outcomes. Patients who undergo strength training tend to see the biggest improvements in their muscle mass and exercise tolerance.

What is perhaps most telling, however, is the fact that COPD patients who do strength exercises report the largest improvements to their quality of life. This is likely because strength training helps patients feel stronger, gain mobility, and do more daily activities without feeling tired and fatigued.

Strength training is like a positive feedback loop that leads to better strength, better mood, and better health. It goes like this:

• The more muscle you build, the more exercise you will be able to handle. The more exercise you can handle, the more muscle you can build.
  
  
• The more muscle you build, the better you can manage your COPD symptoms. The better you can manage your COPD symptoms, the more you can exercise.
  
  
• The more you exercise, the less depressed and anxious you will feel. When you feel less depressed and anxious, it makes it easier to exercise and eat a healthy diet.
  
  
• When you eat a healthy diet, your body is better nourished. When you're better nourished, you'll have more energy, which allows you to build even more strength.
  
  
• The stronger you are and the better you can manage your symptoms, the more mobile and active you can be in your daily life. This leads to even more physical activity, more strength, and a better quality of life overall.

Strength Training Exercises for COPD

Resistance exercises like push-ups, squats, and weight lifting are the most effective ways to build body strength and muscle mass. Many people enjoy strength training using weights and other equipment you can find at the gym, but you can also do effective strength training exercises with minimal equipment at home.

You can buy a small set of light free weights for lifting at home and choose exercises that use your own body weight as resistance to build strength. If you have severe COPD symptoms or limited energy, there are a variety of chair exercises you can do that are designed specifically for people with limited strength and mobility.

Most doctors recommend doing strength training sessions at least three days a week in order to see an improvement in strength and muscle mass. You should start slow, doing only as much as you can handle without feeling too breathless or fatigued.

You can add in extra muscle groups and repetitions as time goes on and your strength and endurance increases. Just make sure you talk to your doctor before starting any new exercise routine, and don't be afraid to ask for advice, either.

Here are some examples of resistance exercises you can do to build strength and muscle mass:

• Leg lifts
• Bicep curls
• Squats
• Knee raises
• Chair exercises

If you are having difficulty exercising on your own, consider joining a pulmonary rehabilitation class. It's like a special exercise and education course for people with respiratory diseases, and doctors recommend it to anyone who has COPD and struggles to keep up with their exercise plan.

At pulmonary rehabilitation you can learn how to better control your symptoms when you exercise, use your medications effectively, and even get opportunities to learn and practice new exercises. They often also include dietary education, mental health support, and group therapy sessions to allow patients to share their worries, struggles, and successes.

Use Supplemental Oxygen

Shortness of breath is one of the major barriers that prevents many people with COPD from exercising and eating as much as they should. Luckily, many patients find it much easier to do both of these things when they use supplemental oxygen at the same time.

Using supplemental oxygen at mealtimes can reduce breathlessness and fatigue while you eat, making it easier to get the calories and nutrients you need to stay healthy. When you exercise, supplemental oxygen can help you keep your respiratory symptoms under control so you can have better endurance and build more muscle.

If you regularly struggle to breathe when you exercise or when you eat, talk to your doctor about using supplemental oxygen during these activities. Your doctor will assess your lung function to determine your oxygen needs and help you learn how to manage your oxygen flow and concentration when you do different activities.

Talk to Your Doctor about Supplements

When it comes to building muscle and maintaining a healthy weight, many COPD patients need some extra help. Studies show that supplementing your diet with certain nutrients like protein or creatine can prevent muscle wasting in people with COPD and help them gain weight and muscle mass more quickly.

Some doctors recommend protein shakes or other nutrient-rich shakes to people with COPD who have trouble getting enough calories from their meals. Shakes are quick and convenient to prepare, and take very little energy to drink compared to solid foods.

It is important to always get your doctor's approval before taking new supplements, using nutrient shakes, or significantly changing your diet in any way. Your doctor can ensure that what you're taking is healthy and won't interfere with any of your other treatments or medications.

Supplements known to improve muscle and weight gain in patients with COPD:

• Creatine
• Protein shakes
• High-calorie nutrient shakes

Eat More Meals

When you eat a lot of food all at once, it can cause your stomach to expand and press on your lungs. For people with COPD (and especially emphysema), this is a common problem that can cause extreme discomfort and make it difficult to breathe during and after meals.

These symptoms can make it difficult to finish meals or cause people with COPD to dread or avoid eating food. That's why doctors recommend patients who struggle with breathlessness at mealtime to change their eating schedule to include more meals and smaller portions.

Instead of three large meals a day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), many doctors recommend that people with COPD eat six smaller meals spaced out throughout the day. Doing this cuts the size of each meal in half and gives your stomach time to digest and empty in-between meals.

This way, you can eat smaller portions that won't cause discomfort but still get enough food to prevent weight and muscle loss. It's a great solution if you struggle with breathlessness because it allows you to get all the calories and nutrients you need with a much lower risk of triggering breathing difficulties at mealtimes.

Prioritize Your Food

If you have trouble finishing meals because of breathlessness or other COPD symptoms, it can be helpful to prioritize the food on your plate. Eat the most calorie-dense and nutrient-dense foods first, that way you get the most out of your meal even if you can't finish it all.

If you often feel full or breathless before finishing a meal, it can also help to limit the amount of water and other liquids you drink. If you avoid drinking before or during meals, you'll have more room in your stomach for food. You can make up the fluids by drinking more water in-between meals, instead.

If you have trouble building up an appetite, try starting your meals with a treat or a food that you really enjoy. You will dread eating less if you have something to look forward to, and starting with a favorite food might whet your appetite and make it easier to continue eating.

Here are some examples of nutrient-dense foods to add to the beginning of your meals:

• Eggs (cooked in oil)
• Nuts and nut butters (e.g. peanut butter)
• Milk and cottage cheese
• Meats (chicken, fish)

Eat More Protein

Protein is necessary for your body's basic functions, and it's something your body absolutely cannot do without. If you don't get enough protein in your diet, your body will take it from the next-best source: your muscles.

This type of muscle wasting is a problem that happens often in COPD patients who are weak and malnourished. That's why it's so important to maintain a healthy diet when you have COPD.

When the food you eat isn't enough to meet your body's energy and nutrient requirements, your body will not hesitate cannibalize your own muscles for the nutrients it needs. The solution is to make sure that you are eating enough and have a balanced diet with protein-rich foods.

Most doctors recommend that you get most of your protein from lean meats and plant protein sources. Adding extra portions of chicken, fish, eggs and beans to your meals is a healthy way to add more lean protein into your diet.

On the other hand, you should avoid the less-healthy fatty meats and processed meats like bacon, sausage, and ham. Also, if you need to make room for more protein in your diet, it's best to eat fewer simple carbs like sugars, white breads, and white pastas.

Here are some examples of healthy proteins to add to your diet:

• Fish (salmon, cod, tuna, etc.)
• Chicken
• Lean beef
• Eggs
• Tofu
• Beans & Legumes

Consult a Dietitian

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you just can't manage a healthy diet on your own. COPD can make getting proper nutrition very difficult, especially because it causes you to need extra calories and nutrients.

If you have trouble gaining muscle or continue to lose weight despite your best efforts, it's time to talk to your doctor or a licensed dietitian. They can help you figure out exactly how many calories you need to eat and what amounts of different nutrients your bo

Even if you are not short of breath, or experiencing symptoms of breathlessness, you blood oxygen levels could be dangerously low! Read this blog to learn about how much oxygen you are getting compared to how much you need. 

The hallmark symptoms of COPD are shortness of breath, or feeling breathless. It's certainly one of the most common symptoms, as well as that most invasive. Whether you're the person with COPD or the caregiver, shortness of breath is scary and unsettling for everyone involved.

There are devices called pulse oximeters, which measure your oxygen saturation levels. This is important for COPD patients to know how much oxygen they are able to process. Pulse oximeters have become more popular and accessible in recent years. 

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This is both a good and bad thing because COPD patients may be relying as much on their oximetry results as their actual symptoms when evaluating their breathing capabilities. It can cause a lot of confusion. 

The confusion comes from having a "normal" oxygen saturation level, but still feeling extremely short of breath. Also, it might be hard to notice any symptoms even when your oxygen saturation levels are dangerously low. 

We are going to clear up this confusion in this blog.

The Difference Between Shortness of Breath and Being Hypoxic

There are the three main factors that impact how well your body is able to take up and use oxygen.

1. How well your lungs absorb oxygen into your body and release carbon dioxide. 
2. How well your heart is able to pump oxygen throughout your body.
3. How well your cells and muscles use the oxygen they get from your blood.

Obviously, various diseases like COPD or heart disease will inhibit some or all three of those factors. COPD causes intense lung damage, and even cardiac problems, that definitely can impact all three of these.Treatment methods including medication, supplemental oxygen therapy,  and exercise can help in improving the way your body utilizes oxygen, and in turn, making you less short of breath. 

Feeling breathless

Have you ever felt yourself gasping for air, or feeling out of breath even when you’re not exerting yourself? Well this can happen to anyone, and while it is a common symptom of COPD, not everyone who feels short of breath has COPD. 

Breathlessness is associated with lung damage and/or airway inflammation but it can also be caused by: 

1. Heart health
2. How fit you are
3. Emotions
4. Weather
5. Altitude
6. Infection
7. Low red blood cell count (anemia)

Even if you are t feeling breathless, this does not always mean that you are hypoxic.

Being Hypoxic or Having Hypoxemia

There is a difference between hypoxemia and being hypoxic. Hypoxia is when there is a low level of oxygen in your blood. Being hypoxic means that not enough oxygen is getting to your body's cells. 

These impact your body at two different stages when your body is working to absorb oxygen.  

You can find your oxygen saturation level and test whether or not you have these conditions. There are two ways to measure it:

1. Arterial blood gases test. This takes place at your doctor’s or a with a lab tech
2. Using a pulse oximeter. This you can do on your own, and the small device fits over a finger tip. It uses infrared rays to measure the percentage of oxygen in your blood.

Oxygen saturation is largely dependent on your overall health. This can be indicated by how fast you are breathing during activity and rest.

A typical healthy person has oxygen saturation levels that range from 95 to 100%.When saturation levels drop to 90% and below that is considered low and unhealthy. COPD patients often dip below 90% at times.

Feeling Breathless But Not Hypoxic

Now that you have an understanding of oxygen saturation, and the symptoms associated with low levels of oxygen, you might be wondering, “Why am I so short of breath, but my oxygen levels are still normal?" 

Well, even if you're experiencing extreme breathlessness, but your oxygen saturation levels remain in that 95% - 100% healthy range, then supplemental oxygen will not solve your problem. 

Instead, you need to learn how to recover from breathlessness. Try stopping what you’re doing and resting right away.

After stopping the action that caused your breathlessness try these additional actions:

1. Remind yourself that you know what to do. Taking action can help you overcome the anxiety that often goes along with being short of breath.
2. Position yourself to breathe easier. Leaning forward or bending over helps drop your abdomen away from your lungs, making breathing easier. Lean your arms on your knees or on some stationary object like the wall or a counter. (I remember often seeing my dad doing this, especially after a severe coughing spell.)
3. Work on controlling your breathing. If you know how to do diaphragmatic or pursed lip breathing, then do so. If you haven't learned those techniques yet, then at least work on slowing and deepening your breaths in and out.
4. Once you are feeling better and more in control of your breaths, it may be time to resume whatever you had been doing. But you may need to modify the intensity to avoid re-triggering your breathlessness.

Pulmonary rehab is another great tool that can be beneficial in teaching you how to avoid and/or deal with this symptom. These are classes you take with trained professionals, they teach you breathing exercises and physical activities that are good for your level of health. 

You can also look into a rescue, or quick-relief, inhaler. Talk with your doctor about these options, because they can offer some relief in your situation. 

Hypoxic But Not Feeling Breathless 

Even if you are not feeling at all breathless, your oxygen levels can still be low, and this is an important concept to understand. Low oxygen saturation levels are not healthy, do not  ignore it. Get your oxygen levels tested regularly, even if you are not short of breath.

If you do measure low oxygen levels during a blood test, or while conducting pulse oximeter tests. Speak with your doctor right away about the next steps you must take to get your levels to normal. 

This is often when people need a portable oxygen concentrator to use as their additional source of oxygen. Devices like the Inogen One G5, and the ARYA P5 Portable Oxygen Concentrator often oxygen patients medical grade oxygen they can use 24/7. 

It means your blood and tissues are not getting the oxygen they need to survive, and it needs to be addressed right away.

The answer to hypoxia is supplemental oxygen therapy. However, how much and how often you need oxygen depends on the progression of hypoxia you are experiencing and your health care team will determine this. It is also important that your healthcare team helps you with a plan for how often to measure your oxygen levels with a home pulse oximeter.

Overview 

If you have COPD, remember that shortness of breath (and other symptoms, such as coughing) are an important thing to take note of. Track your symptoms to measure your current health status and how your health changes over time.

As far as knowing your oxygen saturation level, you will need to monitor this regularly because even if you are not short of breath your oxygen levels could be low, and that is dangerous. This is around the time you will need to call LPT Medical at 1+(800)-946-1201 to talk about your oxygen device options. On the other hand, and unfortunately so, it is entirely possible to be short of breath, but have healthy oxygen saturation.

While COPD is usually characterized as a breathing disorder, it is a complex disease that can cause a variety of different ailments besides respiratory decline. One of of these is back pain, a serious ailment that afflicts nearly fifty percent of patients with COPD

Back pain caused by COPD can be mild or severe, and in extreme cases even debilitating. It can be acute and short-term, or it can be chronic, lasting for days or months at a time.

Besides being plain painful, back pain can interfere with your daily life and make it difficult to continue your normal routine. If severe, it can even interfere with your COPD treatment and leave you unable to exercise and do other things that are important for your health.

Luckily, back pain is very treatable, and there are many simple things you can do in your daily life to minimize your back pain. In this guide, we're going to introduce you to a variety of natural techniques and practical methods you can use to get relief.

Whether it's acute or chronic, most types of back pain can be reduced with healthy habits and lifestyle changes like exercise, posture, and diet. That's why it's so important to examine your everyday habits and lifestyle to identify things that might be contributing to your pain.

If you don't start treating your back pain now, it may only get worse over time. That's why it's important to take action now, before the pain takes an even greater toll on your life and your ability to manage your COPD.

Instead of waiting it out or assuming your back pain will go away on its own, learn what kinds of actions you can take in your daily life keep your back healthy and strong. In this article, we are going to help you do just that, by helping you understand why COPD causes back pain and how you can use a variety of simple methods to treat your back pain at its source.

Understanding Back Pain and COPD

Back pain is a very general symptom that can have a variety of different causes. But if you have COPD, your back pain could be directly or indirectly caused by your disease.

COPD-related back pain tends to be chronic and also tends to affect the lower back. In fact, research shows that more than forty percent of people with COPD experience chronic lower back pain.

COPD patients can suffer from any type of back pain or a combination of multiple kinds at once. Here is a quick overview of the main types of back pain and how to recognize them.

Acute Back Pain

Acute back pain is usually defined as short-term back pain lasting for less than six weeks. It is usually caused by injury or trauma and resolves relatively quickly.

Many people feel acute back pain as a sharp pain or dull ache. The pain can be minor or it can be severe enough to affect your daily life, making it difficult to move, work, and sleep.

Chronic Back Pain

Chronic back pain is back pain that lasts longer than six weeks and doesn't get better on its own. It can be caused by inflammation, strain, or injury and doesn't usually get better on its own.

Chronic back pain is often in the lower back and feels like a deep aching or burning. It tends to travel from your back to your hips and legs and get worse when you stay still for long periods of time.

Mechanical Back Pain

Mechanical back pain is any kind of back pain caused by a mechanical injury to your muscles or spine. That includes pain from strain, accidental injuries, poor posture, and other physical causes.

Inflammatory Back Pain

Inflammatory back pain is, in a way, more chemical than it is physical. It is caused inflammation inside your body that damages the tissue of your muscles, bones, and/or joints in your back.

Back pain caused by inflammation is often chronic and gets worse when you sit for too long or don't get enough physical activity. Chronic back pain is usually more difficult to relieve and manage than acute or mechanical back pain, and the most common treatments are exercise and anti-inflammatory drugs.

How COPD Causes Back Pain

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a common cause of back pain in people with COPD. You can get osteoporis if you don't eat enough calcium, which impairs your body's ability to build and repair your bones.

As a result, your bones become very thin, weak, and brittle. They can become so weak, in fact, that a minor bump, fall, or even normal activities and movements can cause your bones to break.

Most people don't notice any symptoms in the early stages, but osteoporosis can cause severe pain as it progresses and causes invisible injuries. This pain usually stems from tiny cracks, breaks, and compression fractures that patients often don't even realize they have.

The most common causes of osteoporosis-related back pain are spinal compression fractures, which usually cause a more severe kind of back pain. This type of injury tends to hurt most when you stand, walk, twist, and bend, and tends to lessen when you lie down.

Osteoporosis is particularly common in COPD patients, who often struggle to get enough nutrients from their diet—including calcium—because of how the disease affects their bodies. COPD patients also tend to avoid exercise, which weakens your bones and can lead to bone-related back pain.

Lack of Physical Activity (Muscle Atrophy and Disuse Syndrome)

Not getting enough exercise is another major factor that makes people with COPD more prone to back pain. This is a risk for patients with advanced COPD, in particular, who often find it difficult to stay active because of their severe physical and respiratory symptoms.

Not getting enough physical activity causes your muscles to break down (atrophy) and can even weaken your bones and joints. It also hurts the flexibility of your back, which can cause stiffness and pain when you move.

Unfortunately, many people avoid exercise when they have back pain, which can end up making it even worse. This can start a vicious cycle where lack of physical activity causes back pain, and untreated back pain can causes patients to avoid physical acitivity even more.

Patients that live too sedentary a lifestyle can also develop disuse syndrome, a disorder that stems from not using your body enough. It can lead to back pain, other chronic pains, cardiovascular disease, and mental disorders like anxiety and depression.

Chronic Inflammation

One of the most direct ways that COPD can cause back pain is through chronic inflammation. This happens when your immune system's inflammatory response stays active all the time, which is a very common symptom of COPD.

Chronic inflammation wears down your body and can cause a variety of serious health conditions, including heart disease and depression. Another side effect of chronic inflammation is chronic pain, including chronic back pain, which you may feel in your muscles, bones, and joints.

Inflammatory back pain is different from mechanical back pain, and can be a sign of arthritis. While mechanical back pain usually comes from physical injury to the muscles and bones in your back, inflammatory back pain is the result of inflammation in the joints of your spine.

Back pain caused by inflammation lasts for at least three weeks and is usually felt most in the lower back. In severe cases, it can lead to a type of arthritis called ankylosing spondylitis, which can affect a variety of joints in your body, and can even cause sections of your spine to fuse together in its later stages.

Inflammatory back pain gets worse when you don't move around for long periods of time and improves with movement and exercise. It doesn't get better with rest and tends to be more severe in the morning after you've been lying in bed all night.

How to Treat Back Pain from COPD

If you have COPD and suffer from back pain, you don't have to suffer in silence. There are many different options for treating back pain, including home treatment, medication, and implementing new habits in your daily life that support a healthy back.

Practice Good Posture

Bad posture can both cause back pain and make existing back pain worse. It can cause muscle strain and stiffness, compress your bones and joints, and lead to variety of back aches and pains.

On the other hand, good posture supports your spine and the muscles in your back so they don't get tired or strained. By adjusting your posture, you can relieve existing back pains and prevent more pain in the future.

People with COPD are particularly prone to bad posture because of their respiratory symptoms and tendency to avoid exercise. Because of this, it is particularly important for you to watch your posture if you suffer from COPD.

Sleeping posture, in particular, is a problem for many people with COPD. One reason for this is that lying down on your back puts extra weight on your chest, which makes it more difficult to breathe.

One solution to this is to sleep on your side, which many patients find makes it easier to breathe and sleep at night. However, to keep your spine aligned and prevent back pain, you should also put a small pillow between your knees.

Another common posture issue among people with COPD is bending over at the waist whenever they feel short of breath, because they feel it makes it easier to breathe. However, you can breathe just as well and prevent unnecessary back pain by practicing breathing exercises in an upright posture.

If you suffer from back pain and COPD, don't underestimate the power of good posture to improve how you feel. Changing your posture habits can not only relieve your back pain, but it can improve a variety of other symptoms of COPD.

To learn more about how your posture can affect your COPD, visit our guide on how to improve your COPD with good posture.

Here are some more tips for practicing proper posture to reduce back pain with COPD:

Good Standing Posture:

• Stand completely upright with your shoulders parallel to your hips and feet.
• Bend your knees slightly and place your feet slightly apart at about shoulder's width.
• Keep your shoulders pulled back, yet relaxed. Do not let them slump forward.
• Keep your chin parallel to the ground.
• Put your weight on the balls of your feet and shift from one foot to another if needed.

Good Sleeping Posture

• Sleep with a good-quality, firm mattress and pillow.
• Sleep on your back or on your side, but avoid sleeping on your stomach.
• If you sleep on your back, put a small pillow under your knees to help keep your spine straight.
• If you sleep on your side, put a small pillow between your knees to keep your hips and spine aligned.
• Consider getting a special pillow or mattress designed to aid with good sleep posture or back pain.

Don't Stay Sedentary

Many cases of back pain are caused by lack of physical activity, which is something that people with COPD often struggle with. Exercising with COPD symptoms can be very challenging, and too many patients simply give up and settle into an unhealthy, sedentary lifestyle.

However, being inactive leads to even more problems, including back pain, disuse syndrome, and worsened COPD symptoms. The more sedentary you are, the worse your symptoms will get, and the more your aches and pains will multiply.

This happens because, when you don't get enough exercise, your muscles atrophy and get weaker and stiffer; this can lead to both long-term and short-term back pains. Additionally, as your back muscles lose strength and tone, they also become more prone to cramping and injury.

The solution to this is getting more physical activity and doing exercises that limber up and strengthen the muscles in your back. Regular exercise will not only protect your back from injury, but it can even relieve your back pain significantly.

Regular activity is especially helpful for your back if you live a sedentary lifestyle or suffer from inflammatory back pain. In those cases, getting more movement and exercise is perhaps the single most effective thing you can do to reduce your pain.

In order to keep your back in good shape, make sure to get at least 20 minutes of moderate physical activity at least three times per week. It also helps to get up at regular intervals throughout the day to stretch your back, shoulders, and spine.

Exercise Your Back

Many different kinds of physical activities can relieve pain and pressure in your back. Anything that gets your body moving can help, including stretching exercises, strength training, and cardiovascular activities like walking or biking.

Stretching and strength training exercises are particularly helpful for loosening up your back muscles and strengthening the muscles that help support your back. Muscle groups to target include your abdominal muscles, hamstring muscles, and the muscles in your upper and lower back.

For the best results, you should do strength training exercises at least four times a week in sets of 3-5 repetitions. It may take some time to see results, but you should notice an increase in strength and a decrease in pain within about six weeks of starting exercise.

It is normal to feel some pain and discomfort when you first start working out and strengthening your back. However, you should be careful to start small, take it slow, and stop if it makes your pain worse.

It helps to start out with low-impact exercises like walking, stretching, and water aerobics that won't over-stress injured muscles and joints. Abdominal muscle exercises are another great place to start because they are simple to do and they help support your back.