So, you recently found out you have COPD and you're not sure what to do. You might be feeling scared, lost, overwhelmed, or anxious about what will come next.

First of all, take a deep breath and remind yourself that you will be okay. COPD is a serious disease, but it doesn't mean your life as you know it is over. Many people go on to live many long, happy years after getting diagnosed with COPD.

Even though the news can come as a shock, it's important not to not panic or get too discouraged about your diagnosis. COPD is treatable, even if it's not curable, and the next steps you take can have a major impact on your disease and how quickly your symptoms get worse.

One of the worst things you can do is get stuck in the trap of dwelling on what-ifs and feeling hopeless about things you can't change. Instead, you should do your best to focus on what you can change in order to keep yourself healthy and live the longest, best life possible in spite of your disease.

That's why we created this guide to help you figure out what to do after you've been diagnosed with COPD. In the sections below, we'll walk you through 11 vital steps you can take right away to preserve your health and take charge of your disease.

Learning how to manage COPD is a complicated journey, and it helps to have a roadmap to point you in the right direction. Luckily, there are plenty of resources to help you get started, including the one you're reading now, and you will find links to many more all throughout this guide.

The Next Steps: What to Do After Your COPD Diagnosis

Stop Smoking!

Don't make the common mistake of believing that it's not a big deal to keep smoking just because you already have COPD. The truth is, continuing to smoke after your COPD diagnosis is extremely dangerous; it can shorten your lifespan, make your symptoms more severe, and make your quality of life significantly worse.

One of the major effects of COPD is that it makes your lungs extra vulnerable to inflammation. Anything you breathe that irritates your lungs, including dust, allergens, and smoke, can make your symptoms worse for hours or even days at a time.

Even worse, inflammation can lead to permanent lung damage and accelerated loss of your remaining lung function. It can also make you more likely to have a COPD exacerbation, which is a prolonged episode of worsened respiratory symptoms that requires special treatment—and sometimes even hospitalization—to cure.

But studies show that if you quit smoking, it can reduce your COPD symptoms, make it easier to breathe, and reduce your risk for other health complications. It can even improve the overall function of your heart and lungs, reducing shortness of breath and making it easier to do physical activities.

Most importantly, research suggests that quitting smoking is the most effective thing you can do to slow down the progression of COPD. It can help you live longer, live better, and suffer from less severe symptoms over the course of your disease.

Of course, stopping smoking is almost never an easy thing to do. Many people need help quitting, which is why there are a wide variety of smoking cessation resources available to assist you if you need them.

U. S. Air Force photo by Beverly Joyner

Don't be discouraged if you've tried and failed before; most smokers make many quit attempts before it finally sticks. You might be more likely to succeed if you use one or more quit smoking medications, such as nicotine replacement patches or pills.

Other helpful resources include quit smoking counseling (which is generally free with medicare), quit smoking hotlines, and online smoking cessation programs. The first step is deciding that you want to make the firm commitment to quit, and then you can set up a plan including a quit date and a strategy for gathering the support, medication, and any other tools you need to help you succeed.

Learn Anything and Everything You Can About COPD

In order to manage your COPD effectively, you need to understand your disease and what it takes to minimize further damage to your lungs. The more you know, the better you can manage your symptoms, make healthy choices, and maintain your quality of life.

That's why it's important to learn everything you can about COPD and how to live responsibly with the disease. That includes learning how COPD affects your body, how it progresses over time, and the myriad ways you can improve the health of your heart and lungs. COPD oxygen therapy treatment is one of the best ways to reduce symptoms regardless of whether you have mild or severe COPD. 

There are many online resources you can use to research COPD and learn practical strategies for managing the disease. We have a variety of helpful guides on our Respiratory Resource Center blog to help you get started, all of which include numerous links to helpful information from doctors, researchers, and other COPD experts.

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You can start with following guides which cover a variety of vital COPD topics:

• Learn About the 4 Stages of COPD
• 15 Tips for Reducing Your Risk for COPD Exacerbations
• How to Prevent COPD-Related Heart Attacks
• How COPD Affects Your Immune System
• The Importance of Following Your COPD Action Plan
• How to Avoid Common Mistakes New COPD Patients Make

COPD-Proof Your Environment

One of the first things you should learn about COPD is that many common chemicals, microbes, and airborne particles can worsen your COPD. That includes common household allergens like pollen, dust, and mold, as well as other respiratory irritants like fragrances and smoke.

In order to minimize your symptoms and keep your COPD under control, it's important to minimize your exposure to these and other respiratory hazards. That means avoiding air pollution both outside and inside, but especially within your own home.

Indoor air quality is important, and one of your immediate priorities should be to create a lung-friendly climate inside your house. There are many ways to do this, including eliminating sources of air pollution and maintaining ideal temperature and humidity conditions indoors.

The first step is to deep clean your house to remove dust, mold, and other contaminants that can make it more difficult to breathe. This can make a noticeable difference in your daily symptoms and make your COPD easier to manage at home.

Next, you may need to make some changes to household habits and routines. You can reduce the amount of hazardous VOC's you breathe in, for example, by taking care to set up proper ventilation anytime you cook or clean.

It's especially important to eliminate any sources of smoke in your house, including cigarettes, incense, and wood-burning fireplaces. You should also avoid certain common household products, including many commercial cleaning chemicals and aerosol sprays, that can irritate your lungs and contribute to indoor air pollution.

On days when your local air quality is poor, you can shield your home from outdoor air pollution by keeping your doors and windows closed. You can also optimize your indoor air purity by using high-quality air filters, humidifiers, or electric air purifying appliances (such as a certified HEPA filtration system).

Check out the following guides to learn more about how to COPD-proof your home:

• How to deep clean your house to reduce COPD symtpoms
• Practical tips for improving your indoor air quality
• How to reduce your exposure to noxious cleaning products (and find lung-safe alternatives)

Learn COPD Breathing Techniques

One of the earliest and most prevalent symptoms of COPD is shortness of breath, which often appears during exercise and other physical activities. This tends to get worse with time, and it can seriously interfere with your ability to do daily activities and live an active, healthy life.

Fortunately, there are many strategies you can use to reduce shortness of breath; in fact, that is one of the major goals of COPD treatment. One of these strategies is practicing deep breathing techniques, which is proven to be an effective short-term solution to breathlessness.

Unlike many other COPD treatments, breathing exercises are simple, immediate, and they're available for you to use anytime and anywhere. Breathing techniques also teach you how to be aware of your breathing and control your breaths in beneficial ways.

Because of this, breathing exercises are an early skill that every person with COPD should learn soon after diagnosis. It works as a first-line solution to breathlessness that is effective in a wide range of different situations, including when you walk, exercise, or exert yourself in any way.

Even if you have mild COPD and don't experience breathlessness often yet, learning to control your breathing is still an important skill. The more you practice now, the easier and more natural it will feel to use these techniques as your disease progresses and it becomes more difficult to breathe.

Learn COPD Airway Clearance Techniques

Just like breathing techniques, airway clearance techniques are basic, vital skills for every COPD patient. Their purpose is to get rid of excess mucus that builds up in and blocks your airways as a result of your COPD.

Simply put, airway clearance techniques are exercises you can do to deliberately move mucus up and out of your lungs and airways. Once the mucus reaches your upper airways and mouth, you simply cough or spit it out to remove it from your respiratory tract completely.

While this might sound gross at first, this is exactly what happens anytime you have a wet cough, which often happens during minor respiratory infections like the flu. Unfortunately, people with COPD tend to produce lots of extra mucus all the time, where it blocks airflow through their airways and makes it more difficult to breathe.

Fortunately, airway clearance techniques can help you manage this problem and minimize its effect on your life. You can use include tool-assisted strategies as well as simpler techniques as-needed throughout the day.

Techniques like controlled coughing, positional drainage, and strategic tapping on the chest and back can all help you get rid of stubborn mucus at home. If you work with your doctor, you may also get to use specialized mucus-clearing tools and equipment, such as vibrating chest vests (high-frequency chest wall oscillation) and medical lung flutes.

Many people with COPD experience reduced respiratory symptoms when they use airway clearance techniques regularly. They can reduce shortness of breath, prevent coughing fits, and minimize the amount of wheezing when you breathe.

To learn more about airway clearance techniques, including methods you can use at home, check out our guide on the topic here.

Get Your Flu & Pneumonia Vaccinations

Vaccinations are important for everybody, but they are especially important for people with COPD and other chronic diseases. It is very dangerous to get sick when you have COPD because it can cause severe COPD exacerbations and other complications.

COPD actually depresses your immune system, making you more likely to get sick with infectious illnesses like the flu. It also makes your lungs more prone to infection and inflammation, so that even a minor illness can lead to life-threatening breathing problems in people with advanced COPD.

Now that you've been diagnosed with COPD, you can't take the risk of leaving your immune system unprotected. Avoiding illnesses and exacerbations is a key part of managing your disease, especially since exacerbations can cause irreversible lung damage and permanent lung function loss.

Because of this, getting vaccinated for the flu—and possibly pneumonia—is usually one of the first recommendations doctors give to someone recently diagnosed with COPD. In general, all adults aged 65 or older, or who have a chronic disease, should get the pneumonia vaccine; however, your doctor can tell you if you need it for sure.

The flu vaccine is particularly important, because influenza is a serious respiratory illness that kills up to 79,000 people every year and causes even more hospitalizations. In people with COPD, the flu can cause severe COPD exacerbations, and frequently leads to secondary lung infections like pneumonia.

While the pneumonia vaccine is a one-time thing, you will need to get a new flu vaccine every year to stay protected. Don't take this duty lightly; after all, it may only take one serious illness to make your COPD symptoms worse forever.

Even minor exacerbations can affect your ability to breathe and do daily activities for weeks, and it can take even longer to get back to baseline after a serious one. If you have severe COPD, exacerbations put you at risk for hospitalization, respiratory failure, and possibly even death.

Learn How to Manage Your New Medications

After your COPD diagnosis, your doctor will likely put you on a strict medication regimen. You are likely to receive, at the very least, a maintenance inhaler to use every day and a quick-relief inhaler to use as-needed when you find it difficult to breathe.

If your COPD is more severe, you will likely have a variety of additional medications to keep track of. This might be difficult to get used to at first, especially when some medications are regular, some are as-needed, and some you only use during a COPD exacerbation.

However, it's vital that you understand each medication as well as exactly how you're supposed to use it. If you haven't received one already, ask your doctor to give you a detailed COPD action plan, which will serve as a vital resource for you as you learn to manage your disease.

Your COPD action plan should detail each of your medications and the conditions for their use. It should explain when to take each medication, how much you're supposed to take, and if any other factors—such as bad symptom flare-ups—change how you should use it.

Once you fully understand your medications, it's important to set up a schedule and a routine to help you take them consistently and correctly. You can use whatever methods are available to keep yourself on track, such as sticky notes, phone reminders, or pill containers labeled with each day of the week.

Kickstart Healthy Daily Habits

When you're a healthy adult, it's all too easy to brush off the fact that you have a bad diet or have put on excess weight. However, these unhealthy habits become much too dangerous to ignore if you get diagnosed with COPD.

COPD patients who live an unhealthy lifestyle have worse symptoms and a much worse quality of life. This is especially true for people who have bad eating habits, don't get enough exercise, or have an unhealthy BMI.

Unfortunately, COPD symptoms like breathlessness, depression, and fatigue can make it difficult to stay healthy. However, it's important to work through these problems so that you can work out, stay active, and cook healthy, balanced meals.

It's okay if you need help; there are many diet, nutrition, and exercise specialists out there who can show you how to get on track. It's also good to start small, with simple steps and modest goals to help you move forward without feeling overwhelmed or burnt out.

Major lifestyle changes don't happen overnight, but it's important to get started as early as possible. The longer you wait to improve your habits, the worse your COPD symptoms will become, and the harder it will be to change.

However, making improvements in your diet and exercise can go a long way towards improving your COPD symptoms and your overall quality of life. It can even improve your ability to breathe and slow the rate of lung function decline over time.

If you're not sure whether or not your lifestyle needs to change, talk to your doctor about your current habits related to diet, exercise, and health. He can help you spot any unhealthy behaviors and give you pointers for how to improve.

To learn more, check out our following guides about COPD-healthy exercise and nutrition:

• Tips for Exercising at Home with COPD
• Learn which Foods You Should Eat and which Foods You Shouldn't Eat if you have COPD
• How to Reduce COPD-Related Fatigue

Ask Questions and Work With Your Doctor

Living with COPD is no simple matter, and you're bound to have a lot of questions after getting diagnosed. When you do, don't be afraid to talk to your doctor and ask him to explain anything you don't understand.

Asking questions is a good thing; it shows you want to be involved in your treatment and learn how to manage your COPD. Your doctors are some of the best resources you have, so don't be afraid to ask for—or even insist on—answers to any questions that come up.

Working with your doctor should be an two-sided dialogue, and you should feel comfortable asking your doctor to provide you with explanations and clarifications. That's why it's important to work with a doctor you get along with and who you can trust to keep you informed.

If you're not quite sure how to open up a dialogue, take some time to think about any questions or concerns you have about your health and your disease. Write down everything that comes to mind, including any topics you and your doctor have already discussed that have you worried, confused, or unsure.

This exercise will expose gaps in your knowledge and help you figure out what you need to know. Then, the next time you talk to your doctor, bring this list of questions and concerns with you so you don't leave anything out.

If you need some ideas to get started, check out our guide with 16 questions you should ask your doctor about your COPD.

Get Support and Assistance from Family and Friends

Nobody should have to cope with a COPD diagnosis all on their own. As soon as you've processed the news and feel ready to discuss it, you should consider telling your family and friends about your disease.

The reasons for doing so are two-fold: First of all, the emotional support you get from the people who love you can be a huge relief and allow you to cope with your diagnosis in a healthier way. Second, it gives your family and friends the chance to offer physical and practical support, which you may need as you go through treatment.

For example, you could ask your loved ones to help you make the lifestyle changes needed to keep yourself healthy for as long as possible. You may also need to ask them for help with daily tasks, like cooking, cleaning, and making it to doctor's appointments in the more severe stages of COPD.

In many cases, friends and family members are more than happy to do what they can, even if it's just little things here and there. Having someone to help you go shopping, pick up your medications, or simply call to check up on you when you're not feeling well can make life just a little easier to manage when you're living with COPD.

Take the Time to Look After Your Mental Health

There are three main types of respiratory disease: airway diseases, lung tissue diseases, and circulatory diseases. The first type, airway diseases, affect the tubes called bronchioles, usually causing them to narrow, swell, or become filled with a slimy substance called mucus. Airway diseases include asthma, a specific type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) called chronic bronchitis, and bronchiectasis, a condition that results from recurrent lung infections.

The second type of respiratory disease, lung tissue disease, specifically affects the tissue within the lungs. Oftentimes, these diseases cause the lungs to become inflamed and lose their elasticity which is why they’re usually categorized as “restrictive” lung diseases because they prevent the lungs from expanding fully. Pulmonary fibrosis is one common type of lung tissue disease and it results from the formation of irreversible scar tissue in the lungs.

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The final type of respiratory disease is lung circulation disease. This type is a little more complicated in that it affects the complex interactions between your lungs and the rest of your circulatory system. These diseases prevent the lungs from processing oxygen from the air you breathe and releasing carbon dioxide, resulting in an imbalance of gases in the body. As you can imagine, these diseases are closely linked with cardiovascular issues.    

Believe it or not, COPD has elements of all three of these categories, so it’s more complicated than most people think. In the following sections, we’ll take a look at 7 interesting facts that you may not know about COPD. After reading this, we hope that you are more aware of the global burden of COPD and that you’ll feel inclined to share this information with friends and family members who may be at risk of contracting COPD.

It’s One of the Most Preventable Chronic Illnesses

When we say a disease is “preventable,” we mean that personal lifestyle choices most often cause the disease to take hold. For example, acute illnesses like the flu or the common cold can be prevented with vaccinations and proper hygiene. But when it comes to COPD, this is not quite so simple. According to lung.org, 85 to 90 percent of all COPD cases are caused by cigarette smoking, but there are also other risk factors at play such as environmental pollution and genetics which makes COPD a difficult disease to prevent.

When you compare COPD to some of the other leading preventable illnesses in the world, it’s not hard to see why COPD is so difficult to prevent. Heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are some of the most discussed diseases and more often than not, this results in a high level of funding while other prominent diseases like COPD are left behind. According to a survey published in ScienceDaily, 38 percent of people with COPD were unaware of the disease before being diagnosed. This often leads to people referring to COPD as a “silent disease,” because it can feel like patients don’t have much of a voice in the community at large.   

Perhaps, one of the reasons that COPD has such a lack of awareness is because of how slowly the disease develops. Typically, COPD takes many decades to progress from its early stages to its later stages. This is in stark contrast to diseases like lung cancer which tend to come on more quickly. Unfortunately, this leads to people underestimating the risk of COPD and not taking it as seriously as it should be. Another thing that can overshadow COPD is the fact that lung cancer shares the same awareness month, November. Since lung cancer has more funding in the first place, many people overlook COPD funding and support.

COPD Cannot Be Reversed

COPD is what’s known as a “progressive disease.” What this means is that symptoms related to this respiratory condition get worse over time. While symptoms may subside after a flare-up or exacerbation, these events usually result in a permanent drop in lung function. This is in contrast to conditions like asthma which exhibits similar symptoms, but after experiencing an asthma attack, most people fully recover and don’t maintain any permanent damage to their lungs.

As a result, the most important thing you can do to prevent your disease from progressing, or at the very least, slow its progression is to avoid common COPD triggers. We discuss in detail in this post how you can avoid COPD exacerbations, but we’ll summarize the points here for your convenience. First and foremost, infections are the cause of around 51% of all COPD exacerbations, so preventing them should be your top priority.

When you were young and didn’t have any chronic conditions, you probably weren’t too concerned about the flu or the common cold. These are infections that our body has adapted immunity towards allowing us to fight them off quickly, with or without the use of medications. However, the older we get older, these seemingly harmless things become a lot more serious, especially for people with chronic respiratory illness. It’s estimated that bacterial infections are the cause of 40 to 50 percent of all COPD exacerbations and a significant portion of hospitalizations as well.

Another major cause of COPD flare-ups and exacerbation is air pollution. No matter where you are and what the time of year is, there is air pollution. And if you want to slow the progression of COPD, you should be careful to check the quality of air wherever you go. AirNow.gov is a great resource for anyone who wants an accurate and up-to-date description of the air quality in their area. It’s recommended that COPD patients avoid going outside if the AQI (air quality index) is over 100.

Smoking Cessation is Still Important

There’s a strong belief among many people who have been diagnosed with COPD that “the damage has been done” and that “smoking cessation won’t help.” However, this could not be farther from the truth. While there is no cure for COPD, smoking will most certainly make your symptoms worse. In fact, cigarettes are an immunosuppressant drug meaning they inhibit the body’s innate and adaptive immune system. This puts you at a higher risk of infection and hampers your body’s ability to heal.

According to reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 38 percent of Americans who have COPD are current smokers. This is pretty astonishing considering that smoking is entirely counterproductive to a COPD treatment plan. Unfortunately, everyone is different so there’s no set smoking cessation plan you should follow. Your best bet will be to speak with your doctor who can help you find something that will work for you.

Another thing that will help is being away from a household where people have smoked or currently smoke. Secondhand smoke can be equally as dangerous as smoking yourself and experts estimate that the harmful chemicals in cigarettes can linger in a room for as long as five hours. In other words, if you smell cigarettes, you’re probably inhaling harmful chemicals that could lead to a COPD exacerbation. If you live with someone who smokes, try asking them to do it outside.

Every Case of COPD is Different

While around 16 million Americans have COPD, every case is unique. COPD is an umbrella term that’s used to denote two different chronic illnesses: chronic bronchitis and emphysema. And while these conditions might exhibit similar symptoms such as a chronic cough, breathlessness, and fatigue, they’re very different in terms of their causes, risk factors, and prognosis. These conditions can also occur in different parts of the respiratory system and work in tandem with co-morbidities which further complicates treatment and outlook.

Emphysema is what many people think of as the “smoker’s disease.” It’s a condition that affects the alveoli, the tiny air sacs that scatter the lungs. These air sacs are responsible for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide to and from the bloodstream, so they play a key role in our systemic health. In someone with emphysema, the alveoli begin to lose their shape and fill with fluid meaning the transfer of gases is less efficient. 

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In many cases, doctors will prescribe supplemental oxygen therapy which can help reduce the burden on the lungs. But it’s important to understand exactly how much you should be receiving because too much oxygen can lead to oxygen toxicity. This can result in symptoms such as coughing, difficulty breathing, and in severe cases even death. Make sure you’re clear on when to use oxygen and how much to use and don’t assume that increasing your oxygen intake will help you feel better.

The treatment options for emphysema also vary based on where the emphysema is located. For example, if the emphysema is located in one specific area of the lung, you may be a candidate for lung volume reduction surgery. This is a procedure that involves removing the damaged tissue in the lungs which prevents air from getting trapped and causing difficulty breathing. While it may sound counterintuitive to remove part of your lungs in order to help you breathe better, sometimes the benefits outweigh the negatives.

In other cases, emphysema patients may be a candidate for something called endobronchial valves. This is a less intrusive alternative to lung volume reduction surgery and involves inserting one-way valves into certain airways. The end result is that air won’t get trapped in areas of the lungs with emphysema and you’ll be able to breathe easier.

Lastly, COPD can be complicated when co-morbidities such as sleep apnea are involved. Sleep apnea is a condition where the airways close up as you sleep resulting in disruptions in your sleep and more serious long-term effects such as an increased risk of high blood pressure (hypertension) and heart attack. When COPD and sleep apnea occur together it is referred to as overlap syndrome, and studies have found that this phenomenon is common, especially as COPD progresses.

There is a Genetic Component to COPD

There is a small group of COPD patients that are often excluded from larger discussions about COPD and its causes. These are people who contracted COPD without ever picking up a cigarette or spending time around smokers. While alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (A1AD) is rare, it is the number one cause of COPD in non-smokers and people who live otherwise healthy lives.

A1AD occurs when the liver does not produce the correct amount of the alpha-1 protein. This protein is responsible for protecting the lungs from damage due to inflammation and it also prevents damage due to scar tissue in the liver. In these people, even something as simple as exposure to poor air quality or higher than normal levels of air pollution can lead to permanent lung damage and even COPD. 

While there is no cure for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, there are treatment options available. It’s also very important to recognize it at an early age so awareness is key. One possible treatment option is called augmentation therapy (replacement therapy). This is where the patient receives replacement alpha-1 from a donor once a week through an IV treatment. While this is not a cure-all, it can play an important role in delaying damage to the lungs. This is another reason it’s important to start as soon as possible.   

COPD is More Common in Women

For many decades, COPD was primarily a disease that affected men. This is largely due to the fact that women did not smoke very frequently before the 1950s. However, since then, the gap between men who smoke and women who smoke has narrowed significantly. With that being said, the number of smokers, in general, has decreased from 40 percent in the 1970s to around 14 percent in 2017.

Another reason COPD is more common among women is that women are proven to have a faster rate of decline in FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in one second) than men despite smoking less heavily. Studies have also shown that women have higher hospitalization rates and deaths due to respiratory failure or comorbidities.  

COPD Patients Can Live a Long and Healthy Life

It’s so easy to fall into a line of thinking where being diagnosed with a chronic condition means it’s the end, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth. While receiving a COPD diagnosis should act as a wake-up call for heavy smokers, it is far from “the end.” Many COPD patients are able to live long, happy lives as long as they make a serious effort to change their lifestyle for the better.

According to Medicinenet.com, the five-year life expectancy for newly diagnosed COPD patients is 40% to 70%. This is despite the fact that as many as 38% of people diagnosed with COPD continue to smoke and many don’t follow through with the treatment plan that their doctor set forth for them. On the other hand, people who immediately quit smoking and implement healthy choices like supplemental oxygen therapy, a healthy diet, and a consistent exercise routine see much better results. Some people with COPD have lived well into their 70s and 80s.

Conclusion

COPD is a leading cause of death in the United States and it’s also one of the most preventable illnesses in the world. Despite this fact, many people are woefully unaware of what exactly it is and how it affects the body. In comparison to other chronic illnesses like lung cancer or heart disease, COPD receives a lack of funding. This has led to many people referring to it as an “invisible illness.” — many people are affected, yet many suffer in silence.

The good news is that everyone can play a role in the treatment and prevention of COPD. if you have COPD, you can take part in clinical trials which helps to pave the way for researchers and doctors. If you have a friend or loved one with COPD, you can take time out of your day to help them manage their disease. And if you don’t have any connection to COPD, you can still get involved by donating or volunteering with organizations like the American Lung Association or the COPD Foundation.

According to Philip Tierno, director of clinical microbiology at NYU, humans come into contact with around 60,000 germs every day. However, only about one to two percent of these are potentially harmful. Our body also has innate and adaptive immunity which helps to protect us from these dangerous bacteria. Innate immunity is the defense system that’s in place when we’re born, and adaptive immunity is our body’s defense which develops over time as we’re exposed to more and more bacteria.

With the advent of the novel coronavirus, people have been much more conscious about their exposure to bacteria and viruses. The World Health Organization (WHO) has put forth a list of best practices for avoiding exposure to COVID-19 such as social distancing practices, mask-wearing, and other hygiene measures. And at the end of last year, we saw the first COVID-19 vaccine being tested on high-risk patients.

Despite the urgency of the COVID-19 vaccine, many people still have doubts about getting vaccinated due to the perceived risks. Older adults with chronic illnesses such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or other respiratory diseases are proven to be at the highest risk of both contracting and experiencing severe reactions to the virus, yet many of these people choose not to get the vaccine. 

In this post, we’re going to go over everything you need to know about getting vaccinated as a COPD patient, why it’s important, and settle any doubts or fears that you may have about the process. 

What is a Vaccine?

Aside from safe hygiene practices, vaccines are the best tool that we have to fight bacterial and viral infections. Vaccinations are made from the same germs that cause the disease, but they are either weakened or killed so they don’t actually make you sick. What this does is causes your immune system to produce antibodies that can be used to fight off the disease if you come into contact with it. In other words, you’re developing immunity to the disease without actually contracting it.

Vaccines are not a new concept by any means, but the practice of vaccinology has evolved over time. According to healthaffairs.org, the first successful vaccine is credited to Edward Jenner, an English physician. In 1796, he administered a vaccine to a small child which prevented smallpox. While this vaccine was effective in the general population, there were limitations when it came to administering the vaccine to large groups of high-risk people.

With modern technology, however, administering vaccines has become much easier and more effective. While the first COVID-19 vaccine was administered this past December, there are already over 39 million people worldwide who have been fully vaccinated and over 120 million who have received at least one dose. What’s more, the vaccine is being administered to high-risk patients and front-line healthcare workers before everyone else which will increase its effectiveness in the long term.    

Why Do COPD Patients Need Vaccines?

Most COPD patients are considered “high risk” when it comes to transmittable diseases like COVID-19 and influenza. According to Healthline, COPD is most common in people over the age of 40, and studies have shown that the average age of death for COPD patients is around 77.4 years of age. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), seniors over the age of 65 are at the highest risk of COVID-19, making up about 80% of the total deaths. They also report similar trends with influenza and other infectious diseases. 

Another factor that contributes to COPD patients being “high risk” is that many of them are smokers. According to Very Well Health, 38% of adults with COPD continue to smoke. Nicotine, one of the most harmful chemicals found in cigarette smoke, alters the immune response in your body putting you at a higher risk of contracting an infection. According to news-medical.net, carcinogens are the main immunosuppressive agents in cigarette smoke. One of the worst effects of nicotine is that it inhibits the release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which weakens the ability of neutrophils to kill pathogens (a microorganism that causes disease).

Infection is the Most Common Cause of Exacerbation

A COPD exacerbation is a period of time where your respiratory symptoms suddenly worsen. For example, if you normally experience mild breathlessness and chest pain throughout your day, an exacerbation could cause you to experience more severe symptoms that prevent you from going about your day. Exacerbations can range in severity from mild to severe. They can also have varying time frames from several hours to several days depending on what caused it. 

While many things can cause an exacerbation such as air pollution, over exercising, or allergies, lung infections are by far the most common cause. Although infections like pneumonia can be mostly harmless in younger people with healthy lungs, they can be much more serious in COPD patients. COPD, especially chronic bronchitis, is associated with swelling and increased mucus production in the airways. Infections like influenza can contribute to this issue making it even harder to catch a breath.  

Infection Can Cause Hospitalization

Not only does infection result in COPD exacerbations, but it’s also the most common cause of hospitalization in COPD patients. Hospitalization is something that you want to avoid at all costs, not only because it’s an indication you’re suffering from something severe, but also because it’s a very heavy financial burden. In 2016, the average cost of a hospital stay was $11,700 meaning it’s the most costly healthcare spending in the country. For more information on avoiding hospitalization due to COPD, read through this post. 

Another reason it’s important to avoid hospitals is because they’re not a safe place for you to be during a pandemic. While doctors want anyone and everyone who’s experiencing a medical emergency to feel safe going to a hospital, there’s no reason to risk it if you don’t have to. Not every hospital has the same policies or safety practices when it comes to COVID-19 prevention, so it’s important to research hospitals and do what you can to prevent being hospitalized.

It Protects Other People

Last but certainly not least, getting vaccinated plays an important role in protecting people around you. Infectious diseases are often passed from person-to-person via physical contact or simply breathing the same air. While getting vaccinated is not a surefire sign that you won’t carry a disease or pass it onto someone else, it can help. Even if you are vaccinated for COVID-19, however, you’ll still need to wear a mask and maintain safe social distancing.  

Are There Risks to Getting a Vaccine?

Unfortunately, the risks of getting vaccinated are often blown out of proportion. People hear of friends or family members experiencing symptoms of the disease they’re being vaccinated for and this turns them off of receiving the vaccination themselves. But this is a perfectly natural reaction to the vaccination and it’s actually a good sign that the vaccine is working as it should. This is because your body is creating an immune response that leads to the creation of antibodies which inevitably prevents you from getting sick.

Which Vaccines Should COPD Patients Receive?

Influenza Vaccine

The influenza vaccine is possibly one of the most important vaccines you can receive because hundreds of thousands of people are hospitalized due to the flu every year. Flu symptoms include.

• Headache
• Runny nose
• Sore throat
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Cough
• Fever
  
  

It’s recommended that you receive a flu vaccine every year because your body’s defenses will diminish over time. Another reason to keep up to date with your flu vaccines is that there are different strains of this virus. The vaccines may be updated from year-to-year in order to ensure that people have immunity to all of these changing strains. 

Pneumococcal Vaccine

Pneumococcal disease is the name for infections caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. You might have never heard of this type of vaccine and that’s because it’s not recommended for everyone. However, the reason it’s often recommended for COPD patients is to prevent pneumonia. This is a respiratory infection that attacks the alveoli, the tiny air sacs in the lungs that are responsible for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide to and from the blood. COPD patients are more susceptible because they often struggle to clear mucus from the lungs which can carry bacteria.

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Tdap Vaccine

Pertussis, or whooping cough as it’s more commonly known, can lead to pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs), brain damage, seizures, and even pneumonia. Even the mildest cases of whooping cough can exacerbate COPD symptoms, potentially leading to hospitalization. It’s recommended that adults receive one dose of the Tdap vaccine and they also have the option of getting a booster shot every 10 years which strengthens its effects.

Zoster Vaccine

Chickenpox is a highly contagious infection that’s characterized by rashes on the skin. If you’ve had this condition earlier in life you might experience a recurrence called shingles. This is because, after you recover from chickenpox, the virus moves to your nerve tissue where it can emerge later in your life. Fortunately, if you have never contracted chickenpox during your life, you are not at high risk for shingles.

Studies have shown that COPD patients who have had chickenpox are twice as likely to contract shingles as healthy individuals who have had chickenpox. This is most likely due to the widespread inflammation and immune system disruptions caused by the disease. Be sure to speak with your doctor about getting a zoster vaccine if you believe you’re at risk of contracting shingles. 

COVID-19 Vaccine

The coronavirus is at the top of everyone’s minds at the moment, and rightfully so. Since early last year, people have been scrambling to find ways to live normal lives without putting themselves and others at risk of contracting this virus. Miraculously, healthcare professionals were able to test out the first-ever COVID-19 vaccine at the end of the year and now it’s being mass-administered all over the world.

As we’ve learned, the people who are at the highest risk of contracting and experiencing severe symptoms from COVID are older adults with chronic conditions, especially pulmonary disease, heart disease, and diabetes. If you fit any of these descriptions, it’s time to reach out to your doctor and ask about receiving a COVID vaccine. 

Speak With Your Doctor First

Before going out to get a vaccine, it’s important to first speak with your doctor. Since vaccines are such an important part of COPD management, you’ll want to have a plan to follow before taking any action. Your doctor will recommend vaccinations based on your age, medical history, as well as the expected prognosis of COPD or any other chronic condition you have. In rare cases, your doctor may advise you to not receive a vaccine due to the perceived risks.

Other Safe Practices to Prevent Infection

Social Distancing

Social distancing, also known as physical distancing, is the practice of maintaining distance between yourself and others. While it’s debated exactly how much space you need in order to prevent the spread of illness, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends six feet. However, it’s also important to consider the type of environment that you’re in. If you’re indoors where ventilation is poor, you may need to maintain more physical distance in order to be safe. Another thing you should do is be sure to cover your coughs and sneezes in your shoulder.   

Wearing a Mask

Surgical masks and cloth face coverings are not designed to filter out viruses, but this doesn’t mean they aren’t helpful when it comes to preventing the spread of disease. Face coverings are effective at preventing large droplets of saliva or mucus from exiting or entering the mouth as well as helping to prevent germs from escaping when you cough or sneeze. It’s important to make sure you’re wearing your mask correctly by ensuring that it covers both your mouth and your nose. Also, make sure the ear straps are tight enough that you don’t have to constantly adjust the mask with your hands which can increase your risk of getting sick.

Practicing Good Hygiene

Hygiene is something that you can always work at to improve and it’s especially important during a pandemic. You should be washing your hands with soap and water periodically throughout the day especially before eating, drinking, and going to bed at night. Cleaning surfaces in your home such as door handles, tables, chairs, keyboards, and countertops will also help to prevent the spread of bacteria.

Follow Your COPD Treatment Plan

At the end of the day, following your COPD treatment plan is just as important as getting vaccinated. Smoking cessation, supplemental oxygen therapy, a consistent exercise routine, and a well-balanced diet will all promote a healthy immune system which is essential for warding off disease, including the novel coronavirus. It will also keep your symptoms in check so that if you do end up getting sick it will be less severe and easier to cope with.

While COPD is not a disease that can be stopped or reversed, a carefully planned treatment regime will significantly reduce adverse symptoms and slow the rate of respiratory decline. It can be overwhelming trying to completely overhaul your lifestyle so you should take things day-by-day and don’t be afraid to reach out to your doctor when you have any questions. Family and friends are also the best people to rely on when you’re facing challenges caused by your disease. 

Conclusion

Like anything healthcare-related, vaccinology is a field that continues to grow and evolve. As new infectious diseases are discovered and others mutate, we need new technology and inventions in order to cope with them. Since the advent of the novel coronavirus in 2019, there’s been an increased emphasis on protecting high-risk individuals such as those with COPD and other chronic conditions as well as people over the age of 65 who have a less-active immune system.

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While there are occasionally risks associated with vaccines, for the most part, they play a crucial role in keeping people safe and healthy, especially those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Fortunately, COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed all across the world for high-risk individuals, so it’s the perfect time to get one if you haven’t already. 

Lastly, you should continue to follow your COPD treatment plan and speak with your doctor regarding your concerns. Supplemental oxygen therapy, pulmonary rehabilitation, and a balanced diet all play a crucial role in maintaining your health so it’s important to take a holistic approach to your health.   

From managing short- and long-term goals to exercising, eating right, and making it to doctor’s appointments, living with COPD is not easy by any means. Whether you are still working or you’ve already retired, being diagnosed with COPD means taking on a whole new set of responsibilities — some of which can be overwhelming at times.

Sometimes, it’s a good idea to take a step back and try to figure out some ways to simplify your daily routine. This will help you experience more peace of mind and provide you with some reassurance that you’re taking the steps necessary to treat your condition effectively. It can also make it much easier to cope with the mental and emotional aspects of COPD such as anxiety management.

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If you’re in the market for a supplemental oxygen device such as an oxygen tank, liquid oxygen tank, or oxygen concentrator, read on, because we’re going to be taking a look at how the Caire FreeStyle Comfort, one of the most popular portable oxygen devices on the market, will simplify your life with COPD. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section below and we’ll get back to you.

What is the Caire FreeStyle Comfort?

The Caire FreeStyle Comfort is a portable oxygen concentrator. What this means is that, instead of storing oxygen like an oxygen or liquid oxygen tank would, it draws in ambient air, removing any impurities, and puts out medical-grade oxygen. This is defined as a type of controlled gas, over 90% purity, that’s used to treat respiratory illnesses. While oxygen concentrators are much safer than oxygen tanks, you will still need a prescription from your doctor in order to purchase one.

Another difference between the Caire FreeStyle Comfort and oxygen tanks is that the former is battery operated whereas the latter is not. In other words, by using an oxygen tank, you are restricted by how much oxygen can be compressed into one container — the more oxygen you need, the bigger the tank you’ll need to use. With the FreeStyle Comfort, you simply need to replace the battery.

The FreeStyle Comfort is one of the latest portable oxygen concentrators released, and objectively speaking, it’s one of the best. It has relatively little competition when it comes to its weight, size, oxygen output, and general reliability. The only comparable portable oxygen concentrator in terms of specifications is the Inogen One G5. And while this device surpasses the FreeStyle Comfort in terms of oxygen output, the battery is less powerful, which leads many people to prefer the former.

Another thing to note about the Caire FreeStyle Comfort is that it uses pulse dose technology rather than continuous flow. What this means is that it closely monitors your breathing rate and only delivers oxygen when you’re inhaling. This is what enables manufacturers to make their oxygen devices so small and yet still provide you with hours upon hours of medical-grade oxygen on one battery charge.

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Continuous flow portable oxygen concentrators, on the other hand, tend to be much bulkier and they have batteries that won’t last you more than a couple of hours. This is problematic if you’re someone who wants to be able to stay out of the house for extended periods of time without having to run home and charge your device. 

1.) You’ll Have a Hassle-Free Oxygen Device

Quite possibly the most common complaint about oxygen tanks is how much of a hassle they can be. Oxygen tanks need to be refilled constantly meaning you need to have an oxygen company deliver them to your home or you can drive to an oxygen company and have them refilled. This is incredibly inconvenient if you don’t live near a company that is able to refill your tanks and it can also be very expensive to pay someone to deliver your oxygen. What’s more, you’re likely going to want to have backup oxygen tanks meaning you’ll have to find a place to store them.

To counteract this issue, many oxygen patients choose to buy something called a homefill oxygen station. This is similar to an oxygen concentrator but it’s designed to refill your oxygen tanks. This can be extremely costly, though, and it requires you to know how to use it. If you’re going this route, you might as well just purchase a home oxygen concentrator and you’ll never have to worry about refilling oxygen tanks ever again. Home oxygen concentrators are also much more compact and easy to maneuver around your home than oxygen tanks are.

Alternatively, you could use the Caire FreeStyle Comfort which is one of the most hassle-free oxygen devices money can buy. When you’re at home, simply plug your FreeStyle Comfort into the wall and you’ll have access to an infinite supply of oxygen. Once you’re ready to go, simply unplug it and the device will begin to run off the powerful lithium-ion battery. There’s no need to constantly be in touch with oxygen companies because the device does all the work for you.

2.) You Can Exercise With Ease

If you have COPD, you know how important it is to maintain a consistent exercise routine. Exercise is what keeps your lungs and body strong so that you can reduce symptoms of breathlessness, fatigue, and chronic pain. But how can you exercise effectively if you’re lugging around a heavy and bulky oxygen device? Fortunately, the Caire FreeStyle Comfort weighs in at just 5 pounds and it’s small and compact enough to sling over your shoulder as you exercise. If you want, you can even use accessories like the FreeStyle Comfort backpack to spread the weight between your shoulders as you work out.

One unique feature of the FreeStyle Comfort is its ergonomic design. Unlike oxygen concentrators in the past which tend to be box-shaped, the FreeStyle Comfort has a curved design that prevents the unit from wobbling around too much as you’re walking and exercising. While this is only a minor difference, it just goes to show how far Caire has gone to make a portable oxygen concentrator that meets everyone’s needs. 

3.) You Can Plan Trips More Easily

Before portable oxygen concentrators were invented there was no way for supplemental oxygen patients to take a flight. Oxygen tanks and liquid oxygen tanks are banned on all commercial airlines because they’re an explosive hazard. Instead, people who needed medical-grade oxygen were relegated to road trips. And while there’s nothing wrong with road trips, it takes a lot longer to get where you’re trying to go. And even if you were in the mood to drive somewhere, you would need to make sure you had enough backup tanks to last you the duration of the trip.

Traveling with a portable oxygen concentrator like the Caire FreeStyle Comfort, however, is incredibly simple because it’s approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for use on all commercial airlines in the United States. All you need to do is check in with your airline 48 hours before your flight and be sure to bring 1.5 times the duration of your flight in battery life. This will help to account for any potential delays during the flight. You might also consider investing in other accessories like the external battery charger so that you can charge batteries more quickly while you’re on vacation.

Unsurprisingly, using other modes of transportation also become much easier when you’re using a Caire FreeStyle Comfort. This machine comes with a DC charging cable that allows you to charge your device in any car outlet. In other words, if you’re taking a long road trip, you’ll never have to worry about stopping to charge your POC or carrying tons of extra batteries. You can even continue using your POC while it’s charging in the car.

4.) You’ll Save Money Over Time

Many people are surprised to find that portable oxygen concentrators are actually one of the most affordable options for oxygen therapy. While POCs do have a higher upfront cost, the longer you have them, the more they pay for themselves. And since the Caire FreeStyle Comfort is built to be reliable and durable, you won’t need to worry about having to send it in to get repaired or maintained. Aside from replacing the columns, there aren’t any major repairs that you will need for many years to come.

This is in stark contrast to oxygen tanks which have significant recurring costs associated with them. While you might only spend a couple of hundred dollars on a tank, you’ll need to pay to refill them on a weekly or biweekly basis which can add up really quickly. And realistically, you’ll want to have multiple tanks as a backup. On the other hand, if you want to rent tanks and have someone deliver full tanks when you run out, this can be even more expensive.

If you choose to refill your own tanks, you’ll need to purchase an oxygen refill station. These devices alone will run you several thousand dollars and they’re largely unsupported by most oxygen manufacturers so you will likely need to pay exorbitant prices to fix one if anything goes wrong. At this point, it would make a lot more sense to invest upfront in a portable oxygen concentrator rather than dealing with the recurring costs and hassle of owning oxygen tanks. 

5.) You’ll be More Independent

Maintaining your independence as you get older is very important. According to Vantage Aging, independence in older adults helps them find a sense of purpose and fulfillment and even have physical benefits like improved strength, balance, and memory skills. Unfortunately, it can feel downright impossible to maintain your independence when you’re using a heavy, bulky oxygen tank. Even if you’re making every effort possible to do things on your own, you may find yourself relying on others to help you manage your oxygen tank.

One example of this is going up a flight of stairs. It would be unreasonable to expect anyone to carry oxygen concentrators up a flight of stairs by themselves because it’s dangerous and can cause you to overexert yourself. However, the Caire FreeStyle Comfort portable oxygen concentrator is very lightweight and small. What’s more, it comes with accessories that make it safer and more convenient to carry. The FreeStyle Comfort backpack which we mentioned earlier keeps the unit close to your back as you walk so that there’s no added stress on your body, even when you’re going up a flight of stairs.

6.) You’ll Experience More Restful Sleep

If your doctor has prescribed you with 24 hours of oxygen, you’re going to need to use your oxygen device while you sleep. While this may sound like a huge pain, it’s actually made very easy by pulse dose portable oxygen concentrators. Like other oxygen devices, the FreeStyle Comfort is capable of detecting even the faintest breaths. This is important because when you’re sleeping, your breathing rate changes significantly, so you want to ensure that you’re inhaling the correct amount of oxygen despite this.  

The Caire FreeStyle Comfort has a built-in UltraSense® technology that ensures optimal oxygen delivery throughout the day and night. Unlike oxygen tanks which can run out while you sleep, you can keep your FreeStyle Comfort plugged into the wall outlet all night long so that you never run out of oxygen supply. Caire understands that many of their patients use oxygen 24/7 so they built this device with these people front of mind. 

7.) You’ll Keep Your Symptoms in Check

Last but certainly not least, using a Caire FreeStyle Comfort will help you manage your symptoms and keep your thoughts off of your disability and instead focus them on what you’re trying to accomplish. Far too many people have trouble living in the moment with COPD. Instead of focusing on what they’re trying to accomplish, many people are overcome with regrets about the past or anxiety about the future.

Most people find that when they make the switch to a POC, they’re much less self-conscious about using an oxygen device. Some people even say they forget they’re using a medical oxygen device making them feel much more confident in their own abilities. Since the FreeStyle Comfort adjusts to your needs there aren’t too many things for you to be concerned about. 

Conclusion

No matter what your age is or what stage of life you’re in, simplifying your lifestyle is an invaluable skill to have. If you have COPD, making the switch from an oxygen tank or liquid oxygen tank to a portable oxygen concentrator like the Caire FreeStyle Comfort can make a world of difference, especially when it comes to managing your disease effectively.

Here at LPT Medical, it’s our goal to get a portable oxygen concentrator into the hands of anyone who wants and needs one. However, it’s also important to us that you get a device that aligns with the prescription that your doctor created for you. Reach out to us either by phone or email and you’ll be connected with a respiratory specialist who can answer all of your questions and get you the best deal possible on a new, used, or refurbished portable oxygen concentrator.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a debilitating lung condition that affects around 16 million people in the United States. While there are many symptoms of COPD, shortness of breath, chest pain, and chronic fatigue are among the most crippling. In the early stages of COPD, these symptoms are mild and sometimes even go unnoticed by the patient. However, as time goes by, these symptoms become progressively worse and become even more of a burden for the victim.

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Unfortunately, there is no magic wand that you can wave to reverse the effects of COPD. Treatment for this disease is aimed at slowing the rate that it progresses, reducing the risk of exacerbation, and managing chronic pain. And since every case of COPD is different, you’ll need to rely on information from your doctor and make lifestyle changes accordingly in order to achieve the best results.

But many COPD patients are left to wonder if there are other methods that can be used to ease the physical, emotional, and financial burdens of their disease. In our last post, for example, we took a look at some tips for living in the moment with COPD. Doing so will help you settle your regrets about the past and concerns about the future, instead, focusing them on things that you can change in the here and now.

Another thing you should be doing is applying for disability benefits which will help you out with some of the financial difficulties of managing a chronic disease. In this post, we’ll take a look at everything you need to know about Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and how you can apply if you have COPD. If you have any questions, be sure to leave them in the comment section below so we can get back to you.

What is Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)?

SSDI is one service offered by the Social Security Administration (SSA). The SSA is a government-run agency that is responsible for assigning Social Security numbers and administering services related to their various insurance programs as well as the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program for the aged, blind, and disabled. While most people in the country pay social security taxes, not everyone is eligible to receive benefits from it.

When you apply for social security disability, your condition will be compared to the disability “listing” found in the Social Security “Blue Book.” This book is accessible to anyone online and COPD is found under Section 3.02, under the title “Respiratory Disorders” and the subsection “Chronic Pulmonary Insufficiency.” However, when the claimant first requests disability benefits, it will be examined by local SSA field offices or state agencies who will verify non-medical requirements such as employment status, marital status, and age.

Unfortunately, there’s a lot of gray area when it comes to qualifying for SSDI. While the Blue Book clearly states what conditions you need to meet, there is some interpretation required, so it’s very important to fully understand how the process works before you file a claim. Another reason to be meticulous is that the turnaround time is generally quite long and might be even more backed up considering the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Nolo.com, 62% of people receive an answer within three months of filing an application.

What are the Requirements for COPD Patients to Qualify?

According to the SSA, a disability is defined as an inability to participate in something called “substantial gainful activity.” Essentially, what this means is that you are unable to work or make less money than the monthly income limits set by the SSA. This can either be due to a physical or mental disability that’s expected to last or has lasted 12 months or more.

The first thing you will need to gather to apply for benefits is a complete medical history of your COPD. In other words, you’ll need records of every medical event since you were diagnosed with COPD and even future medical procedures or tests if they apply. This should include things like the progression of your lung disease, symptoms, and any other physical examination that’s relevant. Below is a list of some of the test results you should include:

• Pulse oximetry 
• Spirometry results
• Records of hospitalizations
• ABG tests
• Pulse Oximetry Levels
• Arterial Blood Gas
• Pulmonary (Lung) Function Tests
• Supplemental oxygen records (including your flow rate)
• CT scans or chest x-rays
  
  

Evidence of Comorbid Conditions

Like with many chronic conditions, COPD doesn’t just affect the lungs. The longer someone has COPD, the more likely they are to experience comorbid conditions such as sleep apnea, heart disease, high blood pressure, and even mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. It’s important to include documented evidence of comorbid conditions because it will increase your chances of receiving benefits. The following are some examples of things you can include:

• Electrocardiogram (ECG) tests
• Heart stress test results
• Echocardiogram results
• History of heart attack, chest pain, or fainting
• Sleep tests
• Blood pressure tests  
  
  

Evidence of COPD Treatment

Just like your medical history, it’s important to have full documentation of your COPD treatment history as well. Basically, this will show the SSA that you have been making every effort to improve the quality of your life despite the fact that COPD is an incurable disease. You will have the best chance of receiving disability benefits if you can prove that you still experience severe symptoms despite your treatment plan and you are unable to work as a result. Below are a few of the things you should include in this category:

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• All medications that you are currently taking or have used in the past. Some common examples include inhaled steroids or bronchodilators, nebulizer treatments, antibiotics, or supplemental oxygen therapy. Be sure to include how your body reacted to these treatments.
• Pulmonary rehabilitation: including the duration and results
• Any medical procedures you’ve received such as endobronchial valve placement, lung volume reduction, or any other type of surgery.
• Include any complications related to these procedures
  
  

What Benefits Do COPD Patients Receive?

The amount of compensation that someone receives from SSDI will depend entirely on your lifetime earnings, so it’s very difficult to predict the exact amount that you will receive. According to DisabilitySecrets.com, most people receive between $800 and $1,800 each month with the 2021 average being $1,277. Another thing that will affect your earnings is whether or not you are receiving benefits from any other sources. The condition that you have and its severity will not affect how much compensation you receive.

The Social Security Administration uses a very complex formula to determine what your disability benefits will be, but it is possible to estimate your earnings by using an online social security disability payment calculator. In 2021, your disability benefits are based on the amount of income that you have paid Social Security taxes on. These are called “covered earnings.” Over the course of a year, the average covered earnings are called the average indexed monthly earnings (AIME).

The primary insurance amount (PIA) is calculated by applying a formula to your AIME which is the base figure that the SSA uses. If you want to learn more about how this is calculated, refer to this PDF document from the SSA. Alternatively, you can email or call your local SSA office where you will be connected with a representative who can help you predict the amount of your expected benefits.

Tips for Winning Your Disability Claim

Like we mentioned earlier, the amount that you will earn from Social Security benefits is pretty set in stone, so your focus should be on winning your case rather than earning as much as possible. Unfortunately, the burden of proving that your COPD is severe enough for benefits is largely in your hands. This is why you’ll need to be accurate and concise about the way you apply for benefits. The turnaround time for an SSDI application is several months at best, so you should be prepared to submit a thorough application the first time around rather than having to risk waiting for them to process your application a second time. Follow the tips below to get you started. 

Speak With Your Pulmonologist

When it comes time to gather medical documents such as evidence of COPD treatment, procedures, or symptoms, it’s always best to get them from your pulmonologist rather than your primary care physician whenever possible. The reason for this is because the SSA may weigh this information more heavily since it’s coming from someone who specializes in COPD and other respiratory conditions.

Another reason to consult your pulmonologist ahead of time is that he/she may be able to provide you with more specific information about your disease including more thorough notes about the type of COPD you have and its expected prognosis. While pulmonologists are not specialists when it comes to disability benefits, they will help you to make the most convincing argument possible so that you can win your SSDI claim. 

Hire an SSDI Attorney or Advocate

While your pulmonologist will provide you with information about your disease, SSDI attorneys and advocates are people who understand how the SSA works and how you can present the best case. While attorneys and advocates will provide you with mostly the same services, there are a number of differences between them that you should be aware of. First and foremost, an attorney is someone who is trained and has a degree in law whereas a non-attorney advocate does not have a law degree.

In order for someone to become an attorney, they need to have a bachelor’s degree, a Juris Doctorate (JD) degree and be admitted to a state bar. Attorneys are bound by professional conduct rules, they have many years of specialized training, and they have the ability to appeal your claim to the federal level if you want to dispute the SSA’s decision. If you decide to hire an attorney to help you with your SSDI claim, you should first ensure that they specialize in disability law.

A disability advocate (also called a legal representative, claimant representative, or disability representative) needs to pass an exam administered by the SSA, a background check, need professional liability insurance, and a bachelor’s degree. While disability advocates are highly educated on disability claims, they are not held to the same professional standards as attorneys are, and as a result, you will have less legal recourse if something doesn’t go as planned. In terms of payment, neither attorneys nor advocates are paid unless you win your case and they are entitled to the same fee which is paid directly by the SSA. 

Take Your Time and be Thorough

Ultimately, the best way to win the SSDI benefits that you deserve is to be thorough with the application process. You want to provide an overview of your medical history and make it clear that you are taking the initiative to treat your COPD in the way that your pulmonologist advises. Before submitting your application, be sure to review it with a specialist who can point out any potential pitfalls. If your application is declined, the SSA will store your information in the event that you decide to dispute it. 

Conclusion

Applying for benefits with COPD is not always an easy process. You need to be able to prove that your lung condition prevents you from participating in “substantial gainful activity” and you need to meet other requirements as well. Gathering the necessary medical information and knowing the right place to acquire it will give you the best chance of receiving benefits upon submitting your first application. You should also be consulting the Blue Book which outlines the exact requirements for qualifying for disability with COPD.

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COPD is one of the most common chronic conditions in the world and it represents a serious financial burden on individuals, especially in the latter stages of the disease. If you have any further questions about SSDI benefits, be sure to speak with your doctor or a disability attorney or advocate. Alternatively, you can leave your questions in the comment section below and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. 

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the diseases with the greatest financial burdens worldwide and within the United States. Studies have shown that the average annual COPD-related expenditure is around $4,147. And while 51% of these costs are covered by Medicare according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), that still leaves roughly $2,000 a year that COPD patients need to spend out-of-pocket. Combine this with the cost of aging and limited retirement funds and it’s not hard to see why COPD is such a major financial burden for so many people.

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Without a doubt, the later stages of COPD pose the greatest burden for most people. It’s during end-stage COPD that you’re most likely to experience hospitalization due to exacerbation and you’re also more likely to be hospitalized for an extended period of time. Since symptoms tend to develop more quickly during this time, you’re also more likely to schedule more doctor’s appointments, use your medication more frequently, and seek out other treatment options for your disease. 

In this post, we’re going to discuss end-stage COPD (also called late-stage or stage 4 COPD). We’ll take a closer look at what exactly this term means, what to expect, and how to prepare for this stage of COPD in order to mitigate some of the physical and financial challenges it poses. If you have any questions, either leave them in the comment section below or reach out to your doctor to schedule an appointment.

What is End-Stage Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease?

Since COPD is a long-term condition that progresses slowly, it’s generally divided into four different stages. These stages help healthcare specialists identify the symptoms of your disease, predict the prognosis of your disease, as well as your life expectancy. And because COPD manifests differently in every patient, that also means the stages are going to look different for everyone. While researchers have a good idea of the average life expectancy of someone with COPD, what ultimately matters is your own health. In this way, it’s often better to think of COPD as a sort of “catalyst” for other health issues.

The best way to know that you’re approaching late-stage COPD is based on your symptoms. Someone with end-stage COPD will likely experience similar symptoms that they’ve experienced for many years such as coughing, breathlessness, fatigue, or chronic pain. In end-stage, however, these symptoms become significantly more debilitating to the point where they may need to rely on caretakers, friends, or loved ones to take care of them. They’ll also experience more frequent trips to the hospital due to flare-ups and exacerbations.

The term “end-stage” is controversial in many ways because it can imply that the patient doesn’t have much time left to live, but this isn’t always the case. Even when it’s evident that symptoms are increasing in frequency and severity, that doesn’t mean that won’t outlive them and go on to live many more years. However, using this term can be helpful when it comes to planning and the approach that you use to treat your disease. For example, some people prefer to switch to palliative care which is a type of specialized medical care that’s focused on optimizing a patient’s quality of life and ease discomfort.

How to Recognize End-Stage COPD

As aforementioned, late-stage COPD looks different for everyone. This is why it’s important to maintain open lines of communication with your doctor who can provide you with detailed information about your disease prognosis as well as advice on how to plan. Generally speaking, however, you’ll be able to notice an increase in the frequency and severity of symptoms you’re experiencing. Take a look at some of the symptoms below and see if you notice any similarities to what you’re experiencing.

• You experience heavy coughing or wheezing throughout the day
• You experience shortness of breath even while at rest
• You lack the energy or will to maintain your diet
• You’re becoming more reliant on friends and family for simple tasks
• You experience dizziness, confusion, or trouble sleeping
• You experience more frequent or severe exacerbations that lead to hospitalization

Another way to recognize end-stage COPD is by performing a spirometry test. A spirometer is a simple device used to derive two different results: Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV1) and Forced Vital Capacity (FVC). Combined, these results will tell you how well your lungs are functioning, and if you have spirometry results already, you and your doctor will be able to compare them to determine how quickly your lungs are deteriorating. FEV1 refers to the total amount of air you can force from your lungs in one second and FVC refers to the total amount of air you can expel from the lungs in one breath.

From a diagnostic perspective, stage four COPD is recognized as an FEV1/FVC ratio of less than 70% or an FEV1 less than 30%. Even if your FEV1 is above 30%, however, your doctor may classify you as stage four severe COPD if you have chronic respiratory failure. Several other tests your doctor may use to diagnose stage four COPD include lung volume tests, gas diffusion tests which measure how well oxygen moves from the lungs to the bloodstream, and exercise tests.

How to Ease End-Stage COPD Symptoms

All-in-all, your treatment plan for end-stage COPD shouldn’t look all that different from your treatment plan for any other stage of COPD, but you may need to make adjustments based on your physical, mental, and emotional abilities. What’s more, there are several additional strategies you can add to your routine that can ease some of the pain and increase your comfort.

Supplemental Oxygen Therapy

Oxygen therapy is likely the most consistent treatment you’ve used since being diagnosed with COPD. Since COPD leads to progressive lung obstruction, one of the best ways to remedy this is by helping your lungs out and providing them with a higher concentration of oxygen. By doing so, your body will have the resources it needs in order to stay healthy. Unfortunately, many COPD patients use oxygen incorrectly or they use an oxygen device that doesn’t suit their needs and lifestyle.

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When it comes to oxygen delivery devices, there are several options available to you. Oxygen tanks have been around the longest, followed by liquid oxygen tanks, home oxygen concentrators, and portable oxygen concentrators. While each of these can provide you with the oxygen you need, portable oxygen concentrators tend to offer the most comfort and convenience in end-stage COPD. There are many reasons for this, but above all, they don’t need to be refilled.

Rather than containing compressed oxygen like oxygen tanks do, portable oxygen concentrators run off of powerful lithium-ion batteries which allows you more freedom to move around on your own time. Instead of having to call an oxygen company to deliver full tanks to you, simply plug your POC into any wall outlet and you’ll be able to recharge your batteries. You’ll even be able to use the device while it’s charging. 

There are several different types of POCs you can choose from depending on your wants and needs. Pulse dose portable oxygen concentrators like the Caire FreeStyle Comfort or Inogen One G5 closely monitor your breathing and only deliver oxygen when you inhale. These devices are incredibly efficient, lightweight, and small. On the other hand, you could opt for a continuous flow portable oxygen concentrator like the Respironics SimplyGo which provides the user with a constant stream of oxygen. These machines tend to be slightly bigger and bulkier than their counterparts.

Nutritional Counseling

Like we mentioned before, malnutrition is a significant problem that many stage-four COPD patients face. Symptoms like breathlessness and chronic fatigue can lead to a situation where patients simply don’t have the energy to eat or they don’t get the same satisfaction from it that they used to. Conversely, it could lead to someone choosing foods that are convenient and provide a quick energy boost. Unfortunately, these foods tend to also be filled with sugar and other problematic ingredients that don’t provide your body with the nutrients it needs.

If either of these situations sounds like you, it might be a good idea to consider nutritional counseling. This is a type of therapy that’s focused solely on your eating habits and it attempts to break down any barriers you might be facing that are preventing you from sticking with the diet that your doctor has provided for you. Contrary to popular belief, nutritional counseling isn’t just for people facing weight issues, it’s also extremely beneficial for people with chronic illnesses like COPD who struggle to get the nutrients they need. It’s also useful for anyone who believes that they have “unhealthy” or “unproductive” eating habits. 

Complementary Therapies

Complementary therapies are any therapy that can help you ease the burdens associated with late-stage COPD. As you can imagine, this varies greatly depending on the patient because everyone faces different issues with their disease. For some, this might mean attending cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) sessions in order to prevent anxiety or depression, for others it could mean speaking with a spiritual or religious leader who can help you settle any concerns or fears about living out the later stages of your life.

Cognitive behavioral therapy is a type of psycho-social intervention that’s focused on correcting negative or inaccurate thought processes or actions. It’s a type of therapy that’s become very popular among older adults, especially those with chronic conditions, who want to seek more fulfillment in their daily lives. CBT takes place over the course of several weeks, months, or however long it takes for the patient to feel comfortable on their own. 

Another type of therapy you might want to consider when it comes time to plan for end-stage COPD is massage therapy. Studies have shown that anxiety can cause a lot of tension to form in our bodies and this tension can lead to more anxiety. Massage therapy is a great way to break this tension causing us to feel better both physically and mentally. According to this medical report, there are two reasons massage therapy is beneficial for COPD patients. Firstly, it causes hyperemia which is the increase of blood flow to different tissues. Secondly, it activates the lymphatic system which is responsible for draining your body of toxins.

A Revised Pulmonary Rehabilitation Routine

Most people are well-aware that with aging comes problems with mobility, endurance, and strength. It’s a natural part of life that we lose a lot of our physical abilities as we get older, but that doesn’t mean you can’t continue to do pulmonary rehabilitation. It simply means that you will need to find new ways to do it. Some people find that the best option for them is to switch to exercises that involve sitting as well as ones that don’t require them to leave the house or meet up with other people.

The important thing to remember is that any form of exercise will benefit your lung health, not just exercises that work your lungs specifically. In many cases, this mindset can even be counterproductive in late-stage COPD because most people don’t have the lung capacity to perform any strenuous endurance exercise that gets your heart rate up. Rather, targeting specific muscle groups in your body will improve your strength and circulation, thus easing some of the burden on your lungs. Studies have shown that muscle requires less oxygen to use and it produces less carbon dioxide as waste, ultimately resulting in less air that your lungs need to take in. 

The thing that we would like to stress, like we’ve done many times before, is the importance of consistency when it comes to your pulmonary rehabilitation. Just like maintaining a healthy diet, your exercise routine will be more effective if you are able to do it everyday without letting yourself fall back on your goals. Ideally, you should have someone like a friend or family member who can hold you accountable at least until you are able to do so for yourself.

Address Your Concerns With Your Doctor

Just like with any other stage of COPD, you’re going to want to work closely with your doctor in end-stage COPD. This is because you’ll want to make sure that your goals are in line with or at least not counterproductive towards your treatment goals. Like we mentioned earlier, end-stage COPD should be all about improving your comfort and reducing chronic pain. But this doesn’t mean that you should completely ignore the treatment plan that you’ve followed throughout your whole life with COPD.

Another reason to consult your doctor is because he/she will likely have some helpful resources for you in regards to finding other health specialists such as nutritionists or mental health experts. This will not only save you a lot of time but it will set you off on the right path. You should also make it a priority to visit your doctor more frequently so that you can make healthy choices that fall in line with your COPD treatment plan.

Conclusion

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an ailment that develops and progresses over the course of many years — sometimes even decades. This is why it’s important to always be adaptive when it comes to your treatment plan and lifestyle. While during stage one COPD, you were likely very active and took the time to travel as much as possible, stage four COPD treatment should focus more on improving your comfort and ensuring your psychological, physical, and even spiritual needs are met.

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While you should take the initiative to do these things for yourself, it’s also important to consult your doctor to make sure you don’t leave out any aspect of your treatment plan in the process. Even in end-stage COPD, you’ll need to keep up with your oxygen therapy, dietary plan, pulmonary rehabilitation, and avoid environmental triggers such as pollution or airborne allergens.