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

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

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

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

Lung Cancer and COPD: Fundamentally Different Yet Fundamentally Linked

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

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

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

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

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

The Basics of Lung Cancer vs COPD

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

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

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

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

How Cancerous Mutations Take Over Your Lungs

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

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

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

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

Carcinogens and Lung Cancer

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

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

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

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

Different Diseases, Similar Symptoms

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

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

Symptoms of COPD:

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

Symptoms of Lung Cancer:

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

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

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

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

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

Certain Types of Lung Cancer are More Strongly Associated with COPD

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shared Risk Factors

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

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

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

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

Risk Factors for Lung Cancer:

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

Risk Factors for COPD:

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

Lung Damage Caused by COPD

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Activities & Habits You Should Avoid if You Have COPD

Cooking Without Ventilation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Drinking Alcohol Before Bed

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

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

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

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

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

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

Showering Without Ventilation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Smoking

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Doing Dusty, Dirty, & Hazardous Jobs

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

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

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

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

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

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

Going Outside When Air Pollution is High

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cleaning with Common Products

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

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

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

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

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

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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.

COPD is a chronic respiratory disease that impairs your breathing capabilities, and due to the deprivation of oxygen, the disease will affect other aspects of your life beyond the function of your lungs. If your body cannot process the oxygen in the air enough for your body, parts of your brain will, in some cases, be affected by this.

This is not something that should frighten you, however, many people will chalk up forgetfulness to be associated with older age, or being too busy, or having too much on their mind. Every time you think to yourself, “Where did I put that” or “ What was I about to do?” you should also think about becoming more aware of what this means for you.

Especially if you have COPD, mindfulness and attention to details can go a long way in creating a more habitable living space both physically but also inside your mind.

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Similarly to COPD, Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) has no cure, however, there are ways you can work to prevent it from affecting you severely.

Cognition is associated with learning, memory, and thinking. So, cognition is about your language, memory, how you learn, reasoning, recognizing, and categorizing. It is how we see our environment and how we adapt to it. All of which will progress, change, and be affecting by time and your age.

However, if you have COPD, age may not be the main factor in your cognitive decline. Due to the symptoms associated with COPD there is a risk that you will experience MCI and other memory issues.

In general, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a condition that causes minor problems with memory, focus, problem-solving, and attention. It happens to many people as they age, but respiratory diseases like COPD can both trigger and accelerate the condition.

If you experience forgetfulness or worry that your mind is not as “sharp” as it used to be, you are actually experiencing the symptoms of mild cognitive impairment. However, MCI is slightly worse than the normal changes to memory and cognition you'd expect to see with age alone.

Mild cognitive impairment happens when your brain's cognitive functions are slightly lower than they should be. It can result from both temporary problems like oxygen deprivation and permanent changes that occur when you experience structural damage to your brain.

The National Center for Biotechnology Information advances science and health journal suggests that mild cognitive impairment is very common, affecting about 10-20 percent of people over the age of 65 and about 36 percent of people with COPD.

Fortunately, mild cognitive impairment is a treatable, and sometimes even reversible, condition that can improve with diet, exercise, and other lifestyle changes.

How to improve Mild Cognitive Impairment

Exercise:

You need to exercise every day with COPD, we have talked about exercise in almost every blog post about COPD since the beginning of time. And while it does help to strengthen your lungs, exercise does more than that.

Many studies including work from the JAMA Network, suggests exercise can provide better blood flow to your brain releasing molecules that could repair your brain and prevent it from getting worse. By exercising, your body will release serotonin and endorphins that will help make you want to exercise more frequently, which is a very healthy cycle!

Diet:

The National Center for Biotechnology Information published a study that concluded there are significant associations with the risk of MCI and a person’s diet. This means that a moderate intake of cooked white rice and an adequate intake of whole grains, fruits, milk, and dairy products were associated with reduced risks of MCI among adults aged over 50 years.

Having a diet rich in vitamins and minerals keeps our brain happy and allows you to be more active.

Mindfulness and Meditation:

Medication and other mindfulness exercises can help calm your mind and allow you the space you need to keep things in perspective. Findings in a De Gruyter publishcation study recommended that there be future studies on meditation-based treatment for MCI and stress management because of how influential the practice was when used to treat these cognitive impairments, and more information should be processed to understand this phenomenon further.

Games and puzzles:

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Engaging in mentally stimulating games and puzzles can make a huge difference in the prevention and treatment of MCI. Just like exercise for your muscles so they get stronger, it is important to work out the neurons in your brain. By doing mind games and puzzles, your brain will be able to make connections and you can work to keep those connections and neurons strong and firing.

COPD, MCI, and oxygen therapy

So the connection between COPD and MCI is very strong, and studies showed that patients with COPD had an increased risk for MCI by about 83 percent. These patients who had COPD for more than five years had a greatest risk for MCI.

The reason behind the connection is still not completely understood, and research suggests that COPD is associated with risk of MCI. The next step for researchers is to understand the exact mechanisms by which COPD increases the risk of MCI.

Until then, oxygen therapy, either by utilizing oxygen tanks or portable oxygen concentrators, can be beneficial for improving memory and other symptoms associated with COPD induced MCI.

If your blood oxygen saturation is below 90 percent, that means you're not getting enough oxygen to meet your body's needs and you likely need supplemental oxygen therapy. If you already use supplemental oxygen, experiencing mild cognitive impairment could be a sign that your oxygen prescription needs to change and you should discuss this with your doctor as soon as possible.

In this case, your doctor may decide to increase your oxygen dosage or instruct you to use supplemental oxygen more often. You might also need to start using oxygen while you sleep, since nighttime oxygen deprivation is a common cause of MCI.

Understanding COPD and MCI

If you have been diagnosed with COPD, it is crucial that you take daily notes of your symptoms and which aspects of your life are being affected. By understanding what is happening in your body and mind, you and your doctor, will be able to set up a treatment plan that is special for you whether that means beginning on oxygen therapy, or starting a pulmonary rehab course.

If you begin to realize that your memory or aspects of your cognition are worsening, this could be attributed to your COPD, and there are ways that you can begin to reverse or slow down mild cognitive impairment from advancing into a more severe state.

If you focus on treatments that will help your MCI, you are also working towards a healthier lifestyle with COPD. These treatments over-lap, like eating brain healthy foods, exercising regularly, meditating, and doing puzzles and playing mind games, while also being prudent to use supplemental oxygen therapy will all contribute to slowing down the progression of both COPD and MCI.

If you have a respiratory impairment like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or pulmonary fibrosis, you’re probably used to carefully planning your day-to-day life. From following your treatment plan to scheduling doctor’s appointments, you need to have an acute understanding of your medical needs and how to address them.

One of the medical needs you may struggle with is supplemental oxygen therapy. Depending on how severe your respiratory illness is, your pulmonologist will ask you to use medical oxygen anywhere from several hours a day to 24 hours a day. Either way, this could mean making sacrifices like staying home from activities to ensure your oxygen needs are met.

Fortunately, there is an alternative to standard oxygen therapy methods like oxygen gas cylinders and liquid oxygen devices. Portable oxygen concentrators were invented in the early 2000s and they offer the same medical-grade oxygen as traditional delivery methods, but they offer it in a much more convenient way that allows you to live life freely and on your own terms.

What’s more, if you live in a state like Colorado, the last thing you want is to be stuck at home when there are so many better things you can be doing. In this post, we’re going to take a look at 7 reasons you should be using a portable oxygen concentrator rather than other medical oxygen devices in Colorado. Remember to always consult your pulmonologist before making any changes to your respiratory treatment plan.

They Work Great at Higher Elevations

Whether you’ve lived in Colorado your whole life or you’re an out-of-stater looking to come here for work or retirement, you likely already know the state’s most defining feature: The Rocky Mountains. People come from all around the country to ski, mountain bike, and simply enjoy the fresh mountain air.

Unfortunately, as an oxygen patient, you know there’s one slight problem with this: the air is much thinner at higher altitudes. What this means is that the higher you go in altitude, the less air pressure there is, and in turn, the less oxygen you have to breathe. This doesn’t just apply to the mountains though; even Denver, the Capital of Colorado is a mile above sea level.

If you have lived at sea level most of your life and don’t travel to higher altitudes very often, you might experience something called acute mountain sickness (AMS). This typically happens when you moved to a higher elevation without giving your body enough time to acclimate to the lower oxygen levels. Anyone can experience acute mountain sickness, but it’s more common and oftentimes more severe in people with COPD or other respiratory illnesses.

Some of the symptoms of AMS include:

• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Breathlessness
• Nausea
• Headache or lightheadedness

If someone experiencing AMS stays at a high altitude or they continue to climb in altitude, they may experience more severe symptoms including confusion, chest pain, and reduced consciousness. Another condition that can result from AMS is something called high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE). This is a neurological syndrome that causes the brain to swell with fluid and can even result in death if it’s left untreated. 

Generally speaking, it’s easier for COPD patients to live at lower altitudes where it’s easier to breathe, but if you want to live at a higher altitude, you should consult your doctor in order to learn how to do it safely. He/she will likely recommend that you start supplemental oxygen therapy or alter your current oxygen therapy plan to adjust for the change of altitude. For example, if you want to travel into the mountains, you may need to use oxygen intermittently in order to maintain your blood oxygen levels while at higher altitudes.

While this is not a commonly known fact, portable oxygen concentrators work great at high altitudes. The Inogen One G5, for example, works at altitudes up to 10,000 feet above sea level meaning you’ll have no problems living in Denver and traveling to the mountains. Be aware, however, that there are several towns in Colorado that are higher than 10,000 feet like Leadville and Alma, so you should only travel to these towns if your doctor specifically advises you to.

Most portable oxygen concentrators manufactured within the last decade or so offer similar results as the G5 in terms of operating altitude. However, you should be sure to speak with an oxygen concentrator expert before making any decisions. 

They’re Great for Road Trips

Taking a road trip is about as American as baseball and apple pie. While not everyone enjoys driving for hours on end or putting thousands of miles on their car, it’s hard to deny its benefits when it comes to seeing more of the country. Colorado is packed with landmarks, but you’re going to need to take a lot of road trips in order to see everything the state has to offer.

Unfortunately, traditional oxygen therapy devices like compressed oxygen cylinders and liquid oxygen tanks make road tripping an impossible feat for most oxygen patients. Oxygen tanks only provide several hours of freedom before they need to be refilled or replaced and this simply isn’t feasible for a long road trip. It’s never easy to find a place to refill oxygen tanks while you’re on the road and bringing a bunch of extra oxygen tanks is cumbersome and takes up a lot of room in the car.

Portable oxygen concentrators, on the other hand, were specifically designed with travelers in mind. These oxygen machines run off of electricity and can be charged from any wall outlet or cigarette outlet in a car via a DC charging cable. So, instead of struggling to find a place to refill your oxygen tank or carrying a bunch of backup units, you’ll have access to an infinite supply of oxygen just by plugging your POC into your car. One thing to note, however, is that most POCs will not run on their maximum flow setting while plugged into the car and you should not charge your POC while the car is off in order to prevent the battery from dying. Refer to your user manual for more information on this.

Another reason portable oxygen concentrators are so much better for road trips is that they’re far safer than traditional oxygen devices. In order to drive with an oxygen tank, you need to take a number of safety precautions because they can explode in certain circumstances. They’re also very bulky and heavy so if they end up getting jostled around in the car, they could injure someone. POCs don’t have these problems because they’re lighter, easier to handle, and don’t have any compressed oxygen.

Hiking is a Breeze

In Colorado, hiking is a popular pastime for people of all ages, and for good reason! Just a short hike every day or two can reduce stress levels, reduce the risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure, and most importantly, allow you to explore a new area that you’ve never been to before. But without an oxygen device that’s manageable, you won’t be able to hike, even if you are physically able.

‘Hiking’ implies that you will be away from pathed paths meaning it won’t be easy to wheel your oxygen device around with a rolling cart. Rocks and other obstacles will make this a lot more trouble than it’s worth and you’ll likely need to take your eyes off where you’re going which can be dangerous. On top of all this, your oxygen tubing will need to run all the way down to the oxygen tank which can be a tripping hazard as well.

While continuous flow portable oxygen concentrators like the Respironics SimplyGo are too heavy to carry on your back or shoulder, pulse dose portable oxygen concentrators like the Caire FreeStyle Comfort are not. Weighing in at just 5 pounds, you’ll be able to hike all day without experiencing back or shoulder pain and with the ergonomic curve of the FreeStyle Comfort, it won’t slide around causing you to lose balance as you walk.

Many pulse dose machines like the Inogen One G3 offer plenty of options in the way of accessories in order to make it more comfortable and easy to carry. For example, there is the G3 backpack which has a compartment to hold the G3 and keep it secure and plenty of other pockets to hold personal belongings like keys, your wallet, or a camera. A similar carrying backpack was also available for the Inogen One G5.

If you’d like to learn more about hiking with a respiratory condition, please refer to one of our latest posts titled “You are Never Too Old for A Walk in the Woods.”

They Could Save You Hundreds of Dollars

There’s no denying that Colorado is a great place to live, especially for seniors and others looking to settle down after retirement. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s the cheapest state to live in. In the grand scheme of things, Colorado is actually pretty average when it comes to the total cost of living, but as we age and stop working, we have to get a little creative with how we spend and save our money.

As an oxygen patient, it may seem counter intuitive to look for ways to save money on your oxygen device. After all, you depend on it every day in order to feel better and improve your life expectancy. However, there are ways to reduce the amount of money you’re spending without increasing your risk of experiencing complications like COPD exacerbations.

While portable oxygen concentrators have a higher upfront cost, they’re actually much more affordable in the long run. For example, the Inogen One G4 retails at $2,295. Given that this machine is set to last 5 to 7 years on average, that’s around $0.90 to $1.20 per day of oxygen use. Compare this to oxygen tanks which cost an average of $5 or more a day to refill and maintain.

Another thing to consider is that most portable oxygen concentrators come with 3-year warranties. This will cover you with a full replacement unit in the event that you received one that is defective. And if you want an extra layer of protection, you can typically upgrade to a 5-year or lifetime warranty for an added cost. This will vary based on the unit that you’re purchasing so be sure to consult with an oxygen concentrator specialist.

Improved Self-Image

COPD and anxiety are two closely linked conditions. Physical symptoms such as chest pain and tightness can lead to natural increases in stress within the body, and people who are naturally predisposed to stress may experience even higher degrees of anxiety. Another thing that can lead to anxiety and even depression in COPD patients is their mindset. For example, someone who has a negative view of their disease and its outcome.

Believe it or not, the oxygen device that you use can also impact how much anxiety you experience. Someone who uses an oxygen tank may feel less capable and thus, experience lower self-esteem. On the other hand, someone who uses a portable oxygen machine may feel more confident because they’re thinking less about their oxygen delivery device and concentrating more on what they’re doing. POC users also report feeling more youthful and active than their oxygen tank counterparts.

If you own an Inogen One G3 we highly recommend accessories like the GO2 Carryalls. This is a stylish carrying bag specifically designed to hold your G3 and other personal belongings. The greatest thing about this bag is that it looks like any ordinary purse or handbag so you don’t have to be self-conscious about carrying around a supplemental oxygen device. It has a sleek leather look and comes in either brown or black so it can match with just about any outfit. It also has a conveniently located zipper so that you have easy access to your oxygen cannula and the G3’s user interface.  

Conclusion

Colorado has a reputation as one of the most “outdoorsy” and “active” states in the country. If you have COPD or another chronic respiratory illness, that doesn’t mean you need to give these things up; it just means you need an oxygen device that can match your lifestyle.

Portable oxygen concentrators offer significantly more freedom and independence than other oxygen devices because they’re lighter, smaller, cheaper, and they allow you to stay out of the house for longer without having to search for a place to refill.

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Pulse dose portable oxygen concentrators like the Inogen One G5 or Caire FreeStyle Comfort tend to be the best option for most people because they’re more reliable than their continuous flow counterparts. If you’re ready to learn more about our portable oxygen concentrators for sale, don’t hesitate to fill out the form at the side of the page or give our respiratory specialists a call.  

In the meantime, check out the infographic below to see how pulse dose portable oxygen concentrators stack up against portable oxygen cylinders.

The beauty of the natural world is not something that is limited to a certain age group, and the inclusiveness of the outdoor community knows no limits. No matter where you spent most of your life, whether you are a home-body or a born nomad, there is no better time to get out into nature than in your senior years.

If you are skeptical about how you would enjoy a hiking adventure while managing the obstacles that come with older age, please continue reading.

This article will guide you through everything you need to know as a senior on how to navigate trails safely, how to use technology to find which trails are best for you and your capabilities, tips for gear and clothing, and more.

Consult with your doctors if hiking is right for you

There are certain medical precautions you must take before exposing yourself to new terrain. And if you are looking to expand your horizons when it comes to longer-distance hiking or more challenging trails, you should still discuss with your doctor what may limit your ability to accomplish your goals and if there are ways around those limitations, such as; quitting smoking, investing in a portable oxygen concentrator, pulmonary rehabilitation programs, a new diet plan etc.

If you struggle with common age related health issues you might find valuable resources online that will help you maintain vitality 

Common age related health issues that may affect your ability to hike develop in your bones, heart, and lungs. If you experience any of these complications, it does not mean that this is the end to your hiking endeavors. All this means is that you are going to start your uphill battle before hitting the trail.

Health issues that make it too difficult to hike  

COPD is one of the most common lung aliments and it will progress into a very serious condition if gone untreated.

That being said, we do understand the reality that some people's health conditions does inhibit their ability to hike safely and comfortably. However, walking is one of best things you can do for COPD, and other health complications like osteoporosis, or heart failure. 

Try pushing yourself to walk around your house once a day: walk to get the mail, or go up and down the stairs. From there your lungs, bones, and heart will begin to strengthen and hopefully your energy levels will increase allowing you to go further everyday, and potentially get outside on a trail someday.

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Begin a hiking training program at home

If you are healthy and ready to start mapping out your next adventure, skip to the next section! Otherwise, begin implementing a strict exercise, weight management, and diet plan into your daily routine. Start your training by walking daily for a week and write down in a journal your route, distance, amount of time, and details about how you felt and anything you noticed about your body or experience.

You can try to share your stats and observations with your future hiking buddies or family to reinforce your efforts. Keeping a record can be very self gratifying because hiking can become addictive!

You should also enforce a strict diet plan that is high in nutrients your body craves. Talk to a nutritionist about foods you can start incorporating into your diet, so you are more capable of building strength and endurance for the trail. 

Strengthen your core

To walk for hours at a time, do not be fooled, you’ll need more than just strong legs. Distance walking has been proven to compress your spine, causing backaches. One way to minimize back pain or aches while hiking or long distance walking is to focus on building core strength.

While you are walking, always try lengthening your spine by keeping your shoulders down, abdomen (stomach) contracted into your spine, keep your head held high, and avoid staring straight down at the ground. You can also try swimming, water aerobics, pilates and yoga to help build your core and keep you limber.

It is completely normal to lose muscle mass as you age, but you are able to tone the muscle you do have by incorporating cross training exercise with your hiking and long distance walks such as: Downward dogs and planks from yoga, Cardio from water jogging and aerobics, and crunches and even gardening for extra core work.

Download the AllTrails app on your apple or android smartphone

AllTrails will act as your guide if you do not want to hire a guide or go hiking with a tour group. While the latter options are great, some individuals value independence on the trail and in the wilderness.

This app is simple and easy to use, you can find trailheads near your area and far beyond, and you can use the app while you are hiking as a map so you stay on the trail and don't get lost.

You are able to use GSP and find hikes near you, or input a nearby town or mountain range you are looking to explore. You can filter the results by the “Best Match”, “Most Popular”, or the “Closet”, and you can choose ''Easy”, “Moderate”, to “Difficult” trails.

The app will also only show you the trails that are a specified distance, so if you only want to go 1.5 miles one day, you are capable of finding a trail that's perfect for you.

AllTrails will also inform you of the hiking trails that offer mountain biking, dog, horseback riding, or motorized vehicles, so you will be aware of all the faster moving obstacles you might encounter.

The most useful AllTrails feature for seniors or people with disabilities or health conditions is the option to filter trail results that are wheelchair friendly and paved or partially paved. Also by being able to input elevation gain, you can find flat trails that you can wheel your continuous flow oxygen concentrator or feel confident carrying a portable oxygen concentrator with ease.

Choose the trail that is right for you

Now that you have an essential application (AllTrails) for choosing the right trail, it is time to be honest with yourself, and decide what hike is within your capabilities. It is perfectly normal to start small: Take a short 0.7 mile hike, that is partially paved, and close by your home.

Hiking trails that are good for seniors who do not normally hike are typically flatter and wider. If you are a beginner stick to a trail with a smooth walking surface that is better for balance and try to avoid trails with higher elevation gain.

Hiking uphill can be strenuous for your lungs, while hiking downhill can be rough on your knees.

Once you begin to feel more comfortable on the trails, you can start poking around your comfort zone, but never feel obligated to be uncomfortable, hiking should be a stress reliever, and if you are feeling dread or fear over a hike you planned, it is not the best option for you at that time.

Check the weather in the nearby town or area

If you are about to embark on your adventure in the woods, along the beach, through the plains, or along foothills be sure to check the weather in the nearby town before you go. Be aware that the weather at higher elevation tends to change rapidly and with little to no warning.

Know as much as you can about the weather patterns in the area before you go so that you can pack all of the essentials: rain coat, wind breaker, sunscreen, sun hat, or insulated jacket.

Dress for the weather

The best advice for hiking clothing is to wear or bring multiple layers. Going up hill you may feel warm, and going down hill you might get chilly. Weather will also change through out the day so you are able to de-layer or add layers whenever necessary for your ultimate comfort. Here are some ideas for outerwear options in different weather conditions:

Early morning hike in the middle of July:

• Light/ medium jacket: The morning air may be chilly especially if you are in the mountains or exploring in higher elevations
  
  
• Breathable hiking pants: While it may be chilly in the mornings, towards the middle and end of your hike the sun will kick in and having breathable pants will make a world difference. You will want to avoid wearing shorts to limit bug bites and exposure to harmful UV sun rays
  
  
• Sun hat: Invest in a hat that covers your forehead, ears, and neck. Even by applying sunscreen to these areas, your forehead and neck will likely sweat during the hike and if you forget to reapply sunscreen the sun damage can be irreversible.
  
  

Afternoon hike to see the leaves changing at the beginning of Autumn:

• Base layer: Your base layer should not be cotton fabric. You will likely sweat on the way up the trail, and rather than wicking away perspirant, cotton will trap moisture keeping you cold and wet on the way down.
  
  
• Insulated rain coat: Even if there is no rain in the forecast, an insulated raincoat will keep you warm all the way up and down the trail, and if an unexpected afternoon storm rolls in you’ll be prepared.
  
  
• Hiking pants: Hiking pants that are comfortable yet warm will be perfect for an Autumn hike. If you walk at a steady pace, you don't want to get too hot by wearing an extra base layer.
  
  

A sunny but wintery hike for a chance to get outside before the next storm rolls in

• Base layer: Your base layer should not be cotton fabric. You will likely sweat on the way up the trail, and rather than wicking away perspirant cotton trap moisture, keeping you cold and wet on the way down.
  
  
• Breathable sweater: A mild sweater will keep you warm if you are too warm wearing the puffy coat and you want to de-layer
  
  
• Puffy coat: The best way to stay warm in cold temperatures is to have a down or synthetic down puffy coat. These will also fold down small enough to stuff in your backpack when you start to warm up and need to de-layer.
  
  
• Base layer pants: water wicking pants with some insulation will keep your extremities warm through, snow, wind, and cold temperatures.
  
  
• Hiking pants: Wearing thick hiking pants will protect you against cold winds while still allowing maneuverability
  
  

A hike across the valley to see the annual spring blooms

• Base layer: Your base layer should not be cotton fabric. You will likely sweat on the way up the trail, and rather than wicking away perspirant, cotton trap moisture keeping you cold and wet on the way down.
  
  
• Light rain jacket: A light rain jacket will keep you dry if there are any showers but won’t insulate heat so you won’t get too hot.
  
  
• Hiking pants: Pants are always the best options for protection against rain, wind, and sun.

Use trekking/hiking poles

Hiking poles are a great option for hikers of all ages because they help immensely with balance. Poles can be used to lighten your steps, ease your knees, help propel you forward, help you detect a path’s surface, and test wobbly rocks.

You should train to use your trekking poles before you get on the trail to develop efficiency and to gain arm strength. When you are buying trekking/hiking poles, remember that most hiking poles are adjustable so you are able to shorten the poles for the hike up and lengthen them for the way down.

Drink plenty of water

Having enough water is the key to enjoying physical activities, especially outdoors while hiking. One trick to getting enough water and staying hydrated is to drink plenty of water a couple of days before you plan to go hiking so your body is already fueled and hydrated before your hike.

If you are going on a longer hike, bring a camelback backpack, and a water pump to filter running water in case you run out. This should on be necessary for very experienced hikers going very far distances upwards of 6-10 miles, with high-levels of elevation gain.

A 24 fl oz water bottle should do the trick for a mile long hike, unless it's mid-day, June-August, and hot, you should bring at least two water bottles and place them in the side pockets of your backpack.

If carrying water is too heavy, hydrate a lot the week before you go hiking, drink a full bottle of water on the drive to the hike, carry a smaller light weight water bottle for sipping during the hike, and leave an entire water bottle full in the car for afterwards.

Pack a first aid or emergency kit

Even if you are just going for a short hike, you should always bring a first aid kit especially if you have any health conditions. This can be a makeshift first aid kit, with all of your personal essentials like an inhaler or nebulizer, or if you do not have any health condition, you can find a small first kit at any general store.

If you are embarking on a longer more strenuous journey, pack an emergency kit with an outdoor first aid kit, extra food and water, a way to start a fire (like waterproof matchers or a lighter), and always bring a headlamp or flashlight.

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Hike with a group

Some people enjoy the isolation of being out in nature alone, but if you have any underlying health conditions, it is important to have people who can help you if something goes astray.

Try finding a buddy or two who enjoy the outdoors, and are willing or able to maintain your hiking pace. It is not always fun leaving your group behind or feeling rushed and overwhelmed being in the back of the group.

There is nothing wrong with finding your pace, and sticking to it, but a healthy group dynamic while hiking keeps morale high.

Enjoy the views

We hope that everyone can find some outdoor adventure that suits their needs, and we hope to give you the tools to navigate the outdoors with ease and confidence going forward.

If you enjoyed this article keep following us for upcoming posts about outdoor recreation for seniors or anyone with a health condition that might feel limited in their ability to do outdoor activities. 

If you would be interested in hearing about hikes near you, please leave a comment below and a note about your capabilities so we can research ideas for your next adventure and write about it in out next blog post.

Remember there is no right or wrong way to hike, as long as you are safe responsible and enjoying your time outdoors!