Today is World COPD Day, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a group of lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties. Common symptoms of COPD are breathlessness, a persistent chesty cough, and frequent chest infections.
COPD affects around 3 million people in the UK. While living with COPD impacts many aspects of daily living, there are several ways that COPD can be managed to reduce its effects and keep your lungs in the best condition possible:
Keep active
Physical activity positively impacts your physical and mental wellbeing. Physical activity can be as simple as walking around your home or stretching.
Controlled Breathing
Various breathing techniques can help with breathlessness. You can learn about these by visiting asthmaandlung.org.uk
Eat a healthy diet
Carrying extra weight makes breathlessness worse. Eating a well-balanced diet provides benefits such as reducing stress levels, improving mental health, and getting a better night’s sleep. A healthy diet involves eating more fruit and vegetables and less salt and processed foods.
Do not smoke
Smoking will make the symptoms of COPD worse, you should not smoke cigarettes or electronic cigarettes. If you are a Baywater Healthcare patient you can speak to your Healthcare Professional for support with quitting.
