Quitting COPD

Being diagnosed with COPD is devasting, but the disease does not have to ruin your life. There are several ways to manage the disease. Some treatments require medical treatment, and other treatments require medical intervention. In the early stages if COPD, quitting smoking can reduce the effects of COPD. In the later stages of the disease, many doctors recommend treating the disease with medications or surgery.

Quitting Smoking

Smoking will worsen the symptoms of COPD. When you are diagnosed with COPD, you should stop smoking immediately. Quitting can be a difficult task, but it is the best way to make sure the disease does not progress to the later stages of COPD. If you are having difficulty quitting, you should ask your doctor to recommend nicotine substitute products.

Oral steroids will prevent the progression of COPD, but using oral steroids for an extended amount of time can cause cataracts and weight gain. Long-term use of oral steroids can also cause diabetes and osteoporoses.

Theophylline is an inexpensive medication that is used to improve breathing and prevent COPD from progressing to the later stages. Doctors usually prescribe low does of the medication. After taking Theophylline, you might have a rapid heartbeat, tremor and headache.

Antibiotics

Pneumonia and influenza can worsen COPD symptoms. Many doctors will prescribe antibiotics to treat respiratory infections, but antibiotics are not used to treat the symptoms of COPD. Researchers are still studying the effects of antibiotics in people diagnosed with COPD.

Lung therapies

In the later stages of COPD, oxygen therapy is used to treat the symptoms of COPD. If you cannot get enough air into your lungs, you might not have enough oxygen in your blood. Your doctor can prescribe a device that can push air into your lungs. Your doctor may recommend a portable oxygen tank if your need to oxygen therapy for an extended amount of