When every breath you take is a struggle, you need the latest news and most effective treatments for relieving your COPD symptoms. If you are diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, there are a wide range of treatment options available, but which is best for you?
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COPD patients should sit down with their doctors and talk about recent medicine studies, and ask what medicines are best and why. Physicians who care for COPD patients should read the report carefully and then use their clinical judgment to decide the best treatment.
While many medications are available to treat COPD, no drug has demonstrated effectiveness in halting the progression of the disease. Rather, the goal of drug therapy at this time is to maintain control of symptoms. The following details some basic forms of COPD treatment that your doctor may use during your therapy:
Your doctor may recommend that you participate in pulmonary rehabilitation, or “rehab.” This is a program that helps you learn to exercise and manage your disease with physical activity and counseling. It can help you stay active and carry out your day-to-day tasks.
Your doctor or a pulmonary therapist recommended by your doctor might teach you some activities to help your arms and legs get stronger and/or breathing exercises that strengthen the muscles needed for breathing.
Lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking can help you manage the effects of COPD.
If your COPD is severe, your doctor might suggest oxygen therapy to help with shortness of breath. You might need oxygen all of the time or just some of the time – your doctor will work with you to learn which treatment will be most helpful.
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COPD patients with very severe symptoms may have a hard time breathing all the time. In some of these cases, doctors may suggest lung surgery to improve breathing and help lessen some of the most severe symptoms.
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