Contents:
- Medical Video: 10 Habits That Can Worsen Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ( COPD )
- What causes the COPD to worsen?
- How do I avoid triggering factors?
- How to deal with it flare-up?
Medical Video: 10 Habits That Can Worsen Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ( COPD )
When you have COPD, you will live forever with it. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is a disease that attacks the lung organs. There is a set of conditions which will eventually make the lungs tired in capturing oxygen. This disease cannot be cured. All you can do is avoid the cause of COPD.
yan When you suffer from COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), some things can make your symptoms worse, which is called a trigger. Not everyone has the same trigger. What causes a person's symptoms may not be a problem for others. What are your triggers and how do they affect you? Let's look at this article.
What causes the COPD to worsen?
Even if it can't be cured, you don't need to worry immediately about your life. You can still live comfortably as long as you avoid causing your COPD to get worse. This is also known as a trigger factor.
Every chronic disease has a different trigger alias. For example, the trigger factor for diabetes is an unhealthy lifestyle. Likewise with COPD. The cause of COPD can make your condition worse. That must be considered, the cause of COPD getting worse between one another is not the same. What causes a person's COPD to deteriorate may not necessarily have the same effect as you or other people with COPD.
The cause of someone's COPD (trigger factor) gets worse can vary. Some of the common ones usually include:
- cigarette smoke or air pollution
- diseases (respiratory tract infections) such as colds, flu, or pneumonia
- cleaning supplies or other chemicals
- gas, particles, or dust from inside the house
When exposed to the above trigger factors, it is possible that your lungs will be difficult to work as they should. As a result you will experience difficulty breathing shortness of breath, and other symptoms of COPD. This is what is calledflare-up COPD or COPD worsening. This condition occurs when you are around these trigger factors. The symptoms may be mild, but severe symptoms can also occur that require you to go to the hospital.
Knowing the cause of your COPD worsening will help you maintain the stability of your lung health. Understanding how your body reacts to various factors that trigger COPD can reduce your attacks or worsen the condition of your COPD. The discipline of taking drugs and staying physically active according to the recommendations that doctors give can also help prevent the condition flare-up.
How do I avoid triggering factors?
In order to avoid the cause of COPD, the main thing you must do is find out the trigger factors for COPD that affect you. When you begin to experience symptoms, in addition to trying to relieve symptoms, you must observe the circumstances around you. Who knows, there is a trigger. If the symptoms are too severe to require you to seek medical help, try to remember them again after your condition improves.
Sometimes, the cause of your COPD worsens by forming a pattern. You can record your COPD triggers every time you feel the symptoms and consult with your doctor. Your doctor may recommend an appropriate way to avoid it.
Some of the trigger factors that cause COPD to worsen usually cannot be controlled because they do not originate from within. However, several other factors can be controlled if we really intend. Here are some ways to avoid the triggers of COPD that can be controlled.
Avoid cigarette smoke
Don't smoke or let other people smoke around you. Stop smoking if you still do it. Even for healthy people, smoking is not a good habit, especially for people with COPD. Smoking is the cause of your COPD can worsen quickly. If you have trouble stopping smoking, maybe you can see your doctor to ask for advice on quitting smoking on the medical side with drugs.
Also, don't let yourself be exposed to cigarette smoke from other people. The danger of passive smoking caused is the same or even more dangerous. If the situation does not allow you to reprimand other people who smoke, you should take the initiative to avoid being exposed to cigarette smoke.
Stay at home under certain conditions
There is a time when the air is very dry and the wind blows quite hard. Under these conditions dust may easily spread so that it increases your risk of breathing. Air pollution will also cause your COPD to worsen. It's best to stay inside the house if there is no urgent need outside the house.
If you have to leave the house, maybe you can use a mask so you don't breathe directly in the dust and air pollution. The use of air purifiers in the home should also be considered so as to insure your risk of COPD deterioration.
Regular vaccination
One of the things that causes your COPD to worsen is respiratory infections, such as flu and pneumonia. For this reason, it is important for you to get both vaccinations regularly every year. For healthy people, influenza virus is not something to worry about, but for people with COPD, this can make your condition worse.
Consult your doctor about this flu and pneumonia vaccination. Your doctor will recommend the type, time, and how often you will receive the vaccine. Regular hand washing also helps you maintain better health and prevent infection.
How to deal with it flare-up?
Even though you know the trigger factors for COPD and try to avoid it, the condition of COPD worsens alias flare-upmay not be avoided. When you start experiencingflare-up COPD, don't panic. If you have discussed with the doctor about handling it, follow the directions that the doctor gave.
In general, overcome flare-up COPD can be done by:
- Use an inhaler or nebulizer according to the doctor's direction. If your symptoms do not improve after using the drug, ask someone for help to take you to the nearest hospital emergency unit. You can also contact an ambulance if needed
- If the doctor has provided other inhalation drugs or steroid pills, use them as directed
- If your doctor prescribes antibiotics, discuss whether you need it again or not. Do not add doses without discussing with the doctor
Nobody is better at knowing your illness than you. For that to know well what makes you feel better and what makes your condition worse is a must. That way, you can avoid the cause of COPD worsening plus it can also help other people who have health conditions similar to yours.
Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
