The Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) classifies COPD into four stages, with the mildest form being stage I. If you are diagnosed with stage I COPD, it means that your ability to fill your lungs to capacity or to expel air forcefully has been mildly impacted.
In some cases, there may be few visible symptoms, and you may not even be aware that you have the disease. If symptoms do appear, they tend to be mild and progressive, and can include:
WheezingA mild but persistent coughFatigueShortness of breath
Smoking damages the air sacs (alveoli), airways, and lining of your lungs, the injury of which can make it harder to inhale and exhale.
Quitting can be tough, but there are a number of strategies you can rely upon to ensure greater success. Among them:
Try stopping all at once rather than tapering down or switching to low-tar or low-nicotine brand. Try keeping a journal to reinforce the reasons you want to quit and identify the triggers that can lead you to light up. Avoiding other smokers or places where people smoke may help you stop smoking. Use exercise to improve your sense of well-being to reinforce the health benefits associated with expanded lung capacity.
People with COPD have compromised lung function and, as such, are at high risk of getting the flu.
If you are living with COPD, the prevention of flu and pneumonia is not only essential, it’s often as easy as a trip to your local pharmacy.
Short-acting bronchodilators like Albuterol or Proventil (also known as rescue inhalers) are used on an as-needed basis for the relief of persistent or worsening respiratory symptoms.
The simple fact is that COPD places enormous stress on your body and effectively burns up all of the fuel you get from eating. As such, people with COPD will often need to increase their caloric intake, ideally with healthy foods rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals.
To get the most out of a fitness program, start by assessing your exercise tolerance with your healthcare provider. This will allow you to know how much exercise you can reasonably manage when first starting out.
With this information in hand, you can meet with a fitness professional who can put together a routine (ideally performed three to four times weekly) that starts easy but allows for rapid progression as you become more fit.
