If you have already quit, you should do everything possible to stay smoke-free and to avoid secondhand smoke. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. These are some of the things that can make your COPD worse and spark a flare-up: Smog and other kinds of air pollution; Cigarette or cigar smoke; Strong fumes from perfume and other scented products No one should smoke, but this is especially true for people with COPD. You can learn more about what a healthy diet looks like and how to get proper nutrition for COPD in the following guides: If you're having trouble eating, losing weight, or maintaining a healthy BMI on your own, don't wait too long to discuss it with your doctor or a registered dietitian. You can also look for cleaning products with the EPA's “Safer Choice” label, or browse through the EPA's catalog of these products online. To learn more about how to reduce indoor air pollution, check out our guide on How to Improve Your Air Quality at Home. There, you'll step-by-step instructions for making alternatives to several different types of commercial cleaning products, including a scrubbing solution, all-purpose cleaner, and grease-cutting solution. The most important thing, however, is to keep your body active and moving in whatever way you safely can, and that's something you can do no matter what physical ability level you're starting from. Over time, these pollutants accumulate in the indoor air, where you breathe them in constantly whenever you're at home. There's a reason that quitting smoking is considered a vital, first-line treatment for COPD, and you shouldn't take it lightly. COPD is an "umbrella diagnosis that includes emphysema, … Make avoiding them a top priority in your efforts to stay healthy with COPD. Luckily, there are other strategies you can use to reduce shortness of breath when you go to sleep. A lot of patients with COPD are tired all the time, says Amy Attaway, … It helps if you familiarize yourself with the air quality patterns in your area, including how pollution levels tend to change throughout the day. It's a common misconception that it won't make much of a difference to stop smoking once you've already developed a smoking-related disease. Whether outdoors or indoors, air pollution can irritate the lungs and cause COPD symptoms to suddenly flare up. Considering that COPD is all about managing symptoms and preventing lung inflammation that could put you at risk for exacerbations, it's still a good idea to put keep your distance from any activity that involves smoke. If you struggle to breathe while you're eating, it's important to take it slow, making sure you take small bites and give yourself time to breathe deeply and steadily while you eat (similar to mindful eating). Research shows that air pollution can have a significant impact on people with COPD; it can worsen breathing symptoms, increase your risk for exacerbation and hospitalization, and even increase your risk of death. Here are some resources to help manage COPD: Last medically reviewed on September 20, 2016, Learn about the promising research on stem cell treatment for COPD. (Image text: To see data on pollution trends in your area, you can look up your local air quality report on airnow.gov and click the button “local trends.”). However, this way of thinking is not only false, but downright dangerous. However, while while sleeping upright can provide some relief from shortness of breath, it can actually hurt your sleep quality and cause other problems like stiffness and pain. Close. Some research shows that people who drink alcohol in moderation are less likely to develop COPD symptoms compared to people who do not drink any alcohol. Being overweight or obese is also bad for your COPD; it makes it both harder to exercise—which is key for long-term health—and harder breathe. But unless you live in … Sometimes, COPD can cause a person to experience a sudden worsening of symptoms of the condition. This includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema. If you do have to be outside, limit your exercise or physical activity. While a small pinch of salt cooked in a dish may be fine, a salt-heavy diet can be a … If you have windows in your kitchen, opening them up before you start cooking is one simple way to ventilate the room. People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have a greater risk for depression, stress, and anxiety. As a result, you gulp too much air. Other COPD triggers include fragrances (found in perfumes and personal care products), aerosol sprays (e.g. On the other hand, losing weight can improve your COPD symptoms and reduce your risk for other chronic diseases. Cold, dry air or hot air can trigger a flare-up. When you have a chronic disease like COPD, you have to be very cautious about what drugs and medications you take. In chronic bronchitis, the tubes lose their cilia. If you have no other choice but to do a risky project on your own, make sure you wear respiratory protection and—most importantly—that use the appropriate type of respiratory protection for the job. 2. Many people don't realize that cooking releases smoke, oils, and other pollutants into the air that are harmful to your lungs. You should also take care with materials that can release hazardous fumes into your house, including many types of paints, lumber, adhesives, and even new carpets and flooring. The list below is the results of the survey I talked about earlier, while some are common among patients there are others that are not common. In cold, windy weather, you should cover your nose and mouth while outdoors. Unfortunately, inhalers can be tricky to use properly, and different types of inhalers require different steps and techniques. In fact, it’s the only way to reduce the risk. To learn more about how to make your own DIY cleaning products, check out this guide on how to reduce chemical irritants in your home. The dangers of smoking have been vastly researched and documented. You should also try to keep your plans flexible, that way you can easily reschedule them if the air quality ends up being too poor. The risks to a person with COPD are numerous. That's why, before you start your shower, you should always make sure there's a way for the heat and humidity to escape. COPD symptoms may not appear until the lungs have experienced significant damage. According to a study, temperature extremes, below freezing and above 90°F (32°C), are particularly dangerous. Getting vaccinated against respiratory illnesses is an important part of taking care of your health, just like eating a healthy diet or taking your medications on time. You can ventilate your kitchen even more efficiently if you help the air current along using a fan (facing out the window) or a built-in kitchen vent. COPD360social posts are … Antihistamines. Mild respiratory depression also happens naturally during certain stages of sleep, which is another reason why many people with COPD have increased shortness of breath and difficulty sleeping through the night. Cigarette smoke contains tar and many toxic chemicals that irritate the lungs. Many chemicals emit lung-toxic fumes as well, and they can come from unexpected places, including household products and home construction materials like treated wood, varnishes, and paint. A blue-ish tint to your lips, fingertips, or toes. The best way to reduce the risk of a flare-up is to remain indoors, especially when smog levels are particularly high. People with COPD typically … We've also provided links to several other practical COPD health and wellness guides from our Respiratory Resource Center, where you can find even more detailed advice and information that expands on many of the topics covered in this post. Smoking, even just a little, keeps the cilia from working normally. Indoors, air humidity ideally should be at 40 percent. While there's no blanket rule saying that people with COPD shouldn't drink, you should still be a little extra cautious with alcohol if you have COPD. If you are eligible, you should consider joining a Pulmonary Rehabilitation class; if not, there are many other options, including personal trainers, physical therapists, exercise physiologists, and other experts who are trained to help people with respiratory diseases. Over the long term, nighttime oxygen desaturation can put you at risk for more serious health problems like cardiovascular damage and cognitive decline. The ideal humidity level for people with COPD is 30% to 50%, says Dr. Lockhardt. And that's just one of a plethora of lesser-known activities that can harm your lungs and/or exacerbate COPD symptoms. On the other hand, using a fireplace or barbecue grill occasionally isn't likely to cause any long-term damage, though it can make your COPD symptoms worse in the short-term. Studies show that many household cleaning products release harmful fumes and aerosols that irritate your lungs and even cause permanent lung function decline. Deaths are still averaging more than 3,000 per day. Many common habits and everyday activities can trigger COPD symptoms, and your lungs tend to get even more sensitive to these things as the disease progresses. Answers. Exacerbating matters, high humidity can make mold and other airborne allergens worse. Yes. You can still air out your home when air pollution is low, but if you don't check your local AQI first, you could accidentally invite all kinds of outdoor pollution to enter your home. This is an important part of using your COPD action plan and it can help you anticipate complications—like COPD exacerbations—that you can often catch early if you notice your symptoms starting to get worse. The number indicates … You can use the EPA's safer chemical ingredient list for reference of what types of chemicals you should seek out and which ones you should avoid. When you add a respiratory depressant like alcohol to the mix, you're even more likely to have trouble breathing and experience low blood oxygen levels at night. The more you know about COPD and how to protect your lungs, the quicker you can adjust to living a healthy and lung-safe lifestyle with your disease. On extremely hot and humid days, there’s no better way to avoid a COPD flare-up than to stay indoors with the air conditioner on, according to the National Emphysema Foundation. Think of it as the MapQuest of…. Being stressed or depressed can make COPD symptoms worse and make … Respiratory hazards and unhealthy lifestyle habits are no joke, and they can significantly affect your ability to live a good quality of life and maintain control over your COPD symptoms. However, wood-burning stoves and fireplaces are particularly dangerous because they release these pollutants indoors, where they build up and linger inside your home. Depending on the type of interaction, this can make a medication less effective, make its effects stronger, or cause additional side effects to appear. According to a study, temperature extremes, below freezing and above 90°F … Unfortunately, there are a lot of highly nutritious foods that cause … When you have COPD, you should generally stay away from all sources of fire and combustion, which universally create toxic fumes and tiny airborne particulates that harm your lungs. Jul 9, 2020 1:28:08 PM / by Excessive Salt. Well, it's true; a high-carb diet can actually put extra strain on the lungs and cause increased shortness of breath in people with COPD. ), it's more than worth all the work it takes to make it happen. If your bathroom doesn't have either, it might be worth considering getting one installed; too much humidity doesn't only make it harder to breathe, but it also encourages mold growth. Because of this, it's often better to lie on your side, as it allows you to breathe more freely and helps you maintain a comfortable and healthy posture during the night. The reason for this has to do with how your body processes different types of nutrients; everything you eat produces a certain amount of carbon dioxide that has to be processed by your lungs. Over time, all these “dos and don'ts” will start to feel more natural and you'll find that it's easier to focus on the other thing you want and need to live a happy, fulfilling life. When you do exercise outside or do other activities outdoors, you should try to schedule them for times when air pollution is the lowest; often this is in the earlier and later hours of the day. Additional problems that affect your breathing—like lapses in breathing caused by sleep apnea—significantly increase the risk that your oxygen levels will fall during the night. Because of this, a vital part of learning how to manage your COPD symptoms effectively is learning how to protect your lungs from these triggers. Cases decreased slightly this past week but are still averaging about 207,000 per day. This isn't the most efficient form of ventilation, but it will allow the fumes to drift outdoors instead of staying trapped in the room. Fore example, medications that usually only cause mild respiratory depression can cause moderate to severe respiratory depression if you take them at night, in large does, or in combination with another medication that lists respiratory depression as a potential side effect. Our goal is to help you recognize at least a few activities that you didn't know were risky before, and to provide you with some practical tools and techniques you can use to protect yourself from those hazards in the future. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(3306744, '43b79c5e-6bd6-4f02-ac27-2d038d20c146', {}); Some of the things you see on this list might seem familiar, but you're bound to learn something new as you go through this guide. Many people who have mid- to late-stage COPD will even move to a part of the country where weather temperatures are more moderate. For example, if you usually eat three square meals, you could break those down into five or six smaller meals instead. However, kitchen vents and fume hoods only work this way if they are actually connected to a pipe that takes the air outside. Answer View More Anonymous: Unfriend Friend Requested Friend: Load More. Though COPD symptoms do tend to fluctuate over time, these fluctuations can be important indicators of your health. This is why, if you have COPD, you should be extra careful about not only how much alcohol you drink, but also when you drink it. What Makes COPD Worse? “One reason we are concerned about patients with COPD during this pandemic is, if they already have problems with low oxygen, the virus can make them worse, potentially bringing oxygen to … In the short term, nighttime oxygen deprivation can trigger uncomfortable morning symptoms (including headache, fatigue, and shortness of breath) that can linger throughout the day and make your COPD symptoms worse. One way to avoid falling into a sedentary lifestyle is to find an active hobby that you can truly enjoy and even look forward to doing. Temperature and weather can cause COPD symptoms to worsen. When a minor respiratory illnesses can quickly cause severe and life-threatening complications, it's worth doing everything you can to prevent yourself from getting sick. Our website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. Cold, dry air or hot air can trigger a flare-up. In this guide, we've put together a list of more than a dozen different activities that can be dangerous or risky for people with COPD. For people with COPD, bloating caused by gas can create increased pressure on the diaphragm that may worsen dyspnea —the feeling of being short of breath. Sleep apnea, insomnia, and other sleeping disorders are more common than you might think, and they are even more common in people with COPD. Because of this, people who are prone to lung irritation and damage (PDF link)—which obviously includes people with COPD—should never use a wood-burning appliance to heat their homes. Unfortunately, the hazards you don't know about can actually be the most dangerous; you can expose yourself to them over and over again without even realizing they pose a risk. Sleep apnea, for instance (a very common yet under-diagnosed sleep disorder) can not only cause severe sleep deprivation, but also causes lapses in breathing that can starve your body of oxygen while you sleep. Common bugs that cause colds and the flu can exacerbate COPD symptoms, such as: If not treated properly, they can also lead to pneumonia, which can be life-threatening. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) refers to a group of lung diseases that affect your breathing. One reason for this is that alcohol can cause a side effect known as respiratory depression, which causes you to breathe more slowly and take more shallow breaths than you normally would. In the short term, lack of sleep takes a huge toll on your mood, mental health, and energy levels, and it can make your COPD symptoms worse; in the long-term, sleep deprivation can increase your risk for a range of serious health problems, including heart attack, dementia, and stroke. It doesn't need to be anything athletic or intense; light activities like gardening, walking, and stretching can provide many health benefits, and they're a great way to work more physical activity into your weekly routine. But sometimes that isn’t enough. It not only helps you maintain your muscle strength, mobility, and physical independence (which are all key factors in quality of life), but it also trains your heart and lungs to work more efficiently, which reduces strain on your respiratory system and makes it easier to breathe. These factors can increase the risk of infection and a flare-up of symptoms. Mold tends to grow in enclosed spaces where humidity lingers, and it's a serious respiratory hazard that makes COPD symptoms worse. This makes it hard to cough up mucus out of the lungs, which causes more coughing.. The physical exertion of showering makes many people feel breathless, and it tends to get worse as the heat and humidity from the shower fill up the room. COPD, Experts generally discourage people with COPD from sleeping on their backs, because this position puts extra weight on your chest that can make it more difficult to breathe (especially if you are overweight). You can look up your city or zip code on pollen.com to get all kinds of helpful allergen information, including your local pollen report, future allergen forecasts, and a breakdown of the types of pollen most prevalent in your area. What's more, sleeping disorders deprive you of good-quality sleep, which is not only a miserable thing to experience, but also a significant health concern on its own. Having low blood oxygen levels at night can worsen COPD symptoms both while you're sleeping and throughout the next day. Though it might seem inconvenient to have to get vaccinated again each year, flu shots are available at pretty much any pharmacy, doctor's office, and health clinic for $15 or less (or free with insurance). Smoking can also affect your baseline breathing ability, as COPD patients who smoke have quicker lung function decline (PDF link). Additionally, you should always tell your doctor about every medicine, herbal product, and supplement you take, no matter how small or insignificant you think it might be. Agender is defined as not having a gender. Activities & Habits You Should Avoid if You Have COPD Cooking Without Ventilation. This is why it's important to use proper ventilation while you cook, especially if you or anyone in your household has COPD. First of all, if you have COPD, your lungs and the other organs that support them have to work extra hard to function. Of course, you should always talk to your doctor before making any major changes to your diet or if you have any other dietary concerns. Research suggests that quitting smoking can actually improve your COPD symptoms, slow down lung function decline, and generally slow down the progression of the disease. Some things are fine to do with dust masks while others require full respirators for safety, and if you choose the wrong equipment it might not offer any protection at all. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(3306744, 'fa8abc2a-1e88-4fa3-82fd-1cb5b9ed43b2', {}); Carbon dioxide is a waste product that is expelled from your body by your lungs each and every time you exhale. And don't worry! These strategies include medication, changing your bedtime habits, and using alternative sleeping positions (PDF link) that make it easier to sleep. Outdoors, these allergens all spell trouble: Indoors, the COPD Foundationrecommends watching out for these allergens: People with COPD can protect themselves from outdoor pollutants much like they do in cold air. It's also important to note that cleaning products are not the only household products that can irritate your lungs. A painter’s mask is recommended if you have to be outside. 4610 S. Ulster St. #150 A health and nutrition professional is the best person to if you need someone to help you re-evaluate your diet and come up with a better plan that supports your personal lifestyle and will help you meet your health goals. You may want to use natural cleaning products that don’t have as many harmful irritants. If you have COPD, you should try to limit your exposure to these and other lung irritants as much as you can to avoid triggering COPD symptoms and doing further, unnecessary damage to your lungs. However, it’s best if someone other than the person with COPD does the cleaning. What a Healthy Meal Looks Like for Someone With COPD, Including Versatile Meal Ideas You Can Try at Home, Why Physical Activity is Important for People With COPD—And How You Can Get More of It, ## Ideas for Active Hobbies You Can Do with COPD, Severe difficulty breathing that doesn't go away with medication or rest. Denver, CO 80237, Monday - Sunday from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm MST, 18 Dangerous Habits That Could Be Making Your COPD Worse, Overcoming Doubts & Finding Resources to Help You Quit, Coping with Nicotine Withdrawal & Choosing a Quit Smoking Medication, Taking the First Steps & Strategies for Staying Smoke Free, video demonstrations from health professionals, 13 Tips on How to Get A Better Night's Sleep, toxic fumes and tiny airborne particulates. A poor diet leads to poor nutrition and, in many cases, an unhealthy weight. Add in other factors, such as wind and humidity, and the risk of a COPD flare-up increases. This can not only substantially reduce your exposure to respiratory irritants while you're cooking, but it also prevents the pollution from building up inside your home. In fact, research shows that people who cook often—and are thus exposed to these fumes repeatedly over time—have reduced lung function, increased respiratory symptoms, and a higher risk for developing COPD. Regular and thorough cleaning of your house, especially dusting and vacuuming, also can help reduce the risk of a COPD flare-up. This fact leads some experts to advise COPD patients to eat a low-carb, high-fat diet and limit their carbohydrate intake to the lowest levels suggested by most dietary recommendations. Experts agree that exercise and physical activity are both safe and beneficial for people with COPD, including those with advanced COPD and severe breathing symptoms. If you tend to get breathless while you're eating or experience chest discomfort after you eat a meal, then you're definitely not alone. Even short-term exposure to cooking fumes can affect your lungs and make your COPD symptoms worse. Not only are vaccinations safe, but they can literally save your life by preventing illnesses and lung infections that can be deadly to people with chronic diseases like COPD. © 2005-2021 Healthline Media a Red Ventures Company. Lungs affected by COPD are very sensitive, particularly to things like respiratory irritants, physical strain, and less-than-ideal breathing conditions (such as hot or humid air). Even the most efficient, well-sealed, and professionally-installed wood-burning stoves still release small amounts of smoke and pollutants into the air. If you're spending most of your time sitting and watching TV, it's time to get up and … This is particularly dangerous if you have a health condition like sleep apnea or COPD that also affects your ability to breathe during the night. If you'd like to learn how to get started or how to find all the quit-smoking resources you could ever need, check out our comprehensive, 3-part guide on how to quit smoking: Pretty much all allergens and small particulates, including dust, pollen, and mold, can harm your lungs and trigger COPD symptoms if you breathe them in. 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