GOLD Patient RevJan10

7/28/2019 GOLD Patient RevJan10

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What You Can DoAbou t a L u ng DiseaseCalled COP D

GLOBAL INITIATIVE FORCHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE LUNG D ISEASE

BASED ON THE GLOBAL STRATEGY FOR THE DIAGNOSIS, MANAGEMENT,

AND PREVENTION OF CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE LUNG DISEASE,

Global Initiative f or Chronic Obstru ctive Lun g Disease (GOLD)

Available at w w w.goldcopd.org

Adul ts m ay hav e COP D if th ey have t roublebreath ing or a cough t hat w ill no t go aw ay.


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Docto r s cannot cu re COP D, bu t t hey canhe lp to im prove you r sy m ptom s and s low

the dam age to your lungs .

When you follow the instructions of your doctor,You will feel less short of breath.You will cough less.You will get stronger and get around better.

You will be in a better mood.

COP D stands forChron ic Obst ru ct iv e P u lm onar y Disease.

The word Chronic means it wont go away.The word Obstruct ive means partly blocked.The word Pu lmonary means in the lungs.The word Disease means sickness.

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What y ou an d you r fam ily can do about COPD.

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1. Stop smoking.

2. Take each medicine theway the doctor says totake it. Go to the doctorat least two times a year

for checkups. Ask if youcan get a flu shot.

3. Go to the hospital ordoctor right away if yourbreathing gets bad.

4. Keep the air clean athome. Stay away fromthings like smoke thatmake it hard to breathe.

5. Keep your body strong.Walk, exercise regularly

and eat healthy foods.

6. If your COPD is severe,get the most out of yourbreath. Make life aseasy as possible at

home.


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Normal lungs

Close-up of normalairway and air sacs

Airways carry air to thelungs. Airways get smallerand smaller like branches of atree. At the end of each tiny

branch there are many small airsacslike tiny balloons.

In healthy people, each airwayis clear and open. Each tinyair sac fills up with air.Then the air quickly goesout.

What is COPD?

COPD is alun g disease.


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When y ou hav e COP D, y ou can h av eprob lem s w ith y our lun gs.

1. The openings of theairways are smaller.

Less air gets in because: The walls of the

airways get thickand swollen.

The airways aresqueezed by small

muscles around them. The airways make

mucus that you cough up.

2. The tiny air sacs cannot empty and your lungsfeel very full.

Your doctor can help you understand the problemsyou have with your lungs.

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Lungs damaged by COPD

Close-up ofairway andair sacs


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Who get s COP D?

You cannot get COPD from someone else.

Adults get COPD, not children.

Most people withCOPD are smokers or

were smokers in thepast. Any form ofsmoking can causeCOPD.

Some people withCOPD have lived inhomes filled withfumes from cookingstoves or fumes fromheaters used to warmthe home.

Some people withCOPD worked formany years in placesthat were very dusty orsmoky.

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Go to a doctor w hen y ou f ir s t h av eproblem s w ith breath ing or problem s

w ith a cough t ha t las t s for m ore than amon t h .

Most people wait to go to the doctor until they arehaving a lot of trouble breathing. They ignore acough or mild breathing problem for years.

Many people with COPD are at least 40 years old.But people younger than age 40 can also getCOPD.

When you have breathing problems, the sooner yousee a doctor about COPD, the better.

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Doctor s can t e ll you how bad y ou r COP D hasbecome.

The doctor or nurse will examine you. You may have todo some simple breathing tests.

They will ask you about your breathing and your health.

They will ask about your home and the places you have

worked.

If COPD is not too bad, it is called mild COPD.

If COPD is getting bad, it is called moderate COPD.

If COPD is very bad, it is called severe COPD.

COPD is diagnosed with a simplebreathing test called spirometry.

This test is easy and painless.

You will be asked tobreathe hard into arubber tube connectedto a machine called aspirometer.

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Mild COPD You may cough a lot. Sometimes you cough up

mucus. You feel a little out of breath if you work hardor walk rapidly.

Moderate COPD You may cough more, and you cough up mucus. You often feel out of breath if you work hard or

walk rapidly. You may have trouble doing hard work or chores. You may take several weeks to recover from a

cold or chest infection.

Severe or very bad COPD You may cough even more and cough up a lot of

mucus.

You have trouble breathing both day and night. You may take several weeks to recover from a

cold or chest infection. You can no longer go to work or do chores

around home. You cannot walk up stairs or across the room

very well. You tire easily.

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What y ou and y our fam ily can do tohelp s low the dam age to your lungs .

1. Stop sm ok ing. I t is the m ost im por tant t h ingy ou can do to help y ou r lu ngs .

You can stop smoking.

Ask for help from a doctor ornurse. Ask about pills, specialgum, or special patches for yourskin to help you stop smoking.

Set a date to quit. Tell familyand friends you are trying toquit. Ask them to keep cigarettesout of the house. Ask people to

smoke away from home orsmoke outside.

Stay away from the places and people that make youwant to smoke. Remove ashtrays from your home.

Keep busy. Keep your hands busy. Try holding a

pencil instead of a cigarette.

When the craving is bad, chew gum or a toothpick.Snack on fruits or vegetables. Drink water.

Think about quitting just 1 day at a time.

If you start smoking again, dont give up! Try to stopagain. Some people have to stop many times beforethey stop forever.


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2. See you r doctor. Tak e m edicine t h e w ay th edoctor say s to t ak e it .

Go for y our check u ps.Go at least two times a year, even if you feel fine.

Ask to have your lungs tested.

Ask a doctor or nurse how to get a flu shot eachyear.

Talk abou t y ou r m edicines at each v is it .Medicine comes in many forms such as inhalers,pills, and syrup.

Ask the doctor to write down the name of eachmedicine, how much to take and when to take it.

If your doctor tells you to use inhaled medicines,you will need to learn to use an inhaler.Bring the medicines or the list of your medicinesto each checkup.

Talk about how your medicines make you feel.

After the checkup,

show your familyyour list of medicines.Keep the list at homewhere everyone canfind it.

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3. Go to th e hospital or doctor r igh t aw ay if y ou r breath ing get s a lot w orse.

P lan now for prob lem s in the fu tu r e. Pu t theth ings y ou w il l need in one place so y ou canact fas t .

Phone numbers for the doctor, the hospital, andpeople who can get you there.

Directions to the hospital and doctors office.

Your list of medicines.

Some extra money.

Get em ergency h elp if y ou see any of thesedanger s igns .

It is hard to talk.

It is hard to walk.

Lips or fingernails turn gray or blue.

The heartbeat or pulse is very fast or irregular.

Your medicine does not help for very long or it does

not help at all. Breathing is still fast and hard.


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4. Keep t he air clean at h om e. Stay aw ayf rom sm ok e and f um es t hat m ak e it ha rdto breathe.

Keep smoke, fumes, and strong smells out of thehome.

If you must have your home painted or sprayedfor insects, do it when you can stay somewhere

else.

Cook near an opendoor or window sosmoke and strongsmells can get outeasily. Do not cooknear the place yousleep or spend mostof your time.

If you heat with wood or kerosene, keep a dooror window open a little to get rid of fumes.

Open doors and windows when the air inside issmoky or has strong smells. Close the windowsand stay at home on days when there is a lot ofpollution or dust outside.

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5. Keep your body s t rong.

Learn breath ing ex ercises.

Breathing exercises can help you when you are havingtrouble breathing. They can strengthen the musclesyou need for breathing.

Ask your doctor to explain the breathing exercises thatwould be best for you.


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Walk and ex ercise regu lar ly.

When you strengthen the muscles inyour arms, legs, and body, you canget around better.

Walking for 20 minutes is a goodway to start.

These exercises help buildstrength in your arms, legs, andbody. There are many others.

When you start, take it slow.When you feel short ofbreath, stop and rest.

Pick a place to walk orexercise that you enjoy.

Find exercises that youlike to do.

Ask someone in thefamily or a friend tojoin you.

Talk with your doctorabout the right exercise

regimen for you.

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Eat heal th y foods. Get to a heal thy w eight .

Ask your family to help you buy and prepare healthyfoods. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables. Eat protein foods,like meat, fish, eggs, milk, and soy.

When you eat:

If you are short of breath when you eat, slow down.

Talk less when you eat.

If you feel full easily, eat smaller meals more often.

If you are heavy, lose weight. It is harder to breatheand to get around if you are heavy.

If you are too thin, take extra foods or drinks to helpgain weight and stay healthy.

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6. I f y our COPD is sev ere, get th e m ost out ofeach breath . Mak e l ife as easy as poss ible athome .

Ask your friends and family for help and ideas.

Do things slowly. Do things sitting down.

In the kitchen, bathroom, and sleeping area, put things

you need in one place that is easy to reach.Find very simple ways to cook, clean, and do otherchores. Use a small table or cart on wheels to movethings around. Use a pole or tongs with long handles tohelp reach things.

Keep your clothes loose so you can breathe.Wear clothes and shoes that are easy to put on.

Ask people to help youmove your things in yourhome so you will not needto climb stairs as often.

Pick a place to sit thatyou can enjoy andwhere others can visit.

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P lan ahead if you w ant to go ou t or go aw ay.

Visit or go out duringthe part of the daywhen you feel yourbest. Many peoplefeel best right afterthey take medicine.

Rest after you eat.

Plan to go out at atime when you canget home before thenext dose of medicineneeds to be taken.

Do not go to stores at a busy time of day. Go to placesthat do not have a lot of stairs.

Bring phone numbers for the doctor and people whocan help you. Bring medicine if you do not feel well.

If you are not having a good day, stay home.

Going out o f tow n .

If you will travel far, or will be gone for more than aday, ask the doctor what to bring if you have problems.

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NOTES


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Clinic information:

The following publications are available from theGlobal In i t iat iv e for Chron ic Obstru ctiv e Lu ng Diseas e (GOLD):(1) NHLBI/WHO Work sh op Report : Global Strat egy for t he Diagnosis ,

Managem ent, and Prev ent ion of COP D.Scientific information and recommendations for COPD programs;

(2) Ex ecut iv e Sum m ary NHLBI/WHO Work sh op Report : Global Strategy for t heDiagnosis , Managem ent, and P rev ent ion of COP D;

(3) Pock et Guide to COPD Managem ent an d Prev ent ion.Summary of patient care information for primary health care professionals; and

(4) What You Can Do Abou t a Lu ng Disease Called COPD.An information booklet for patients and their families.

These reports are based on recommendations developed during workshops sponsored by theNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the World Health Organization.

These publications are available at no cost on the GOLD web site at http://www.goldcopd.org.Copies may be purchased at http://www.mcrvisionstore.com.

Printing was made possible by educational grants from Almirall, AstraZeneca, BoehringerIngelheim, Chiesi, Dey, Forest Laboratories, GlaxoSmithKline, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma, Novartis,Nycomed, Pfizer, Schering-Plough, and Sepracor.

NIH Publication No. 02-2701C

April 2002

Copies of this document are available at www.us-health-network.com

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GOLD Patient RevJan10