COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is an umbrella term for various conditions that affect the lungs and breathing. Many things can exacerbate COPD, bringing about an array of challenging symptoms. It’s essential you know what to do during a COPD exacerbation. In addition, understanding what to do can greatly help in the event of … Read more
Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition in which the tissue of the lungs becomes damaged and scarred. Many things can lead to pulmonary fibrosis, although doctors often cannot identify a specific cause. If you’re living with a chronic lung disease like pulmonary fibrosis (PF), interstitial lung disease (ILD) or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), you’ve likely heard your doctor talk … Read more
Multiple factors can cause people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to lose out on a good night’s sleep. Medications and nighttime COPD symptoms are 2 factors that lead many COPD patients to experience insomnia and sleep disturbances. Lack of sleep can lead to daytime sleepiness, chronic fatigue and diminished quality of life for people … Read more
My patients with chronic lung disease often report difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep and sleeping deeply. Respiratory symptoms, medications and anxiety or depression can contribute to poor sleep if you have lung disease. A way to improve the quality of your sleep is to practice good sleep hygiene, which is a set of nighttime behaviors … Read more
For millions of Americans diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the first question to their doctor may be, “How long do I have?” Coping with COPD symptoms and living well may seem nearly impossible. COPD causes shortness of breath, fatigue, wheezing and persistent coughing. Often, people with COPD need to use supplemental oxygen to ensure … Read more
For people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), traveling may seem stressful and nearly impossible. Feeling worried about traveling with COPD is completely understandable. However, enjoying your favorite activities can help people with COPD live a fuller, more active lifestyle. Whether you use supplemental oxygen or not, you can enjoy taking a vacation. We’re here … Read more
Just think about how great a juicy, ripe tomato tastes. This delicacy is especially tasty during their normal summertime harvest period. You may not know that tomatoes are a food that can help your lung health. One study reported that each extra daily serving of fruit and vegetables could reduce the risk of chronic obstructive … Read more
Sometimes, the human body has a very funny way of letting us know that something is wrong with it. Case in point, if you find yourself with increased thirst, on/off again blurred vision or increased fatigue, then chances are that your body is warning you about the presence of diabetes. Of course, warning signs can be … Read more
vape (verb): to inhale and exhale the vapor produced by an electronic cigarette or similar device. Think about the first time you heard the word vape. Was it just this year when Oxford officially added it to the dictionary? Or was it when you tried to quit smoking for the fifth time only to wind … Read more
Even Mild Lung Disease Affects the Heart You may be surprised to learn that lung and heart diseases are closely intertwined. A recent study found that even mild lung disease can affect the heart’s ability to pump blood. “It suggests that a larger subset of heart failure may be due to lung disease, said Dr. R. Graham … Read more