General stuff and new to the community
Hello.
I am so happy I found this place. I haven't had anybody to talk with except my pharmacist and my doctor. I am so hungry for knowledge about this disease. Some days I feel like I'm going to die. I use Spiriva and Ventolin but some days it just doesn't seem to work.
This doesn't happen all the time some days are really great and I get all the oxygen and air that I need. On a bad day I get so discouraged depressed and bummed out. I would sure like to know what causes these flare ups and if there was something I can do that would help.
This community sounds like a storehouse of information and I would like some feedback. Thank you and have a nice day
You’ve come to a good place, welcome! Have you been diagnosed with COPD or something else? Have you had a PFT? ,
Welcome to the forum. Good days and bad days are just normal COPD for anyone who has it. What causes flare ups is different for everyone. For me it is dust, smoke from a campfire or grill, cold weather, hot weather, excess humidity, animal dander and hair (dogs, cats), are just a few. Once you figure out what causes you to flare, you can start avoiding these situations and have less flare ups. Do you have a pulmonologist or just a GP for a doctor? Get a pulmonologist referral if you do not have one. Then discuss plans to deal with flare ups and steps you can take to avoid them. Also look into breathing exercises, they will help you a lot. Learn to use an acapella or flutter valve machine to help break up mucus in the lungs and help cough it out. Pursed lip breathing is another very helpful exercise. Do a search online and on this website for anything you want to know about COPD and it’s treatment. There is a ton of information out there. Hang in there and take care. God Bless.
Hi, Harry! Welcome to the community. You are in the right place -- this is a great source of support and information and I hope we can be useful to you. Have you had COPD for a long time? I think knowing a little more about your current status can help us guide you to the right resources. For now, here's an article about flare-ups that could give you some things to think about: https://copd.net/living/copd-triggers
Looking forward to getting to know you better! Take care of yourself! -Melissa, copd.net team
I am on oxygen 24/7 and have used vasalinein my nose, but now I won’t . I also use scalene spay salt water.
Hi dotti, and thanks for joining in the conversation here. I am glad to hear that you will not be using Vaseline any longer while on supplemental oxygen therapy. Generally speaking, petroleum based products (like Vaseline), should never be used when oxygen is in use. It is a safety precaution.
I thought this would be a good time to share this article (published right here on COPD.net), which speaks to this topic: https://copd.net/living/dos-donts-supplemental-oxygen. Anyone reading this would also be well served to read the many comments at the end of the article.
I do hope the information is felt to be helpful for our readers.
All the best,
Leon (site moderator COPD.net)
